What: Linden Shiawassee River Sign Dedication & Full Moon Paddle
Where: Linden Mill Pond Beach, Linden Michigan
When: Monday, May 16, 2011,
5:00pm Sign Dedication,
6:30pm Full Moon Paddle
View Linden Mill Pond in a larger map
Join the City of Linden and Keepers of the Shiawassee May 16 at the Linden Mill Pond for the Shiawassee River sign dedication and full moon paddle. Friends and fellow paddlers will meet at the Mill Pond in Linden at 5pm to dedicate the new interpretive sign. Light refreshments will be served. Linden is the latest location to have signage installed along the Shiawassee River following a sign installation at Bush Park back in April. The mill pond is currently used as a kayak/canoe launch for paddlers who seek to paddle upstream to Tupper and Ponemah lakes.
The sign dedication ceremony will be followed by the first full moon paddle of the season, organized by Keepers of the Shiawassee. Interested paddlers are asked to meet at 6:30 p.m. at the mill pond for an hour long paddle up to Lake Ponemah and back to the mill pond. The group will end the evening at the Linden Hotel for dinner. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent from Fairbanks Canoes and Kayaks, LLC 810-287-9618 who will be at the event.
The sign was illustrated by Gayle Vandercook of Lapeer and was made possible through a generous grant from the Florence Michelson Fund and the Adams Fund to Benefit the Fenton Natural Environment, both associated Funds of the Fenton Community Fund. Since 2009, the Fenton Community Fund has lent their support to the River by advising a grant to University Outreach at the University of Michigan - Flint to create interpretive signage, a brochure, and develop a canoe launch. “Linden has supported the development of the Shiawassee River for years through their annual cleanups and festivals along the river and fishing tournaments. Developing the River into a recreation destination for paddlers seemed like a logical next step to boost local tourism and strengthen community identity” said Sara McDonnell, program coordinator at UM-Flint.
The Shiawassee River, the liquid ribbon that flows through Holly, Fenton, Linden and Argentine all the way to the Saginaw River and eventually to Saginaw Bay, is the focus of the Keepers of the Shiawassee. Keepers of the Shiawassee is a volunteer group that is developing the Shiawassee river as a paddling trail by organizing cleanups, installation of signage, and canoe/kayak launches. “The Shiawassee River is one of our greatest resources and has the opportunity to provide recreation and economic development to our region” stated Maggie Yerman an advocate for the Shiawassee River and key organizer of Keepers of the Shiawassee.
Keepers of the Shiawassee has grown out of efforts started by Headwaters Trails, Inc in Holly that created a paddling trail along the river from Holly to Fenton, and who organize an annual canoe race. Though local river cleanups occur in Fenton, Linden and Argentine, there has not been an organized effort to link volunteers in Genesee County to develop and promote the river. The Keepers of the Shiawassee hope to establish the water trail with safe and legal launch and landing sites and facilities every 4 to 6 river miles for novice and recreational paddlers.
Find Keepers of the Shiawassee on Facebook or Visit www.keepersoftheshiawassee.com for upcoming river events and to download the Shiawassee River Trail Guide.
CONTACTS
Sara McDonnell
University Outreach, UM-Flint
(810) 424-5489
smcdonne@umflint.edu
Maggie Yerman
Keepers of the Shiawassee
810-735-9570
Dave Lossing
Mayor, City of Linden
(810) 515-4359
CLICK on signs to see in more detail
