Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our watery living room, Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, Georgia. We may see bats on this mini-Okefenokee.
When: Gather 5:45 PM, launch 6:15 PM, moonrise 6:59 PM, sunset 6:33 PM, end 7:45 PM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
![[Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, and maybe bats 2026-03-03]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-03--full-worm-moon-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Full Worm Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, and maybe bats 2026-03-03
This morning they sent an amended agenda, which removes the item about demolishing the Suwannee River Visitors Center.
I don’t know whether that means they’ll reschedule it for a later meeting.
At least it gives them time to address questions such as:
Everything else is the same on the agenda for the GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources as in the previous post.
There are interesting items on there, such as
a) Action on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Fund 2025-2026 Approved Proposal of Projects (Trevor Santos, Deputy Commissioner) (Tab B)
The Board of Natural Resources will meet at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
Live Stream Link:
Continue readinghttps://usO6web.z0om.us/j/87169233576?pwd=4zEe9sRELWiGCHR8GIRny4d6liSkla.1
Meeting ID: 871 6923 3576
Passcode: 386825
Update 2026-01-28: Amended Agenda: Removed Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30.
Here is some more detail on the item to demolish the Suwannee River Visitors Center, on the agenda for the GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources, for this Friday, January 30, 2026, on St. Simons Island and livestreamed.
The Suwannee River Visitor Center has been unoccupied and closed for over a decade. The structure is now extensively deteriorated and occupied by a large colony of bats. The building has been subject to repeated vandalism and structural damage, resulting in unsafe conditions that render it unfit for public use or rehabilitation. Due to these ongoing issues, the facility represents a continuing safety risk and liability to staff, visitors, and the Department.
The Board of Natural Resources will meet at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
Live Stream Link:
https://usO6web.z0om.us/j/87169233576?pwd=4zEe9sRELWiGCHR8GIRny4d6liSkla.1
Meeting ID: 871 6923 3576
Passcode: 386825
There is nothing in the board packet about rebuilding anything on the site.
The Visitor Center is at the entrance to Fargo Boat Ramp, in Fargo, Georgia, off of US 441. The Ramp would be unaffected, assuming they can contain the demolition debris. Fargo Ramp is the first publicly-owned Suwannee River access downstream
While that building has indeed been in dire straits for a decade or more, very few people seem to have been aware of this proposal to demolish it.
There is nothing about it in the minutes of the previous meeting of the Lands Committee nor of the minutes of the previous meeting of the Board Natural Resources.
This item comes directly from GA-DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon, like the other proposal to demolish, “Requesting approval via Executive Order to demolish the Red Top Mountain State Park well house, Bartow County.”
This is the agenda sheet for the Suwannee item: Continue reading
Update 2026-01-28: Amended Agenda: Removed Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30.
Update 2026-01-28: Packet: Suwannee River Visitor Center unfit for public use or rehabilitation @ DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30.
This is on the agenda for GA-DNR’s Board meeting this Friday:
b) Requesting approval via Executive Order to demolish the Stephen C. Foster State Park Suwannee River Visitor Center, Clinch County.
That’s the big building on stilts above Fargo Boat Ramp. Fargo is the second public paddling stop downstream from the Okefenokee Swamp, and the last stop in Georgia before 19 Suwannee River miles to Roline Ramp in Florida.
The Suwannee River Visitor Center was opened in 2004, after $2 million investment. This was before the Eco-Lodge, inland up US 441.
Unfortunately, it didn’t get many visitors. Maybe 5 or 6 a week, not counting local fishermen who came in to use the bathroom.
It closed in 2011, due to budgeting concerns. Attempts to get an outfitter to run it, or to move Fargo City Hall into it, did not work.
A year or so ago there was a rumor that private deep pockets had been found to fix it up. But the bats and guano in the building apparently would cost too much to fix.
So this Friday the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board will vote to demolish the Suwannee River Visitors Center.
https://gadnr.org/sites/default/files/dnr/pdf/AMENDED%20AGENDA_0.pdf
Here it is in a low-water video by WWALS member Shirley Kokidko that has gotten more than 400,000 views on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1946665392780126 Continue reading
Our first paddle of 2026 was during the day on beautiful Banks Lake, just west of Lakeland, GA, on New Years Day.
A hardy band of five paddlers, some very experienced, some very novice, paddled into the eastern sun glare, then west to the bat tree. We saw Sand Hill Cranes and an osprey nest, but no bats.
