08/23/2026
BSA Troop 703 Brevard NC got back to our adventures and community service this weekend with our river cleanup canoe trip down the French Broad. We put in at Champion Park in Rosman and paddled 11 miles to Island Ford. The scouts worked on their trucker hitch to tie down the canoes, covered canoe and paddle identification, river safety, map skills and navigation. We gathered plenty of trash and of course…a tire. The Autumn Olives and Elderberries were ripe so some learned about edible plants in our wonderful environment. The highlight for everyone was a sighting of North America’s largest amphibian, a Hellbender. That is a cherished sighting of a threatened species and is a good sign for our French Broad.