Kids in Kayaks with Hilton Head Prep and River Ridge Academy

Each October for the past 3 years The Outside Foundation has had the pleasure of hosting teacher Paula Whitaker and her seventh grade students from River Ridge Academy in Bluffton, South Carolina. This past week over 100 students had an opportunity to go kayaking and experience "hands on" learning about the abundant forms of life that call the tidal creeks and salt marshes of the May River home. What fun we had! The "Kids in Kayaks" program could not happen without support from the staff at Outside Hilton Head and Outside Palmetto Bluff. Thank you Erik Jo, Mike Overton, Boo Harrell, Jessie Westmark and guides Darci Everett, Anneliza Itkor, Alexa Broadbent, Taylor Johnson, and Dan Szczecinski. Thank you to all the remarkable naturalists from The LowCountry Master Naturalists Association, Debby and Pam from the Beaufort Conservation District, Beth Lewis from the Town of Bluffton Stormwater Authority, and all the volunteers who supervised and provided instruction at the dockside learning stations. We are most grateful for the tremendous support from all the "Friends" of The Outside Foundation in our community. Thank you so much for all the donations in support of the "Kids in Kayaks" program. Thank you to Columbia Sportswear for your most generous grant support for this program - money from this grant directly scholarships those students whose families cannot afford the program cost. Wonderful! The vast majority of these students have never put on a life jacket, held a paddle nor hopped into a kayak. The "Kids in Kayaks' program allows these children to directly connect to the remarkable ecosystem they call home. We hope this day creates memories and a lasting connection to the May River and our local environment. Overheard by one guide: "Best day ever!"

22382054_864528857049634_4020685572734728332_o

22339673_864530093716177_6656794454216967697_o

22339501_864530483716138_7281405258385771620_o

22339273_863529373816249_684740162697469631_o

22338870_864528983716288_9205999688508417036_o

22339000_864529813716205_5004975246706408822_o

22339219_864529030382950_8044735861285159558_o

22308888_864528773716309_2895596061609053099_n

22291556_864529427049577_255010152808573314_o

22310426_864528607049659_7612797033921698960_n

22338805_863529283816258_5785510241708103590_o

22338847_864529610382892_3723661505655902306_o

22338851_864530500382803_7388329826367911107_o

22339186_864528830382970_5051321624441580177_o

22291212_864530370382816_1789216333822575214_o

22289755_864529127049607_849414644766638523_o

22290050_864529550382898_2614374697008337791_o

22289734_864530410382812_1712478254862867914_o

22256630_864528917049628_5275899823015790315_o

22256682_864529583716228_2872040727440451870_o

We had a super fun day hosting seventh graders from Hilton Head Preparatory School. We explored the salt marshes of the Broad Creek by kayak and spotted some dolphin. Dockside, the students analyzed water samples, explored the sessile community of organisms under the float docks, caught both a blue and stone crab, and tested various stormwater issues with the Envrioscape Watershed model. It was a great day for getting #outside! Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

22218581_863529273816259_7228041293890616269_o

22218631_863529013816285_6797123815541495533_o (1)

22181336_863529193816267_1002996008812529047_o

22219814_863529080482945_6321732893257407551_o

22219893_863529110482942_7922835965475539879_o

22254698_863529007149619_816173308027062277_o

22220071_863529177149602_1742147617664320142_o

22219997_863529160482937_214261637885263797_o

22256597_863529250482928_1693802200128811451_o

22291533_863529053816281_7448220663777852319_o

22291370_863529077149612_877356600935431525_o