Cass Co. SWCD is part of the regional 10-County Arrow Head Country RC&D and helps coordinate an annual educational rafting experience for students from 8th-12th grade. Our 2025 Welcome Letter:
Does your school or group have classes and organizations focused on ecology, soil and water health, and the well-being of our environment? Would your students benefit from a day out of the classroom, interacting with nature and people who work in the conservation-aligned job sector? Do you believe in the importance of hands-on experiences and learning through fun? If this sounds applicable to you, you are invited to pre-register for the 32nd annual Arrowhead Country RC&D Rafting Expedition and Academic Competition.
We offer this outstanding program to schools and educational groups in the ten-county Arrowhead Country RC&D area and neighboring counties in Northwest and North Central Indiana. We invite students in grades 8–12 and typically engage around 500 each year.
The program aligns with Indiana Academic Standards and emphasizes meaningful, high-quality interactions. Conservation, environmental, and educational organizations have recognized it for its impact. It earned the Indiana Wildlife Federation State Education Award and the National Conservation Education Award from the National Association of Conservation Districts.
Educators and professionals have requested information about the program, leading us to present at conferences hosted by the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Environmental Education Association of Indiana, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Tri-State Make a Splash Conference, Indiana Rivers Rally, and the Midwest Regional Conference of RC&Ds.
Want to take a quick look? Here’s a video that shows what we’re all about:
Where: Tippecanoe River State Park 4200 N US Hwy 35 Winamac, IN 46996
When: September 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, 2025
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/JqEoGUMjGfpr8hhd8
Who: Grades 8 - 12. High school science classes, ag classes, homeschool groups; science clubs, scouting groups, etc. are also welcome.
This year’s program will be on a section of the Tippecanoe River that runs through Tippecanoe River State Park, near Winamac. Students begin the day with raft assignments and safety instructions. Each raft includes a knowledgeable instructor, sharing information about the river and its watershed as students paddle downstream. There is room for conversation and questions. There are also pull-out sites, where students learn about the riparian area, significant wildlife species, and how to conduct water tests to better understand water ecology. It is a very hands-on day, with students actively participating in journaling observations, water sampling, watershed demos, and paddling!
Examples of what students can learn and how it is presented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdArdxFRR54&list=PLUUfTBM501slN6-B18MroSE1xTtcDfJkM
If you are interested, we recommend sending in a preliminary reservation for your group to reserve a spot. We also invite you to send this information on to anyone you know who might be interested! Pre-registrants will not be held strictly to their preliminary numbers; this is solely for our early planning purposes and to reserve a spot for your group. Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District enthusiastically endorses this program and is hopeful that local students will be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Also, Cass Co. SWCD typically covers the registration fee for our county participants. If you have questions concerning this program, please contact Leah Walthery at the SWCD office.
One other thing:
The scope of the program means that we always have a need for local volunteers to help assist. The majority of help we need is in manning rafts and with scripted watershed demos, with a daylong obligation usually having you back home in Cass County by 3 pm or so. This program is an excellent way to make connections with youth and show your support for environmental education targeted around healthy water in our community. I have had several volunteers tell me that they do this every year to help "recharge their own batteries" and re-connect with nature.....being part of something so positive with kids, sharing their love for the natural world, helps them feel better about the future both here where we live and further on down the river. Our volunteers typically are quite diverse, including retired teachers, Boy Scout leaders, public utility staff, employees from NRCS, and other members of the Indiana Conservation Partnership. The diversity of the volunteers greatly enhances the program!
Sincerely,
Leah Walthery, Director, Cass County SWCD
Phone: 574-737-4160 (office); 574-725-8587 (mobile); e-mail: lwalthery@casscoswcd.org
Re: 2025 Arrow Head Country River Expedition on the Tippecanoe River