Programs & Events
The Niagara River Greenway helps promote events that celebrate and connect the public to the Niagara River Waterfront. We do this in a number of ways, by helping to organize fun and educational events, partnering with civic organizations to promote stewardship programs, supporting non-profit environmental organizations to restore riparian habitats, and collaborating with local municipalities to develop trails and greenspaces. Our hope and goal is to inspire our community to cherish and enjoy our natural resources while developing a sense of true environmental stewardship. Below is a sample of some of the projects we continue to work on.
Paddles Up Niagara
Our signature event is Paddles Up Niagara, where hundreds of people gather at Beaver Island State Park to embark on guided eco tours or a larger fun paddle. It is a great way to enjoy our Niagara River safely with friends, family and the community. The event is free, with the exception of parking, and offers various vendor options to rent kayaks from. Paddles Up is always held on the last Saturday in July and this year we will be holding the 16th annual on July 30th.
Birds on the Niagara
We are also a founding member and organizer of the annual Birds on the Niagara, which is a winter festival in celebration of all birds that call the Niagara River Corridor home. The event is held on Valentines Day Weekend, which is a wonderful time to view winter birds that take advantage of our flowing body of water during these cold months. In 2020 the event was held virtually and the above video is our presentation, please visit www.birdsontheniagara.org for many more presentations by very informative speakers.
Youth Stewardship Program
The Niagara River Greenway and Rotary are working with local schools and youth clubs, like Niagara Wheatfield, North Tonawanda, KenTon and Riverside High Schools to educate students about Great Lakes ecology, riparian habitats, invasive species, pollinators, soil and water conservation and more. Equally important, students gain a sense of community, self-pride, and accomplishment working together towards the development and maintenance of our Niagara River Corridor. We are creating life long stewards!
Community Clean Ups
We help organize and participate in community clean ups around the Niagara River or its tributaries. We love any opportunity to keep our waterways clean, events like the Rotary and Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Great Lakes Clean Up are annual traditions.
Community Engagement
We invite community leaders and champions on walks and bike rides to explore what an area looks like now and identify what could be better. Together we envision how we can make safer and more enjoyable trails for cyclists and pedestrians? We then take these ideas back to the Town Supervisors or Mayors and legislators
Adopt a TRAIL
Local clubs, organizations and businesses have the opportunity to adopt a portion of the Shoreline Trail, with their choice of location and length, to represent while maintaining and improving the trail for community use and enjoyment.
