River exploration

Exploring natural resources in your area can be a great way to spend an adventurous day for little to no $

Our day began skipping rocks on the banks of the Connecticut River.  A totally free activity that gave way to a full half hour of fun.  Rain boots are a must for this activity as standing in the water is far too appealing, but the banks of well traveled rivers can unfortunately be littered with unfortunate human debris: broken glass/fish hooks...

Beyond the intrinsic fun of heaving rocks into the water, many learning opportunities present themselves on the banks of a river or other body of water.  Isabel and Sean noticed many living creatures to observe and explore: bugs, spiders and birds.  During our time at the river bank, we spotted, blue herons, geese and even a golden eagle!

Just up river from our location, is the Robert E. Barrett Fishway.  An awesome and lightly traveled gem in the heart of Western Massachusetts.  The fishway is a piece of the Holyoke Gas and Electric complex and is open to the public for FREE May through June.

Sean and Isabel had a blast watching the migrating anadromous fish get lifted up the, "fish elevator", their words, before they were released above the dam to begin their swim upriver for spawning.

This experience was also filled with a great many learning opportunities.  One of the first was learning what exactly an anadromous fish was: An anadromous fish, born in fresh water, spends most of its life in the sea and returns to fresh water to spawn.  Salmon, smelt, shad, striped bass, and sturgeon are common examples.  The fishway and Holyoke Gas and Electric is staffed by several knowledge and friendly staff that can share all about the fish migration process.  Beyond the fish excitement, Sean enjoyed studying the large power generator, as pictured above, that is fueled by the dam.

When searching for fun activities for your children remember to check out local/educational resources that are often very low cost and sometimes even free!  If you are a resident of Western Massachusetts, the Fishway will be open for one more week before the season ends.  So if you're looking for a fun activity next weekend be sure to stop by the Robert E. Barrett Fishway.