What is RiverWatch?

RiverWatch is part science and part adventure!

Thousands of students just like you spend a day rafting and exploring Alberta Rivers each year. These students enjoy an amazing field trip as crewmembers aboard a floating science laboratory!

What is RiverWatch? The answer is a bit complicated! Here goes...

There's Nothing Like It!

Many parents and teachers have helped make RiverWatch a success. After a day helping supervise on the river, adults often say, "We never did anything like this when we were in school! " We're always pleased with what they're saying about RiverWatch.

Prime Minister's Award

The Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.

We're very proud that RiverWatch Science was recognized with the 1997 Prime Minister's National Award for Teaching Excellence. It's hard to top that!

"Through your dedication and skill, you have opened doors for these young people to exciting studies and careers, and in turn are doing your country a great service. You are an inspiration to fellow educators and all those involved with Canadian youth. Please accept my warmest congratulations and best wishes for continued success."

The Right Honourable Jean Chretien
Prime Minister of Canada

Four Challenges

RiverWatch is designed to give you real-life and hands-on experience with environmental science. Participants are asked to accept four challenges...

• be safe
• conduct real science
• work as a team
• take care of your river

Be Safe

A professional river guide will oversee your safety.

RiverWatch has introduced tens-of-thousands of students to their local rivers. Not only is it an amazing science program, it's also a very safe way to learn about rivers. You'll spend a day under the direction of a professional river guide who oversees your safety while paddling and conducting science observations.

Conduct Real Science

RiverWatch is one good way of helping take care of rivers.

RiverWatch is not just about learning science - it's about actually doing science! River Watch gets you doing real research. The data you and other students collect is used to build a database for monitoring the health of Alberta Rivers.

One entire day aboard a floating laboratory is truly amazing, but RiverWatch is much more than a one-day field trip! RiverWatch prepares you before the field trip and then helps you with data analysis when you return to school.

Team Spirit!

RiverWatch rafts are much too big for one person to paddle. Also, one person couldn't possibly collect the hundreds of science measurements in one day. Working together in as team is one of the best things about RiverWatch!

How come cave bats are never lonely?
…They're always hanging out with friends!

Taking Care of Rivers

Collecting data helps monitor the health of Alberta Rivers.

The health of our rivers is being affected by the sheer combined impact of so many of us. Just look at everyone who's using rivers - anglers, boaters, dams, industries, agriculture, towns and cities. Helping with RiverWatch Science is one good way of helping take care of rivers.