‘Part of our backyard’: Guided educational river floats launch into Bow River

We all enjoy rafting down the river on a warm summer day but one group says there's a lot more to the Bow River than we think. Jordan Kanygin reports.

Rafts are in the river for another summer as the RiverWatch Institute of Alberta marks its 30th year taking people for first-hand educational floats in Calgary.

For decades, the not-for-profit has taken thousands of students down the Bow River and North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton to learn about the river’s ecosystem, wildlife and history. Now the organization has opened up its rafts to the public who want to experience the guided tours, too.

“I think the more we get people on the river to experience the nature aspect of the river, the more people will be connected to it,” said Jay Ball, the executive director of RiverWatch.

“You want to connect people to the river so they care about it. And when people care about things, they begin to protect it.”

The summer EcoFloats run up to four hours along the Bow River in south Calgary, through parts of Fish Creek Park.

Guides point out wildlife and birds along the route; plenty of pelicans and ducks can be spotted at this time of the year, along with a bald eagle or two.

“The river, it’s part of our backyard. So exposing people to that and seeing everything that Calgary has right at our fingertips --I think that’s the pretty cool part,” said Natalie Thain, a RiverWatch guide who is heading into her third year of a Natural Sciences degree at the University of Calgary.

The EcoFloats run Thursdays to Sundays every weekend until August 24 and tickets can be purchased online.