Written by Corey Shiner and Steve Johnson
Want to get out on the water this summer and experience the Refuge from a new point of view?
L.L. Bean provides kayaking experiences at John Heinz every weekend from Memorial Day to the end of October. With both 3 hour long Guided Birding Kayak tours and 1.5 hour long Discovery Kayaking course on weekends usually, there’s an experience to meet everyone’s interests and needs.
Getting out on the water is the best way to glimpse the true world of the tidal marsh. From a kayak, the birds, turtles, and the thriving plants take on a whole new life and a different level of peace and tranquility takes over. It’s also a way to see Darby Creek as the Lenape the original stewards and caretakers of Lenapehoking, the land we call Philadelphia, would have. The Unami-speaking Turtle Clan of Lenape lived in the area the Refuge now covers and made dugout canoes, usually from cedar or tulip poplar, to use for fishing and sometimes traveling.
L.L.Bean has an amazing staff of guides who are devoted to providing an inclusive environment for people to view nature from a new point of view. If you’d like to learn more about opportunities to become part of team, please let us know by emailing cshiner1@llbean.com
Check out our kayak schedule at llbeanoutdoors.com/philadelphia-pennsylvania.
If you’re a community organizer interesting in arranging a summer paddle for your group, email carmelita_rosner@fws.gov
