Community Service Projects

Sunday, August 10, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Walking Version:
Participants in the Apple Snail volunteer event will walk along the River Walk pedestrian walkway downtown and the Pearl pedestrian walkway of the Museum reach to remove Apple Snails from the channel walls. To reach the snails, participants will need to approach the edge of the walkway. Prior to the event, a training session will be provided to emphasize the importance of staying aware of their surroundings and leaving any unreachable snails or eggs for San Antonio River Authority staff to remove at a later time. Participants will be provided gloves and use long, extended dipnets to remove snails from beneath the water’s surface and spatulas or scoops to remove egg casings from the channel walls. These snails and eggs will then be placed in a black plastic waste bag to be disposed of at the end of the event. The number of snails and egg casings collected will be logged and reported to RARA staff for tracking and monitoring purposes.

Kayak Version:
Participants in the Apple Snail volunteer event will kayak up and down the Museum Reach and King William stretches of the San Antonio River to remove Apple Snails from the channel walls; both stretches are approximately 1-mile long. Before entering the water at the appropriate launch points, volunteers will be given removal materials and lifejackets to safely perform the activity. To reach the snails, participants will need to approach the walls of the channel and balance their kayaks while they reach for either snails or egg casings with the provided material. Prior to the event, a training session will be provided to emphasize the importance of staying aware of their surroundings and leaving any unreachable snails or eggs for San Antonio River Authority staff to remove at a later time. Participants will be provided gloves and use long, extended dipnets to remove snails from beneath the water’s surface and spatulas or scoops to remove egg casings from the channel walls. These snails and eggs will then be placed in a black plastic waste bag to be disposed of at the end of the event. The number of snails and egg casings collected will be logged and reported to RARA staff for tracking and monitoring purposes.