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Goodie Bag
Published On: 9/29/16

Delmarva Paddling Weekend debuts in Snow Hill this Fri.

Originally Posted on Bayside Gazette
(Sept. 29, 2016) Beginning tomorrow and lasting throughout the weekend, the Delmarva Paddling Weekend will show off Snow Hill and Laurel, Delaware as the newest up-and-coming spots for ecotourism on the lower shore.
A complete schedule and individual trip descriptions, along with the ability to make reservations are available online at www.delmarvapaddling.com.
“The inspiration for how to set up the weekend came from two places, the Delmarva Birding Weekend and Delmarva Bike Week,” Jim Rapp of Conservation Community Consulting, the firm managing the event for the towns, said.
From the birding weekend, the structure of individual trips with certain objective ordered a la carte emerged. From Bike Week, regional events, in this case the towns of Snow Hill and Laurel, Delaware, with crossover between the towns and audiences, plus the markedly different surrounding environment, had been copied.
“We’ve got two waterfront home bases trying to do similar things,” Rapp said of smaller lower shore towns trying to capitalize on local waterways to increase ecotourism. “All trips are guided by interpreters and naturalists.”  
For example, the first trip leaving Snow Hill at 9 a.m. on Friday morning is called “The Nature of Nassawango Creek,” which begins and ends at the Pocomoke River Canoe Company.
The trip will be led by a local expert — Rapp himself on some occasions — who will paddle along the creek with participants as they hunt for warblers, owls, turtles and beavers.
For those more interested in learning how and where to travel on the local waterway, there are also instructional courses scattered throughout each day’s agenda.
“We have several trips that are perfect for new paddlers or people who are new to the area. There are also people who don’t know where to go, or don’t want to go into unfamiliar territory,” Rapp said.
The trepidation is understandable to Rapp, who has a long history of exploring the places of the lower shore not defined by sun, surf and sand.
“For Snow Hill, almost all of the trips are very good for beginner-to-moderate skill levels. The starter trips are going slow and looking around,” he said.
To facilitate communication and to keep the tours together, Rapp said the size of the tours would be limited to about 12.
“It gets tricky for the guide if we go over a dozen, and we’re really pushing for preregistration, but we’re also pretty connected to the website and can add people pretty much right away,” he said. “Some trips will fill up, and some will sell out.”
 Those with no interest in paddling whatsoever could still attend Saturday night’s rally and steamed crab feast at the River House Inn, which is a short walk from the Pocomoke River Canoe Company.
For $20 per person, Rapp said, guests can enjoy crabs, barbecued chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, salads and soft drinks. Coolers with ice will be provided to those who would like to bring alcoholic beverages.
“We’re already committed to doing this next year,” Rapp said. “It’s not going to draw Bike Week numbers yet, but we hope for every one person we do get out, next year they bring a friend.”
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