Dragon Boat Festival- Team Biosphere Boat

 Dragon Boat Festival 

The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve entered a Dragon Boat team titled “Biosphere Boat” into the annual Dragon Boat Festival. GBBR partnered with the Parry Sound Museum and Community Living Parry Sound in order to raise awareness of our joint initiatives in Youth Education Programs and the Parry Sound Community Garden.

The Youth Education Program Lessons-In-A-Backpack has had over 750 contacts with youth at our local schools in the past two years. Four annual Water Festivals have been held for 120 kids each year, and various March break and PA Day programs are offered as part of the Youth Education Program. The Parry Sound Community Garden initiative provided the community with a 14 plot garden (including two wheelchair accessible raised beds), construction of a shed, provision of equipment and 15 free workshops to support local gardening and property naturalization within the last three years. Of all grown produce, 20 percent is donated to local food banks.

The Biosphere Boat raised at total of $2013.00 in pledges, with $1,085.00 for Youth Education Programs and $928.00 for the Parry Sound Community Garden. Thank you to all of our paddlers in their hard work collecting pledges! Team Biosphere Boat won the “Team Pledge Champions” trophy for collecting the most in pledges of all the competing teams! The trophy will be proudly displayed at our office. The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Dragon Boat Festival– we will see you next year!