WWALS Webinars | WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

WWALS Webinars is a monthly series of webinars via zoom about topics of interest to the Suwannee River Basin and the work of WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) and Suwannee Riverkeeper.

They are usually on the second or third Thursday of the month, from noon to 1PM. After a brief introduction, the speaker has about 45 minutes, with the remaining time for questions and answers and discussion.

They are recorded, so if you miss one, you can see it later on YouTube. Here’s a WWALS video playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKwQ5xfKf-QxWRGrV9iExlyXQIVnzOtPX&si=0Atnjwrm_ikyV-sh

Water, Wildlife, and Wilderness: the 3 National Wildlife Refuges of the Suwannee –Larry Woodward, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-21
The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14
How Native Americans and Early Settlers used Waterways –Chris Adams, 2024-09-12
Bats of Georgia, including Banks Lake and Douglas –Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15.
Human noise and song birds –Dr. Erin Grabarczyk of VSU 2024-07-11.
Chainsaw Cleanups –Phil Hubbard 2024-04-11.
Okefenokee Swamp and the proposed mine –Emily Floore, St. Marys Riverkeeper 2024-03-21
Paddles through Time: Historical and Archaeological Sites of the Withlacoochee River of South Georgia and North Florida –Tom Baird, 2024-02-15
Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Old and New Macedonia Cemeteries, Quitman sewage –Fannie Gibbs 2024-01-11

For upcoming and previous WWALS Webinars, outings, and other events, see:
https://wwals.net/outings

These WWALS Webinars are free, but we encourage you to join WWALS or otherwise donate to assist our advocacy and educational mission.

They are organized by the Events Committee; maybe you’d like to join that committee and help.

About WWALS: Since June 2012, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity working for a healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.

Mission: WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the surface waters and groundwater of the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary, in south Georgia and north Florida, among them the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, Santa Fe, and Suwannee River watersheds, through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

Our Watershed: The 10,000-square-mile WWALS territory includes the Suwannee River from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico, plus the Suwannee River Estuary, and tributaries such as the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers as far north as Cordele in Georgia, as well as parts of the Floridan Aquifer, which is the primary water source for drinking, agriculture, and industry for millions of Georgia and Florida residents.

Suwannee Riverkeeper: Since December 2016, WWALS is the WATERKEEPER® Alliance Member for the Suwannee River Basin and Estuary as Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®, which is a project and a staff position of WWALS focusing on our advocacy.

Video: Water, Wildlife, and Wilderness: the 4 National Wildlife Refuges of the Suwannee –Larry Woodward, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-21.

From alligators and wood storks in the Okefenokee National Wildlife (NWR) to mussels, Gulf sturgeon, and alligator snapping turtles in the Lower Suwannee NWR, plus Banks Lake NWR and Cedar Key NWR, Larry Woodward, Deputy Refuge Manager, ONWR, gave a WWALS Webinar on Water, Wildlife, and Wilderness, and the importance of the 4 National Wildlife Refuges of the Suwannee.

Water, Wildlife, & Wilderness: 4 NWRs of the Suwannee –Larry Woodward, Okefenokee, Banks Lake, Lower Suwannee, Cedar Key, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-21

After a brief introduction by Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, Larry Woodward spoke for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and answers, all by zoom, from noon to 1PM, Thursday, November 11, 2024.

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/ya5b8V6woOE

Fictional inhabitants of the Okefenokee Swamp include not only Pogo the Possum but also Kermit the Frog.

Inhabitants of Okefenokee

The Florida urban legend is false that when Georgia has big rains it opens the gates of the Suwannee River Sill and floods Florida. Nope, those gates are already open, for decades now, and there are also deliberate breaches of the sill.

Larry Woodward continues his career with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as the Deputy Manager of the Okefenokee NWR Complex with previous work at three other refuges including Santee NWR (SC), John Heinz NWR (PA), and Lower Suwannee / Cedar Keys NWRs (FL). He has had the pleasure to manage extraordinary natural resource communities for wildlife conservation, protect cultural resources, and provide outstanding recreational opportunities for the American public. Larry has been married for 31 years to his wife Nancy Lee and they are the parents of 3 children in their 20’s. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family outdoors, Florida Gators football, fishing, and photography.

