No such thing as a lazy boat ride at Cooper River outdoor school
It was smooth sailing for students at the first ever Cooper River Outdoor School this fall, where they learned about river ecology, conservation and how to be good sailors.
The Cooper River Yacht Club in Collingswood put on the outdoor school for four weeks at the end of summer. The school was for students ages 10 to 12 years old, who live in Camden County and who were proficient swimmers.
The roughly 20 students who met on Saturday mornings beginning Sept. 12 learned how to operate a sail, kayak and canoe. They also received instruction in boating safety procedures and the ecology along the Cooper River.
Marcella Ridenour is a volunteer with the outdoor school and a certified canoeing and sailing instructor.
According to Ridenour, the yacht club, located along the Cooper River Park, offered the outdoor school for students as a service to give back to the children of Camden County.
The yacht club hired professional instructors to teach the students the basics of sailing and a naturalist and professional environmental educator to teach students about river ecology.
In the environmental sessions, students studied what makes a healthy creek by analyzing soil erosion patterns, how storm drains work, how to improve water quality and about the animals and organisms in creeks and rivers. Students also learned about watersheds and the impact humans can have on the bodies of water.
Andrew Gaier, 11, is a fifth-grader at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School who attended the Cooper River Outdoor School this fall.
Gaier, of Haddonfield, has taken sailing lessons at the Cooper River Yacht Club before, and returned because he enjoyed his experience at the club and on the water.
Gaier hopes to be on a crew team once he is old enough. His favorite activity was learning to sail.
“You should go if you really want to learn how to sail, canoe or kayak. It’s worth it,” he said.
Throughout the course, students observed and studied waterfowl, river plants and fish, and the effects of river erosion. They conducted water tests on the condition of the Cooper River and created surveys of recyclables along the river.
Students also learned about the importance of life jackets, how to properly fit a life jacket, how to safely board a boat and how to assist other boats that capsize on the water.
“We hope that they learn to appreciate, care for and become stewards of the river environment so it will be available to future generations for outdoor recreation,” Ridenour said.
She anticipates that the Cooper River Yacht Club will sponsor the outdoor school for students next fall, as well. The cost of admission this year was $15.
The educational program was also funded this year by Cooper River Yacht Club members and I Boat NJ, a state-run grant program designed to enhance the marine industry in New Jersey.
In addition to the fall courses, the yacht club also offers community sailing program for families held all year round.
A special boating camp for students ages 9 to 16 from the city of Camden is also held during the summer.
Admission to the camp includes a T-shirt, catered lunch, canoeing, kayaking and sailing lessons to students.
“These children have little opportunities to be in an outdoor environment, and we offer the opportunity as an educational and recreational activity,” Ridenour said.
The roughly 20 students who met on Saturday mornings beginning Sept. 12 learned how to operate a sail, kayak and canoe. They also received instruction in boating safety procedures and the ecology along the Cooper River.
Marcella Ridenour is a volunteer with the outdoor school and a certified canoeing and sailing instructor.
According to Ridenour, the yacht club, located along the Cooper River Park, offered the outdoor school for students as a service to give back to the children of Camden County.
The yacht club hired professional instructors to teach the students the basics of sailing and a naturalist and professional environmental educator to teach students about river ecology.
In the environmental sessions, students studied what makes a healthy creek by analyzing soil erosion patterns, how storm drains work, how to improve water quality and about the animals and organisms in creeks and rivers. Students also learned about watersheds and the impact humans can have on the bodies of water.
Andrew Gaier, 11, is a fifth-grader at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School who attended the Cooper River Outdoor School this fall.
Gaier, of Haddonfield, has taken sailing lessons at the Cooper River Yacht Club before, and returned because he enjoyed his experience at the club and on the water.
Gaier hopes to be on a crew team once he is old enough. His favorite activity was learning to sail.
“You should go if you really want to learn how to sail, canoe or kayak. It’s worth it,” he said.
Throughout the course, students observed and studied waterfowl, river plants and fish, and the effects of river erosion. They conducted water tests on the condition of the Cooper River and created surveys of recyclables along the river.
Students also learned about the importance of life jackets, how to properly fit a life jacket, how to safely board a boat and how to assist other boats that capsize on the water.
“We hope that they learn to appreciate, care for and become stewards of the river environment so it will be available to future generations for outdoor recreation,” Ridenour said.
She anticipates that the Cooper River Yacht Club will sponsor the outdoor school for students next fall, as well. The cost of admission this year was $15.
The educational program was also funded this year by Cooper River Yacht Club members and I Boat NJ, a state-run grant program designed to enhance the marine industry in New Jersey.
In addition to the fall courses, the yacht club also offers community sailing program for families held all year round.
A special boating camp for students ages 9 to 16 from the city of Camden is also held during the summer.
Admission to the camp includes a T-shirt, catered lunch, canoeing, kayaking and sailing lessons to students.
“These children have little opportunities to be in an outdoor environment, and we offer the opportunity as an educational and recreational activity,” Ridenour said.
