Go see.

Birds. Wild rice. Turtles. Fish. Big sky and open space. A watery paradise chockfull of life waits for those independent enough to make the effort and find it, explore using muscles and brainpower.

The Jonah Center invites kayakers and canoeists to a group paddle in Middletown’s Floating Meadows – a 1,000-acre freshwater tidal marshland — on Saturday, July 2, from noon until 2:30 p.m. Paddlers will launch from the City of Middletown’s new Phil Salafia Canoe and Kayak Launch at 181 Johnson St., travel down the Coginchaug River for a short distance to the Mattabesset River, and from there paddle on the Mattabesset River upstream toward Cromwell. Water level in these rivers is currently low, but the trip is timed to coincide with high tide.

Group activities will include searching for and removing invasive water chestnut plants, which pose a potential, serious threat to the health of local ponds and waterways. Margot Burns from the RiverCOG (the regional planning agency) will be with the group for this event. Paddlers will also learn about the CT Turtle Atlas as a way to help monitor and protect turtle populations. Photos of turtles taken with cameras or smartphones using location services and submitted via the app iNaturalist will help scientists document the need for measures to protect all turtles whose numbers are in serious decline. Paddlers need to provide their own boats and lifejackets, as well as water and snacks. Pre-registration is not required, but participants will be asked to sign a liability waiver and photo use permission slip. A donation of $10 is requested from each participant.

From the Jonah Center, about why it matters that each person may choose to add to a storehouse of information:

“Twelve species are native to Connecticut. Some, such as the wood, bog, spotted, and box turtles are in decline. In partnership with the Bruce Museum Citizen Science initiative, those with the Connecticut Turtle Atlas invite the public to assist in conserving the state’s rich turtle diversity. So far, 37 participants recorded 186 observations of nine species throughout the state. Citizen scientists will collect data on specific locations and abundance of all turtle species found. These volunteers will record data via website or smartphone app using the iNaturalist.org platform. The information gathered will be used to map distributions, identify important habitats, locate areas of nesting abundance, and detect roadways with high traffic-related mortality – then be shared with other interested researchers and governmental entities. This is a great project for families to participate in while enjoying the outdoors. There may also be opportunities to assist with various aspects of turtle research and participate in field trips.”

For information contact Tim Walsh, manager, Bruce Museum Natural History Collections/Citizen Science, at twalsh@brucemuseum.org; or call (203) 413-6767. Visit www.iNaturalist.org to see more about the project.

For a list of birds seen March 2016 on a New Haven Bird Club field trip to Cromwell Meadows Wildlife Management Area, led by Steve Broker on eBird, here is the link to species reported.