Monthly Archives: May 2018

WWALS at Florida Folklife Festival 2018-05-25-27

Join us this weekend in Live Oak at the Florida Folk Festival.

When: Fri, May 25, 10am — 5pm
Sat, May 26, 10am — 5pm
Sun, May 27, 9am — 5pm

Where: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park,
11016 Lillian Sanders Dr, White Springs, FL 32096

Come see us about writing a song for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest; you’ve got until Friday June 1st.

And everyone is invited to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 7PM, Thursday, May 31, 2018, at Mathis Auditorium, Valdosta, GA.

Folk Fest Details: Continue reading →

Sponsor: Innovative Rehab Solutions for Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Thanks to Bikram Mohanty of Innovative Rehab Solutions for becoming a sponsor of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which will be at Mathis Auditorium, Valdosta, GA, Thursday, May 31 2018.

Innovative Rehab solutions is a unique and state of the art facility located in Valdosta, Ga. We are home to the ONLY underwater treadmill in Valdosta.

3368 Greystone Way, Valdosta, GA 31605
809 Beacon Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Phone: (229) 242-6670
facebook, website www.werehab.net.

They’re a pillar of the local community; here’s a Valdosta Daily Times article from 2013.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

All about the film festival.

Tickets: Eventbrite Continue reading →

Valdosta Wake Compound donates tickets to Wild & Scenic Film Festival

You could learn to wakeboard next to I-75. Thanks to Luke Tilt at Valdosta Wake Compound for two wakeboard lesson tickets for the silent auction at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 7PM Thursday, May 31, 2018:

They are valued at $65 apiece. The passes include all gear needed to participate as well as a one-on-one instructor. Open to any level of rider. This lesson is the easiest and safest way to learn how to ride a wakeboard on the water.

Photo: Wakeworld, January 2017, of Terry Bailey
VWC: Instagram @valdostawakecompound, website http://valdostawakecompound.com/,
off of I-75 Exit 13, at 2314 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, 229-375-3060.

VWC was recently featured in a video by the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority, and VWC is on Georgia Tourism. That’s about 3 and 1/2 hours South of Atlanta, 3 hours North of Orlando, and 3 hours NorthEast of Tampa.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is also on Georgia Tourism.

Tickets: Eventbrite

Date and Time: Thu, May 31, 2018 Continue reading →

New location: Valdosta, GA for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, deadline June 1, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, GA, May 21, 2018 — The Contest has moved to The Salty Snapper on the Withlacoochee River in Valdosta, Georgia, in the biggest city in the Suwannee River Basin! The contest date is the same: Saturday, June 23, 2018. You can still send in a song through Friday, June 1, 2018, about the Withlacoochee, Little, Alapaha, Suwannee, or other rivers, springs, swamps, etc. in the Basin. The first prize gets $300, plus a $50 for a finalist from within the Basin, a $50 prize for a finalist from outside, and prizes to one finalist in each musical genre or style.

“Thanks to Will Eason, General Manager of The Salty Snapper, for finding the perfect afternoon time slot for a songwriting contest on the Withlacoochee River in the population center of the Suwannee River Basin,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Deadline to send in songs: Friday, June 1, 2018

How to send in a song: Continue reading →

WWALS at Wanee by NailTravels

Almost like being there, and it mentions WWALS! Jason Nail, NailTravels, 26 April 2018, Wanee Festival ’18: It’s Time To Panic,

As we move ever close to the environmental consciousness of festivals like Telluride and Rockygrass, we’re starting to see more advocacy groups devoting their time to Wanee. WWALS is a nonprofit educational corporation advocating for watershed conservation and stewardship of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little and Suwannee Rivers. Mad props to WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. for their work with the Alapaha River Water Trail and the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. These are perfect reasons to get involved. Visit their website for upcoming outings and events or email them at wwalswatershed@gmail.com and contact@suwanneeriverkeeper.org.

Photo: John S. Quarterman for WWALS at Wanee April 18, 2018.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Naylor Boat Ramp 2018-05-16

The actual boat ramp hasn’t been built yet. Lowndes County Engineering says they’re waiting for the Alapaha River level to go down again.

Right now it’s a straight drop.

Straight to the drop, 2018:05:16 11:20:49,, Boat Ramp Entrance 30.9257700, -83.0394900

Once the county finishes this project, they will hand over to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority (VLPRA), which has said it will probably build a kiosk there. Lowndes County Public Works will make and plant road signs on US 84 pointing at the Naylor Boat Ramp. Then it will be good to go on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT). You can still help to pay for the rest of the ARWT road signs.

Meanwhile, you can drive or walk in to see Continue reading →

Enviroscape donated by Nature Coast Biological Station

Gretchen Quarterman opened the EnviroScape donated to WWALS by Nature Coast Biological Station: facebook, website, twitter, Instagram.

Continue reading →

Dragging 235 lbs Uphill Both Ways @ Wild & Scenic Film Fest 2018-05-31

See how one mom engages her children in outdoor activities in “Dragging 235 lbs uphill both ways”.

The next generation is becoming increasingly plugged in to electronics and out of touch with the outdoors. This will have enormous effects on future conservationism. A mother of four kids decides to turn off the screens and make a change. Though challenging, her kids go from fearing and ignoring nature to understanding and loving it.

This short film will be one of many shown at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival:

Tickets: Eventbrite

Date and Time: Continue reading →

Rain and Levels, Withlacoochee River, US 41 Gauge, Valdosta 2010-2018

The rainiest season in south Georgia and north Florida is the summer, yet that’s when rivers are usually the lowest. Here are seven years of data from the USGS Withlacoochee River Gauge at US 41 (North Valdosta Road) in Valdosta, Georgia. Rain is pretty steady through the year (except when there’s no rain), yet the river level varies wildly, highest in the winter, usually. Unless there are hurricanes in the fall, as happened in 2017 and 2016.

Rain Years 2010-2018

Level Years 2010-2018

Why does this happen? Continue reading →

Jennings Bluff Spring 2018-05-14

WWALS member Elizabeth Reynolds recently discovered one of our favorite spots, Jennings Bluff Spring, below Jennings Bluff Cemetery on the Alapaha River Water Trail. We’ve been there on several Dead River Sink hikes, and she also went back and this time sent some pictures, posted below with permission.

Pipe, Spring