The effects of forest management on water quality –Heather Brasell, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14

Heather Brasell demonstrated why she is the 2023 Tree Farmer of the Year of the American Tree Farm System, in a thorough discussion of many aspects of forest management, from water quality testing to logging, replanting, prescribed burns, and herbicides, to educating the public.

As she said, forestry is more than just Best Management Practices, and sustainable forestry is more than replanting trees. Plus good stewardship costs money that may not be offset by income.

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/WLyaMNlBAx4

She spoke in a WWALS Webinar via zoom on the impacts of forest management on water quality, from noon to 1 PM, Thursday, November 14, 2024. WWALS president Sara Squires Jones gave a brief introduction before Heather spoke, and the last ten minutes were for questions and answers.

Forest Management and Waterways, Heather Brasell, GEFC, WWALS Webinar 2024-11-14

Heather Brasell is the Founder of the Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia.

There she holds frequent events for adults and children, such as the annual A Day in the Woods, where WWALS always has a booth.

She has won state and national forestry awards: 2023 Tree Farmer of the Year by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS).

She owns several miles of the Alapaha River and has paddled many times with WWALS. She often helps at the WWALS booth at festivals.

She is a former WWALS board member. She is a WWALS water quality tester.

How Native Americans and Early Settlers used Waterways –Chris Adams, 2024-09-12

The wide-ranging discussion included crackers as whip-cracking cow-herding illegal immigrants, ferries, bridges, and Old Coffee Road, when well-known local historian and naturalist Chris Adams gave a WWALS Webinar about how people used waterways in the Suwannee River Basin, Native Americans and Early Settlers, by zoom, Thursday, September 12, 2024.

He runs the facebook pages Turtleman Chris Adams
https://www.facebook.com/1GATurtleman/
and Wiregrass Ecological and Cultural Project.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079482833584

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/db0H8D0tsmc

Bats of Georgia, including Banks Lake and Douglas –Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15.

Thanks to Emily Ferrall for the overview of the bats of Georgia. She including species likely to occur at Banks Lake, and footage of the Douglas warehouse bats. She mentioned the Anabat Acoustic Survey Volunteer Project. There was discussion of the Okefenokee Swamp, in a lively question and answer period.

Here’s the zoom video:
https://youtu.be/vLrNyShslSI

Bats of Georgia, Emily Ferrall, GA-DNR 2024-08-15, A WWALS Webinar, Banks Lake, Douglas, GA, Okefenokee Swamp

Emily Ferrall is a Wildlife Biologist, in the Wildlife Resources Division of the Wildlife Conservation Section of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA-DNR).

She specializes in research and monitoring for nongame mammals in Georgia and spends much of her time working with bats. Emily has been with GA DNR since 2016. Emily earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Georgia with an emphasis in wildlife science.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said a few words about what WWALS does, and WWALS Board President Sara Jay Jones gave a brief introduction, before Emily Ferrall spoke for about 45 minutes, followed by the Q&A period.

Human noise and song birds: WWALS Webinar by Dr. Erin Grabarczyk of VSU 2024-07-11.

Human noise and song birds, Dr. Erin Grabarczyk of VSU, 2024-07-11

Dr. Erin Grabarczyk of Valdosta State University talked about research so far her research on the effects of human-caused environmental change on animals, especially birds, and including noise. She included some preliminary notes on her research beginning in the Okefenokee Swamp.

This was in a WWALS Webinar by zoom on July 11, 2024.

Here is the zoom video:
https://youtu.be/RFENwv9QYcI

According to the VSU Sound Ecology Lab, “Rapid human-driven habitat loss and modification are leading causes of decreased biodiversity and species extinction.”

