Participation in the fifth annual Harford Streams Summer Adventure soared to over 1,000 citizens in 2020, raising awareness and support for protecting Harford County’s natural waterways.
Developed by Harford County government’s Watershed Protection and Restoration Office, this award-winning program encourages citizens of all ages to take selfies at various locations, write a brief comment about their experiences and enter to win T-shirts and other prizes. A free app allowed participants to easily upload photos, enter locations using GIS and submit their comments.
Four hundred and forty-one adventurers qualified for a free T-shirt by visiting at least seven Harford stream locations. Those who visited at least 11 locations qualified for a drawing to win a pontoon boat trip for 15 people in and around the Bush River and Otter Point Creek. The boat trip was donated by the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center. This year’s winner was the Siegel family of Bel Air.
A canoe trip for 16 people at Eden Mill Nature Center was the prize in a drawing for participants who visited at least 15 locations. The Castillo family of Belcamp and their furry friends won the trip, donated by the Eden Mill Nature Center.
A highlight of the program was the “poker run” held in July. More than 130 participants started at Annie’s Playground in Fallston by collecting playing cards and learning about the stream restoration project from Harford County staff and Ecotone. Next stops were Gunpowder Falls State Park Sweet Air Area and the Liriodendron Lower Lot Trail. The poker run concluded back at Annie’s Playground where participants turned in their poker hands and enjoyed snacks, shaved ice from Kona Ice, received T-shirts and other prizes, with support from Visit Harford, Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, Harford Soil Conservation District, Harford Land Trust, Susquehannock Wildlife Society, Watershed Stewards Academy, Gunpowder Riverkeeper, and Ecotone.
Prizes for the poker run were a Yeti Roadie 20 Cooler donated by MK consulting Engineers, a GoSports Battlechip Match game kit, and iLive Waterproof Floating Bluetooth Speaker and a YETI Rambler 26 OZ Bottle with Chug Cup with Harford Streams logo. All participants received T-shirts donated by Visit Harford. Harford County Parks and Recreation provided the venue.
