Paddling by Starlight
It was night time on the Ohio River. The stars and a full moon provided our guiding light as we floated south in our canoes. It was peaceful – but not quiet – with the whir of wildlife surrounding us. The only reminder of the real-world was the occasional rumble of a passing barge. Sometime in the wee hours of this 30-hour paddle, we came up with a vision: to create an organization to connect people with adventure, inspire care for the land and water, and help Ohio River communities grow.
A few years later, the Ohio River Way – a nonprofit organization we paddlers created – is fulfilling that vision. The river needs the attention, too. In the wake of the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the Ohio River was named the second-most endangered river in the U.S. by the nonprofit American Rivers. We’re working to address this in a few ways.
Our team just returned from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, where we were advocating for restoration funding for the Ohio River Basin. Alongside partners like the Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), we met with lawmakers and their staff and made the case for funding that would improve the health of our water, restore wildlife habitat, mitigate flooding, and enhance infrastructure for sustainable recreation. We have a journey ahead of us, but a restoration initiative could be transformative for our region.
The day before we went to DC, we were on the river wrapping up our annual Ohio River Challenge. While this 250-mile paddle from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky, didn’t involve paddling by starlight, it did take 10 days in our 30-foot-long Voyageur canoes. We met with community members and community leaders along the way, raising awareness for river recreation and building partnerships to promote the river.
At the Dept. of the Interior after meeting with Mike Reynolds, Deputy Director of the National Park Service. From left to right: Brewster Rhoads, Frances Kern Mennone, Forest Clevenger & oSha Cowley-Shireman.
A lot of the Ohio River Way’s work happens in the background through these partnerships: with the help of the National Park Service, we’ve provided free planning assistance on outdoor recreation for a number of communities along the river. We also support communities and organizations in finding and receiving funding for their projects.
Our work on these varied fronts came together earlier this year in our inaugural Guide to the Ohio River Way, made in partnership with Cincy Magazine. The Guide was written by people who love the outdoors, including recreation advocates, conservationists, and researchers. Whether you’re interested in paddling or boating on the river, cycling or hiking on local trails, or exploring the main streets and historic sites of our river towns, the Guide has something for you.
We’re proud to be providing the Guide to the Ohio River Way for free to our members. You can learn more about becoming a member of the Ohio River Way here. With that, we hope to see you on or along the river embarking on your own adventure!
The 2023 Ohio River Challenge - photo by Melissa Brierly Burkhardt.
