We Fight for Clean Water
Shank’s Mare Acquisition:
Establishing the Shank’s Mare Outdoor Education Center
Shank’s Mare Outfitters is retiring, but – just like the
Susquehanna – their legacy must keep flowing.
After 45 years of service to their community, Steve and Liz Winand are ready to retire and “Go Play Outside.” They have created a legacy of connecting regional children and adults to the Susquehanna River.
Since opening Shank’s Mare Outfitters, they estimate roughly 30,000 students have participated in their programs where they’ve paddled the river, become immersed in its ecosystem, the history of its peoples, and the environmental challenges we face.
The Winands are also highly valued members of the Board of Directors of the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, which presents an opportunity for their legacy to keep flowing.
Who LSRA Serves
The Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA) is dedicated to cultivating knowledge and motivation to steward, protect, and conserve our environment. LSRA aims to advance Pennsylvania’s preservation goals for the Susquehanna Riverlands Landscape; cultivate interest in activism and environmental stewardship; and tell the story of the Susquehanna watershed and the Chesapeake Bay.
LSRA’s vision is to ensure drinkable, fishable, swimmable water on the Lower Susquehanna River and raise community awareness for current and future generations about the ecological and economic value of the Lower Susquehanna Watershed.
LSRA works to improve the ecological health of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. Current and future citizens of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed deserve high water quality, wise and sustainable use of all aquatic resources, and preservation of aesthetic value of our waterways. To achieve its organizational goals, LSRA
provides environmental education programming for people of all ages focusing on the health of the Susquehanna River Watershed and Chesapeake Bay; access to water monitoring equipment and laboratory space to support independent scientific research and support environmental stewardship; access to information about the importance of healthy water systems; and environmental justice through legal challenges to polluters.
Who we are
Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit org, has had office headquarters inside of Shank’s Mare Outfitters for the last 12 years. Founded in 2006, The Riverkeeper works to protect & improve the ecological health of the Susquehanna watershed by holding polluters accountable. Recently, the organization has celebrated victories including a historic $1M settlement with Brunner Island, a coal fired power plant in York County and another $1M settlement with Keystone Protein Plant, a slaughterhouse in Lebanon County. Our successes have provided direct funding to environmental projects such as stream restoration on waterways throughout the Lower Susquehanna Watershed.
Having powerful advocacy programs in place while also maintaining a very strong educational program is what would set our organization apart from many others in our area. Our educational center would be a destination for youth and adults not just for individuals living in Pennsylvania and Maryland but states nationwide and abroad. In fact, this season, in partnership with Shippensburg University, we were greeted with international students and provided educational programming as a joint effort by staff from Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Assoc. and Shank’s Mare Outfitters.
What is our vision?
We will honor the Winand’s legacy of providing outdoor & environmental education around the Susquehanna River at Lake Clarke for the last 40+ years. This will be accomplished by Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s acquisition of the programming, curriculum, and equipment from Shank’s Mare Outfitters. This will ensure that youth and adults of our region (and beyond) benefit from access to the Susquehanna and educational programming that develops citizens into conservation-minded stewards of this place.
The Association intends to expand opportunities to support such experiences for youth who have previously not enjoyed such access.
They also seek to provide value to tourists who come to this region for its status as DCNR Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape, as a National Historic Water Trail, its proximity to the new Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, the Mason-Dixon Hiking Trail, and many other outdoor recreation opportunities.
Footer
