Explorer, RiverQuest's newly constructed 90-foot, 150-passenger hybrid boat left Bayou La Batre, Alabama on Sunday, August 3rd and expects to arrive into the Pittsburgh Pool of the Ohio River at 10am on Wednesday August 13th after a 1,600 mile journey through nine states. Explorer is a state-of-the-art education and research vessel that is designed to serve students and the public in the Pittsburgh region with transformative on board programs.RiverQuest will dock Explorer at their homeport next to Carnegie Science Center by early afternoon Wednesday and begin a month of intensive preparation to take their first passengers on board in the coming months after local United States Coast Guard inspections are completed.

Explorer is a global benchmark for greening the boating industry with one of the first commercial marine hybrid propulsion systems on earth.

Explorer, also one of the world's first green-engineered floating classrooms, marks a new era in marine design for environmental sustainability and RiverQuest instructors will teach about the multi- disciplinary subject through the wide variety of programs that the organization offers.RiverQuest delivers river-based experiential learning about human's relationship to nature that includes ecology, environment science, energy, climate change, green engineering and river history and culture for students, teachers and the community through on board formal and informal education programs.

WHO: RiverQuest is providing the MEDIA exclusive access to Explorer's arrival on board private luxury boats. PASSENGER SPACE IS LIMITED and members of the MEDIA MUST CONFIRM ATTENDANCE with RiverQuest's contacts below.

WHAT: Private boats and RiverQuest's vessel Discovery will greet Explorer at Emsworth Lock and Dam and travel through Downtown Pittsburgh to RiverQuest's docks.PLEASE NOTE:No onboard tours will be available until after United States Coast Guard approvals in the next month.

WHY: For the Pittsburgh region to celebrate the arrival of Explorer to its rivers.

Explorer was designed and built by RiverQuest to serve the Pittsburgh community for decades to come and funded, sponsored and financed by local partners.

WHEN:Wednesday, August 13th at 9am:Media board private boats at Heinz Quay in front of Heinz Field.Parking at Heinz Field Gold Lot #2.Boats depart from dock at 9am for 3-hour excursion.Alternative scheduling can be provided if necessary to meet Explorer at West End Bridge.

CONTACTS:

Emily Harding
[email protected]
412-231-2712 x25
412-965-7485 cell

Shayna Pitt
[email protected]
412-231-2712 x22
412-656-7798 cell

RiverQuest's mission is to connect people to their environment through river education adventures programs.Since launching programs in 1995, RiverQuest has served nearly 80,000 individuals through on-board education programming.More than 64,000 elementary, middle and high school students representing 239 schools from 66 school districts in 11 western Pennsylvania counties have participated in standards-based learning programs, with themes ranging from environmental science and regional history to physical science and mathematics.Along with students, more than 2,500 teachers and college students and 17,000 members of the general public have participated in RiverQuest programs.For more information, visit http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=226645748&u=2375892.