The Sojourn began at Fairmount Water Works on Saturday, September 5th at 8am. 12 youth and 8 adults attended. They had 3 mechanics and 2 SAG support drivers. Rails-To-Trails youth engagement coordinator Tom McKeon worked alongside youth athletes to plan out the education programming.
Students and chaperones biked up the Schuylkill River Trail and stopped at East Falls Bridge for the first student-run lesson: What is a Watershed?
They continued to Manayunk Canal for the second lesson, Are Canals Good for the Environment?, before heading up to Phoenixville. Taking a detour off the Schuylkill River Trail, the cyclists traveled north to Black Rock Sanctuary.
At French Creek State Park, the group set up their tents, enjoyed a catered dinner from Valentino’s and relaxed with board games and sports.
The next morning, the group enjoyed the park’s facilities. Everyone had an opportunity to either rowboat or swim. After lunch they set out towards Marsh Creek State Park to enjoy the scenic view and create haikus about the sojourn, circuit and watersheds.
The second day concluded at Saint Peters Church of the Great Valley. The church sits on 16 acres of land, including a cemetery, labyrinth and sheep. During the evening, everyone enjoyed roasting marshmallows on a campfire, stargazing and sharing stories. Many slept out in the open air.
The next morning the group biked towards Valley Forge. At Valley Forge, youth learned about benthic macro invertebrates and green infrastructure through interactive activities at a stream. They cycled towards the SRT and took it home to conclude with cake at Fairmount Water Works.
Cadence Youth Cycling is now Bicycle Coalition Youth Cycling. Click here to learn more about the recent changes, and click here to donate.