Dr. Erin Grabarczyk researches some more subtle human effects on birds, “I’m interested in how animals respond to human-generated environmental change. Specifically, my research aims to link the effects of anthropogenic noise on singing behavior, signal transmission, and song perception in song birds, with the goal of connecting each of these in analysis of communication in a social context.”

Chainsaw Cleanups –Phil Hubbard, 2024-04-11.

Phil Hubbard, longtime WWALS paddle outings leader, told us why he started a series of chainsaw cleanups two years ago.

He and his son paddled down the Withlacoochee River and encountered more than 20 deadfalls they had to portage. That was Father’s Day, June 19, 2016. He didn’t even know Langdale Park existed before then. They got to Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River after dark. He joined WWALS to find a way to deal with the deadfalls.

Video: Chainsaw Outings, –Phil Hubbard, WWALS Webinar, 2024-04-11

We have done 21 chainsaw cleanups on the Withlacoochee River, including during the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle this year. Phil thinks with a few more at low water, it will be good. The stretch from Langdale Park down past Sugar Creek, around the Little River Confluence and up to Troupville Boat Ramp will be a nice paddle that anybody can do.

Here is the zoom video of this WWALS Webinar about Chainsaw Cleanups by Phil Hubbard:
https://youtu.be/DhjtzsBncOw?si=0zgQX6L04vllB7jV

WWALS also did….

The Okefenokee Swamp, which is the headwaters of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers: why we protect it and the proposed strip mine that threatens it, as well as a recent Conservation Fund study. –Emily Floore, St. Marys Riverkeeper

Video: Okefenokee Swamp, over proposed strip mine, Emily Floore, St. Marys Riverkeeper, WWALS Webinar 2024-03-21

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/9EjO_kNue1g?si=GvyTL3xUc2HDtwpc

This webinar was by zoom, noon-1 PM, Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Okefenokee Swamp over proposed strip mine –Emily Floore, WWALS Webinar

“WWALS and Suwannee Riverkeeper continue our work to protect the Okefenokee Swamp, 85% of which is in the Suwannee River Basin. We conduct outings for direct exposure, we have gotten city council and county commission resolutions passed, and we talk to Georgia state legislators, while expanding the issue into Florida. But the mine site is in the St. Marys River watershed. So I am very pleased that, since she’s been St. Marys Riverkeeper, Emily Floore has taken a strong position and action to support the Swamp and to oppose the mine,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

Paddles through Time: Historical and Archaeological Sites of the Withlacoochee River of South Georgia and North Florida –Tom Baird, WWALS Webinar 2024-02-15

Thanks, Tom Baird, archaeologist of Tallahassee, Florida, for giving the second WWALS Webinar, this one about the history and archaeology of the Withlacoochee River in Georgia and Florida.

Paddles Through Time by Tom Baird

Tom Baird is an education consultant who has previously worked as a high school teacher, community college instructor (oceanography and microbiology), director of a science and environmental center, supervisor of science (K-12) in Pasco Co., FL, Director of Science (PreK-12) in Pinellas Co. FL, Principal of a math/science/technology magnet high school in Pinellas Co., FL, and director of a National Science Foundation program.

Here’s a WWALS zoom video of this WWALS Webinar:
https://youtu.be/CyIu6V9881o?si=YjpXNr6SPwekfxXl

Tom’s slides are on the WWALS website, in PDF and pptx.

Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Macedonia Community Foundation Cemeteries, and Quitman sewage –annie Gibbs 2024-01-11

Thanks, Fannie Marie Jackson Gibbs, for the first WWALS Webinar 2024-01-11.

Fannie Gibbs, first WWALS Webinar and sample slides

Fannie Marie Jackson Gibbs of Brooks County, Georgia, has long been active in issues near the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, especially involving African-American family history. She talked about Brooks County Georgia Settlers, family history, Old and New Macedonia Cemeteries, the Little River, Okapilco Creek, the annual Juneteenth celebrations she organizes at Reed Bingham State Park Lake where WWALS brings boats, and the ongoing sewage problems in Quitman.

Here’s the video:

Video: Fannie Gibbs Begins WWALS Webinars 2024-01-11
Video by John S. Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).