Thousands Experience River Sports Through Efforts Of “Trailkeeper”
If you live in a city, getting to the Great Outdoors can be tough. When you’re too young to drive, it’s even tougher.
Thanks to Michael Taylor, a Calumet Waterway Steward, thousands of urban youth have experienced the nature in their backyards, the Little Calumet River in Chicago.
The Little Calumet runs through the south side of the city. As a promoter of paddling, Taylor gets thousands of people each year actively involved with cleanup and restoration projects.
He also teaches local high school students how to kayak. At a recent cleanup he made sure every kid who attended had a canoe or kayak for the event — an opportunity many would never experience if it weren’t for Taylor’s efforts.
Taylor explains his desire to share the waterways in his own words: “A baby that has never had ice cream doesn’t miss it. Yet once a child has tasted the sweet flavor he or she will yearn for it…. I believe most people in [Chicago] are not into paddling because they have never been in a canoe or kayak.”
Taylor calls the Little Calumet “a diamond in the rough.” He said, “I hope the community wakes up and realizes this.”
Thanks to Taylor’s efforts, thousands of people have dipped a paddle and glided on the river for the first time, possibly hooked for life!
