3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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Paddling and protectingFlorida's waterways
201415 Schedule Dam to the Bay on theOchlockoneeMarch 1420, 2015From wild Tupelo honey tofresh Gulf oysters, experiencethe Panhandle's OchlockoneeRiver which winds throughstate and national forest landson 76 miles of Florida's mostremote wilderness river trail.Register by: March 2
Dam to the Bay on the OchlockoneeTWO Days Left to Register!
It's not too late to put yourself in this setting, but you'll need to act
fast! We've extended the registration deadline to March 2 for our
upcoming Dam to the Bay trip on the Panhandle's Ochlockonee
River. From March 1420, paddlers will wind through 76 miles of
state and national forest lands on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
Along the way, they'll explore cypresslined sloughs and some of
Florida's prettiest white sand beaches. Evening entertainment will
include two musical performances, from Grant Peeples and Lucky
Mud, plus adventure tales and ghost stories from Florida paddling
cirumnavigator Matt Keene and author Doug Alderson from the
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Suwannee River PaddlingFestivalApril 35, 2015The third annual SuwanneeRiver Paddling Festival willtake place at the SuwanneeRiver State Park near LiveOak. The festival will featuresupported 1220 mile tripoptions on the scenicSuwannee and WithlacoocheeRivers, a benefit concertfeaturing some of PaddleFlorida’s favorite entertainersto benefit waterwaysprotection, and an opportunityto hear from regional waterand wildlife experts.Register by: March 20
RecommendedViewing2015 FL Keys Challenge
Check out this WONDERFULvideo taken by Matt Keene onour epic Keys adventure thisJanuary. Paddlers on that tripwill remember having acamera drone fly over them
Office of Florida Greenways & Trails. Click on the trip link in the
lefthand column for more details and registration.
Suwannee River Paddling FestivalApril 35 at Suwannee River State Park
Paddle Florida caps its 201415 season where they launched it.
The third annual Suwannee River Paddling Festival is scheduled
for April 35. Beautifully situated atop the bluffs overlooking the
3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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from time to time. Here's whatthat little toy and a whole lot oftalent on behalf of ourvideographer produced. Abig thankyou goes to EmilyCayer for her excellentcommentary. She remindsus why we love what we do! More details on this pastJanuary's Florida KeysChallenge are available here.
Paddle Florida JoinsFlorida SpringsCouncil
Paddle Florida is pleased tohave signed on as a memberorganization to the newlyformed Florida SpringsCouncil. The Council willprovide a coordinatedalliance of the manythousands of Floridians whothink that our state’spriceless springs and aquiferhave already suffered too
confluence of the scenic Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers,
Suwannee River State Park will be home base for this year’s
festival featuring paddling trips on both rivers, camping, hiking,
great music, education, a full moon ghost tour, and REAL Florida
fun!
Paddlers will explore Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers in
segments ranging from 13 to 20 miles on Saturday and Sunday.
Bring a mask and snorkel, as both rivers glide by dozens of clear
beautiful springs perfect for a refreshing swim. Back at the park on
Saturday afternoon, a Water Expo will showcase regional
conservation efforts and local outdoor recreation vendors.
This year’s benefit concert on Saturday evening will feature two of
Paddle Florida’s favorite musicians: Katherine Archer and Grant
Peeples. A manatee fanatic long before she ever met one, Archer
wrote her first mandolin tune "Manatee Waltz" after her first
encounters with the graceful water muse in Titusville. She is a
dynamic live performer, creating an intimate and powerful bond
with her audience. Describing Grant Peeples, "No one tells
uncomfortable truths with more wit, precision, humor and
humanity," said T.D. Allman. His music has garnered critical
acclaim and top rankings on the folk, roots and Americana radio
charts. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Howard T. Odum
Florida Springs Institute, an organization founded to improve the
understanding of springs ecology and to develop sciencebased
education and management actions needed to restore and protect
springs throughout Florida.
The weekend package for the festival is $150 per person, which
3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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much from the avoidableimpacts of humandevelopment. The group willfocus its efforts on springseducation, legislation, andremediation.
Volunteers Neededfor Turtle Study
Here’s a fun and uniquevolunteer opportunity for NorthCentral Florida paddlers. Theannual Ichetucknee TurtleSurvey will be conducted9AM2PM on March 2122 atIchetucknee Springs StatePark and is part of an ongoing,longterm study of the turtlepopulations inhabiting theSanta River basin. During thesession, turtles will becaptured by hand and taken toa central location where theywill be given a general healthassessment, measured,weighed, and tagged. Theywill then be released at theircapture sites.
Volunteer paddlers areneeded to track snorkelersand receive turtles from them
includes camping fees, all meals, shuttle to paddling sites, and
entry to all presentations, the Water Expo, and benefit concert.
Click on festival link in the left hand column to register before the
March 20 deadline!
