A note on COVID 19: After making the tough decision to cancel our 2020 expedition, we are happy to report that our staff are now exploring options to run a physically distanced program in 2021!
Read the full statement here.
OUR MISSION
To motivate and inspire young women* to enjoy and protect fresh waters and the outdoors.
*inclusive of all female-identifying youth
OUR VISION
To run free outdoor trips that impart a lifetime of love and understanding of fresh waters.
OUR FOCUS
To serve young women who are interested in the outdoors and science but have limited access to outdoor learning opportunities.
WHAT WE DO
Riparia is a Canadian registered charity that works to connect young women with inspiring, experiential learning opportunities on the water.
Each year we run our signature program in the Poisson Blanc Regional Park of Québec - on traditional, ancestral & unceded Anishinaabe territory - that brings diverse young women together on a free week-long canoeing and camping trip.
With our team of guides, scientists, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, participants learn and experience different ways of doing science, thinking about water, and learning from our environment. They receive access to exciting resources, like underwater drones, portable microscopes, and our passionate instructors. Participants leave our program with robust outdoor skills, lasting friendships, and the know-how to protect fresh waters for life.
OUR VALUES
Valuing different ways of knowing and learning.
Valuing different ways of knowing and learning.
DIVERSITY
Creating space for all youth, including non-binary, Indigenous and others.
EQUALITY
Valuing different ways of knowing and learning.
ACTIVE
LEARNING
We use participants questions and interests to drive learning.
STRONG
BONDS
We emphasize loving relationships with each other and the world around us and work to uphold these with responsibility and reciprocity.
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
EXPEDITIONS
2019
POISSON BLANC
QC, CANADA
Riparia hosted a free, five-day canoe-camping expedition in the Poisson Blanc Regional Park, in Quebec, Canada in August 2019. We worked with 10 young women aged 13-18 recruited through Native Montreal and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to document the ecological state of the region and inspire the next generation of female scientists.
2021
POISSON BLANC
QC, CANADA
We will return to the beautiful Poisson Blanc Regional Park, in Quebec, Canada in August 2021 to again document the ecological state of the region and inspire the next generation of female scientists. For this expedition, we will continue to partner with experienced expedition guides from Boreal River Adventures to ensure safety and comfort.
OUR TEAM
Dalal Hanna
Co-founder
Conservation & Landscape Ecologist, National Geographic Explorer, PhD in Natural Resource Sciences (McGill University), Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University
Andrea Reid
Co-founder
Indigenous Fisheries Scientist, citizen of the Nisga’a Nation, National Geographic Explorer, PhD in Biology (Carleton University), Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and head of the Indigenous Fisheries Research Unit
Mikayla Wujec
Co-founder
National Geographic Explorer, Environmental Scientist, Science Communicator, Photographer, Co-founder of Alder Apparel
Justine Ammendolia
Data Analyst & Geospatial Technician
National Geographic Explorer, MSc in Marine Biology (Memorial University of Newfoundland), Member of the Youth Council to the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Science Communicator
Zofia Smeja
Digital Engagement & Youth Program Specialist
Riparia Board of Directors, Therapeutic Recreational Wilderness Guide, BScH Psychology and Environmental Studies & BA French (Queen’s University)
Katie Schulze
Ocean Bridge Ambassador
Educational Content Creator, Team organization/logistics, Aquatic Biologist BSc (University of Alberta)
EXPEDITION GALLERY
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