Pocomoke River Paddle

The banks of the Pocomoke River on Maryland's eastern shore host what may the last great ash forest in the state and possibly the entire mid-Atlantic. This rare wetland forest is dominated by ash and baldcypress trees - in fact, it's a remnant of the northernmost baldcypress swamp in the world. It's a stunning place bursting with biodiversity that makes you feel like you've left the busy mid-Atlantic far behind and entered a virtually untouched world. I think of it as Maryland's bayou. (But don't worry - no alligators!)

Sadly, a recent visit to the area confirmed that the ash trees are not likely to survive much longer, as emerald ash borer is either already present or likely to arrive soon. We would like more people to be able to see this forest in its full glory. So Gabe Popkin is leading a tour of the wetland and you're invited!

There's really only one way to experience a wetland or swamp, and that's from the water. There's a beautiful, peaceful canoe trail starting at Shad Landing in Pocomoke River State Park that winds through an ash-dominated wetland and ends in a cypress swamp. We'll talk about the trees, plants and other species we see along the way - on a recent visit, we saw herons, ducks, pileated woodpeckers, prothonotary warblers and even a beaver. We'll also talk about wetland ecology and what makes these places so important both for nature and people. And of course we'll talk about the trees that make this whole place what it is.

This tour will obviously be a bit more complex than my normal tree walks. We will need to cap tours at 12-15 people, advance registration will be required and everyone will need to fill out a liability waiver and arrange for their own boats. While the tour will go from mid morning to mid-afternoon, you can make a weekend out of it by reserving a camp site at Pocomoke River State Park or staying in a nearby hotel. It's about a three-hour drive from the DC area, so you could also plan to leave very early the day of the tour, but it is a bit far for a day trip.

Tours will be on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25, weather permitting. Please register for one day only, so that as many people as possible can come. Full details below. Please contact Gabe Popkin at gpokin@gmail.com if you have any questions, if something is unclear or if the registration form doesn't work.

LOGISTICS

If you're not ready to commit, the form has a place where you can indicate interest.

Time and place: The tour will leave from the marina at Shad Landing at 10:30 am. Please arrive by 10 am. The trip will last around 4 hours including a lunch break.

Boats: You will need to bring or rent your own boat, paddle and personal flotation device (PFD). If you don't have these things, you can rent them from the Pocomoke River Canoe Company in Snow Hill. You will need to have your boat delivered to Shad Landing (unless you plan to transport it yourself).

Canoes and kayaks will both work for this trip; stand-up paddleboards and motorized boats will not. One-person boats will be the most maneuverable and allow you to explore tight spaces, but a tandem boat can also work. The outfitter rents solo kayaks, tandem kayaks and tandem canoes.

What to bring: Water, lunch and snacks. (Reusable water bottles are encouraged.) Bug spray and sunscreen if needed. Comfortable clothes and a suggested change of clothes in case you get wet. Rain jacket. Binoculars if you have them.

Important note: We are not canoe or kayak instructors and cannot teach you how to paddle. You should either have basic paddling skills or a plan for gaining them before the trip. That said, this will be very easy paddling on flat water with little exposure to wind, so if you've paddled at all before, you should be able to do this. If there's inclement weather beyond a light rain in the forecast, the trip will be postponed.

No cost but donations requested: There's no cost for this trip and we want it to be accessible to everyone. But as mentioned above, we are raising funds for a photo exhibition to bring more attention to these unique wetlands and encourage people to think about how we can be stewards of our local ecosystems. If you're able to donate any amount to help us put on this exhibit, we would greatly appreciate it.

Pocomoke River State Park