Nearly 50 people learned valuable wilderness survival skills and Leave No Trace principles during the Sept. 30, 2025, Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat near Williamsport.

On the upper level, Rose Anna Moore, of This is My Quest, and one of her junior board members, Mia, discussed survival tips and tricks including important lessons Moore learned while competing on Season 8 of the television show Alone, including dealing with numerous grizzly bears in their natural habitat. She showed some of her key tools for fire starting, shelter building and the importance of clean water. And she discussed the importance of keeping calm and being creative when using tools in survival settings.

On the Hiawatha’s lower level, Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership supervisor Marissa Crames ran an interactive quiz on how long it takes certain everyday products to decompose in the wild, leading up to an overview of the seven key principles of Leave No Trace. This included some hand gestures to help young learners remember the concepts.

The program marks the next-to-last Floating Classroom of the 2025 season. It wraps up Oct. 14 with a program about Trout and Trees featuring arborist and Rider Park manager Sara Street and Susquehanna University educators. Learn more and get your ticketsat the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper website.

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association serves an 11,000-square-mile watershed of the Susquehanna River, including Sullivan, Lycoming, Clinton, Union and Northumberland counties. Read more at www.middlesusquehannariverkeeper.org.