Those in South Dartmouth may have seen a few more cyclists than usual for a Sunday as over 300 rode through for the 18th annual Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride.

This yearly tradition is one of the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s fundraising efforts to further advance its mission. Taking riders through coastal farmlands, windswept beaches, cranberry bogs and scenic harbors, the Coalition sends a clear image of the land and waters it's trying to protect.

This year, the ride has raised $240,000, with donations open until Sunday, Oct. 20. Those interested can donate by visiting savebuzzardsbay.org/ride.

The ride offers 100, 75 and 35-mile course lengths, with those passing through Dartmouth going down Rock O’Dundee Road and taking Smith Neck Road up to Padanaram.

In Padanaram, with a bright green vest and a coffee in hand, Dartmouth’s Nancy Jordan pointed cyclists in the direction of the ride, taking them up Elm Street, down Prospect Street to Dartmouth Street, heading toward New Bedford.

In between directing traffic, Jordan said she was happy to see the Padanaram Bridge was open this year and didn’t appear to have any problems, having dealt with some difficulties last year that left cyclists waiting.

Jordan has been volunteering with the Coalition for the last few years. She said the Watershed Ride is especially fun for her because she’ll often see her former students — well, sort of.

“When I direct them, all of a sudden somebody says, ’Hi, Mrs. Jordan!’ And of course, I can't see who they are, but you know, they're former students, and it's so lovely to have them remember me,” she said. 

“I just enjoy meeting the people here and say, ‘Hello,’ to everybody that comes by and pass the love,” Jordan said.

For her, the Watershed Ride means protecting the waters she grew up swimming in and that’s important to her — even completing the Buzzards Bay Swim, a 1.2-mile point-to-point open water swim from New Bedford to Fairhaven, herself one year.

“I love to swim,” she said. “I’m a water baby.”

She added how she’s particularly concerned about runoff from heavy storms going into the bay.

“I'm a big recycler — an environmentalist, I guess you might say,” she said. “I pray every day that we now take care of this Earth for the coming generations because I have a 5-month-old grandchild.”