Living Lands & Waters Summer Camps

Living Lands & Waters Summer Camps include a boat ride and time in a “floating classroom.” Campers perform water quality tests on river water, take part in river cleanups and watershed conservation initiatives, and join workshops and tree plantings. The program also includes discussions about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle everyday items to help keep rivers clean.

Living Lands & Waters is a 501 (c)(3) environmental organization. Its stated mission is to aid in the protection, preservation, and restoration of the natural environment of the nation's major rivers and their watersheds. The organization was established in 1998 by Chad Pregracke, who is the founder of Living Lands & Waters. Living Lands & Waters’ crew spends up to 9 months a year living and traveling on a barge, and the organization has built a second classroom barge. Living Lands & Waters has grown to be the only “industrial strength” river cleanup organization like it in the world. If a camp counselor is looking for a way to enhance a program with outdoor education, Living Lands & Waters states that it can help, and its educators can meet groups on the river to take campers for a boat ride.

Last updated January 9, 2026.