STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES

"To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."
~Aldo Leopold

We Practice What We Preach

Caitlin harvesting vegis for Backyard gardens Winding Waters River Expeditions is committed to taking care of the watersheds we float. We are just a few of the hundreds and thousands of visitors to enjoy the beautiful Snake River in Hells Canyon, Salmon River, and Grande Ronde River each year. Ensuring that both the water and campsites remain pristine is one of our top priorities. We practice low-impact, leave-no-trace techniques and prefer to leave a camp better than we found it, if possible. Additionally, we recycle all recyclables from each trip.

Land Stewardship

Local Foods

We support the sustainable practice of local food production. We are fortunate to have great local suppliers for our salad greens, eggs, granola, and some of our meats (grass-fed beef and pork, when available). Through purchasing food from local producers, we know the quality and care taken in production, and gain a closer connection with our watersheds. And darn it, local foods just taste good!

Community Stewardship

Watershed Festival - Birdhouse Building

Paul building a birdhouse with a young lady.

What could be cuter than a kid assembling their own birdhouse with the help of a WWRE guide? For the past 5 years, Paul has volunteered in building birdhouses with local and visiting youth at our local Watershed Festival. Todd and Jon, WWRE guides, have joined Paul the past few years, along with other volunteers from the community. Penny would be helping too, but she heads-up the festival. To date, they've assembled about 500 bluebird (Western and Mountain) and Tree Swallow houses with youth. Watch for them again this year!

Adopt-A-Highway

WWRE Highway Sign

We recently adopted a 2-mile segment of highway outside of Joseph (Imnaha Highway) which we drive en route to Hells Canyon. Twice a year our guide crew and friends will gather to collect trash along this stretch of hometown roadway.

The WWRE highway cleanup crew, guide and friends.