Imagine yourself at the banks of a country stream on a crystal-clear, early fall day. Sunshine warms your face and cool breeze drifts through your hair. An Osprey circles overhead and kingfishers chatter in the trees, as shimmering water gurgles at your feet. Sounds kind of nice, huh? Well, if you were one of the 60 people who took part in our second annual canoe trip, this scene would not have to be an imaginary one. It would, instead, be a pleasant memory.

The trip was a 12-mile downstream journey from Momence to Kankakee. At our endpoint, we traveled by automobile to the Kankakee River State Park, where we enjoyed a feast along with singing and dancing to traditional music. As a fitting ending, we watched a beautiful sun disappear over the horizon of the river with a blaze of color. A huge full moon watched over us on the drive home.

Weather is always a major concern when any outdoor event is planned but Mother Earth and Father Sky combined to provide their children with a picture-perfect day for our journey down the Kankakee River. But another weather-related concern nearly halted the entire trip – the lack of any rain for a long stretch of the season.

River watchers informed us that the river was at its lowest level in decades. Because of this, we had to take our trip on the upper part of the river, where a dam keeps the water level a little higher. There were still a few shallow areas to be portaged, yet the route change and shallow water were just minor inconveniences when accompanied by the beautiful weather and clear water.

As dry as it has been, you may wonder how the Kankakee River manages to have any water at all during the driest part of the year. The Kankakee has its origins in Indiana then flows nearly 90 miles before it joins with the Des Plaines River just east of Morris, Illinois. The land that drains into the river is called a watershed. There are more than 1.3 million

acres of land contributing runoff to fill the river. A large watershed means there is greater potential for water to enter the river. Unfortunately, a large watershed also can generate a large amount of contaminants to pollute the waters.

Potawatomi Indians called the Kankakee River Valley home long before the French explorer LaSalle entered its waters in 1679. The area was a vast marsh, teaming with waterfowl and other wildlife. LaSalle dubbed the site "Grand Marsh;" it has also been called the "Great Kankakee Swamp." The river cut a path through this great swamp on a meandering course over 200 miles long. Over the past 150 years, the waterway has been straightened and most of the marsh has been drained to facilitate agricultural production.

Efforts are underway to restore and enhance some of the wetlands along the Kankakee. Wetlands are nature’s filters. They can catch sediment, nutrients, and pesticides. They also help reduce flooding as well as provide habitat for a great variety of wildlife. We need all of these things in balance to keep the Earth healthy.

Water is the lifeblood of our Mother and it is a good indicator of her overall health. This trip gave us another opportunity to get a close look at the condition of the water (some people got an even closer look at the water than others!). It is easy to forget about what is going on with the land when we have so much going on in our lives. We need to continue to find time to stay in touch with the Earth. Our annual canoe outing gives us the chance to honor the waters and remember how important they are to our everyday life. We plan to do this again next year—we hope you can join us.

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