Recap: Wild, Wonderful WithlacoocheeFebruary 1522
Wild and wonderful, with occasional bouts of wet and wintry. That
sums up our midFebruary trip on the Withlacoochee and Rainbow
Rivers. Forty intrepid paddlers endured some rain and chilly
temps (and plenty of sunshine too) on their 58mile journey from
Lake Panasoffkee to the Gulf of Mexico. Offwater highlights of the
3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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as they are caught. Paddlersshould be experienced andcompetent with a standardcanoe, including maneuveringin current with a cargo ofturtles while interacting withsnorkelers, taking the turtlesfrom them, and paddlingupstream as needed. Canoes,paddles, and life vests will beprovided by the park.
If you are interested involunteering, please contactGeorgia Shemitz [email protected] your phone number,which day(s) you can help,and whether you areinterested in paddling,snorkeling, or both.
Your Ad CanAppear Here!
Do you provide a paddlingoriented product or service? Consider placing an ad in ourmonthly newsletter, whichreaches over 6,000subscribers and is growingevery day! Contact BillRichards at (352) 3778342 or [email protected] for
week included a fireside chat by Senator Charlie Dean, who
chairs the Senate Committee on Environmental Preservation and
Conservation which will be playing a key role in prioritizing the
spending of Amendment 1 funds. Paddlers were also awed by
Mary Mangiapia's presentation on her 1,515mile thrupaddle of
Florida's Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail, the first
female paddler to do so. Musical entertainment was provide by
the toetapping tunes of the band Patchwork and our very own
hammered dulcimer afficionado, Paul Gelderblom. Paul helped
take the edge off frosty mornings by treating us to daily prelaunch
concerts. Thank you to everyone who came and made this trip
such a memorable experience! Who could ever forget crossing
Lake Rousseau?
Paddler Profile:Frank Konciewicz, Birmingham, AL
Where are you from? Your profession? I am a retired
3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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details.
Like Us onFacebookOver 12,350 fans &counting!
Reconnect with paddlingfriends and make new ones onPaddle Florida's Facebookpage. Our daily feeds provideupdates on the newsimpacting Florida's waterwaysand wildlife as well as ourupcoming trips. Send us yourfavorite photo depictingpaddling in Florida and itmight be selected as our'Picture of the Day!'
Join Us on MeetUp
Paddle Florida now has itsown MeetUp page. We'veposted details on all of our
Project Engineer/ Project Manager from Birmingham Alabama.
Where is your favorite place to paddle? My kayaking phase
began in 2008 with an article appearing in the Birmingham News
regarding the Paddle Florida's inaugural Suwannee River trip.
Since then I have enjoyed about a dozen Paddle Florida trips. I
would have a difficult time selecting a favorite. I liked the beauty of
the Ichetucknee and Santa Fe Rivers, the wildlife on the Peace
River, and the thrill of paddling island to island in the Keys.
What’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you
on a paddling trip? The fantastic lightning display from inside mytent during last years Ochlocknee paddle.
What keeps you coming back? I enjoy our trips because of the
beauty of the rivers and getting back each trip with the friends I
have made over the past seven years. Paddle Florida trips are
well planned and can be enjoyed by people of varying skill and
experience levels.
The Guide's CornerDon't Swim with Manatees
Lars Andersen is owner and
paddling guide for Adventure
Outpost in High Springs, FL.
He outfits and guides kayak
and canoe tours on over 40
waterways throughout North
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trips for the coming season,links to outfitters, and plenty ofphotos. Join our MeetUpgroup and check it out!
Help Us ProtectFlorida's Water
You can help us meet ourwater conservation missionsby (1) joining us on one ormore paddling adventuresscheduled annually onFlorida's wild and scenic riversand coastlines, or (2)donating to Paddle Florida viaour secure PayPal connection.
Florida's "Springs Country."
It's been nearly 15 years since Adventure Outpost decided to stop
allowing our customers to swim with manatees. That decision has
cost us a lot of business over the years, but we remain as
committed as ever to giving priority to the manatees’ needs over
our own desire to swim with them. The reasons for our
decision have not changed. What does seem to be changing,
however, is public opinion about this practice. Finally, people
are accepting the reality. For many years, a steady chorus of swim
tour advocates, propped up by beautiful photos and videos
of humans and manatees frolicking together in crystalline water,
have muted the voices of those who put the manatees’ interests
first. But a groundswell of peoplepeople who are willing to set
aside their own desire for a thrill when making important decisions
on behalf of the manateesare seeing through the smoke screen.
There's still a long way to go, but the time seems right for me to
state my case once again. So, here is a copy (with a few edits) of
the original op/ed piece I wrote many years ago announcing
Adventure Outpost's decision to stop swimming with manatees on
our tours. [read more]
3/2/2015 The Happy Paddler
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Copyright © 2014 Paddle Florida, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:Paddle Florida, P.O. Box 5953, Gainesville, FL 32627
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