FOR is Back on the River in 2026!
Students from the UC Davis EPM and UC Santa Cruz CSP programs gearing up for a trip down Chili Bar run.
In early May, FOR’s Rafting Program hosted our first trip of the 2026 season. We welcomed a group of graduate students from UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz to Camp Lotus for a weekend of camping, rafting, and learning about the work that FOR is doing to protect California rivers.
Students learned about the water management systems of the American River Watershed, including hydropower generation, water storage facilities, dam management, and recreational flow requirements. Lessons emphasized the complex nature of water management in California, and students asked insightful, prodding questions about how to advocate for ecosystems and communities within these larger systems.
Students from the UC Davis EPM program after a day on the South Fork American River.
FOR Policy Director, and UC Davis EPM alumna, Keiko Mertz, presented on the role of NGOs in California water policy, and invited students to think critically about the importance on non-profits in public process and democratic rulemaking. The takeaway: “the world is run by the people who show up.”
This weekend, it was clear that the students did exactly that.
This was the first of many weekends that FOR will be on the river this summer! May 16th marks the start of FOR’s annual Guide Activist Training – a commercial style whitewater guide school that teaches new guides how to navigate rapids, plan and organize river trips, and teach guests about the threats facing California’s rivers. Click here to learn more about FOR’s Rafting Program and opportunities to get involved. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see footage and recaps of our 2026 trips.
FOR’s Guide Activist Training School was held May 16-24th, stay tuned for updates and meet our new FOR river guides!