![[First Day Paddle, Banks Lake 2026-01-01, Sand Hill Cranes, See-through bat tree]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-01--banks-lake-day-paddle-pictures/fbmany.jpg)
First Day Paddle, Banks Lake 2026-01-01, Sand Hill Cranes, See-through bat tree
Here are some video clips:
https://www.facebook.com/Wwalswatershed/videos/867635092790046/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DTNpYodiJhP/
This was Shirley Kokidko’s experiment in a day paddle on Banks Lake. This is the third time we’ve done this, after 2023-09-04, when I found this bat tree, and 2025-08-23.
Plus the outboard birding 2025-12-04, in which the birders noticed feathers falling from a nest in the bat tree.
For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS outings web page, https://wwals.net/outings/. Continue reading
Update 2026-01-31: Cancelled due to inclement weather.
Come see the beauty of a sunset and full moon rising across the lake, at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, our watery living room just west of Lakeland, Georgia. There may be Sand Hill Cranes, or bats.
When: Gather 5 PM, launch 5:30 PM, moonrise 6:05 PM, sunset 6:09 PM, end 7 PM, Sunday, February 1, 2026
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
![[Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA 2026-02-01, Will Hart, Maybe bats]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-01--full-snow-moon-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Full Snow Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA 2026-02-01, Will Hart, Maybe bats
Update 2026-01-03: Cancelled due to bad weather.
Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia. Watch the sun set, the moon rise, and there may be bats. will be leading this paddle.
When: Gather 5 PM, launch 5:30 PM, moonrise 6:07 PM, sunset 5:55 PM, end 7 PM, Saturday, January 3, 2026
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
Continue readingSheila Willis and Teresa Aldrich Ammons saw many birds on Banks Lake.
Sheila is the President of the Okefenokee Bird Club and Teresa is a member. Sheila has been very helpful with information about the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge where she used to work.
Plus some feathers at the bat tree, falling from a nest that nobody had noticed before. They might be from a Great Blue Heron.
Continuing southwest towards Moody Air Force Base, we saw a flock of Great Blue Herons. And a flock of White Ibis sitting on the water, then flying, then one perching.
There were more birds, but I was busy going too far into the lily pads and hydrilla with the 25-hp outboard. Although stalks of those plants wrapped around the prop, they weren’t the worst. That was Continue reading
Join us for a leisurely Sunset and Full Moon Paddle on Banks Lake, our mini-Okefenokee. Maybe we will see bats.
Full Moon paddle regulars, Holly Jones and Xiaoai Ren, will be leading this paddle.
When: Gather 4:15 PM, launch 4:45 PM, moonrise 5:07 PM, sunset 5:31 PM, end 6:15 PM, Thursday, December 4, 2025
Put In: Banks Lake Boat Ramp, 307 Georgia 122, Lakeland, GA 31635, in Lanier County, on the Alapaha River Water Trail (ARWT).
![[Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, Maybe bats 2025-12-04]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-04--full-cold-moon-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
Full Cold Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, Maybe bats 2025-12-04
Update 2026-02-03: Videos,
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1586908412518046/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUTbxcWCFiD/
https://youtu.be/T6U66xA_lBk
We saw many species of bats on our leisurely Sunset and Full Beaver Moon Paddle on our mini-Okefenokee just west of Lakeland, Georgia, after the sun set and the moon rose.
Thanks to Chris Adams, aka Turtleman, for leading this paddle. He is a very experienced naturalist and former guide at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. He has often paddled with us at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Thanks to Bat Biologist (and WWALS Board Member) Elizabeth Brunner for identifying many species of bats living in the one bat tree, and probably a couple more flying by.
Thanks to Lanier County and Banks Lake Outdoors for free boat rental for these WWALS Full Moon Paddles.
For bat species reference, see: Continue reading
![[Amended Agenda: Removed, Suwannee River Visitor Center @ GA-DNR Board of Natural Resources, 2026-01-30, St. Simons Island, GA]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-30--ga-dnr-revised-agenda/many.jpg)
![[Packet: Suwannee River Visitor Center unfit for public use or rehabilitation @ DNR Board of Natural Resources 2026-01-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-30--ga-dnr-packet/many.jpg)
![[Agenda: Demolish the Stephen C. Foster State Park Suwannee River Visitor Center --GA-DNR Board 2026-01-30]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-30--ga-dnr-agenda/fbmany.jpg)
![[Full Wolf Moon Paddle, Banks Lake 5 PM, 2026-01-03, West of Lakeland, GA, Sunset, Moonrise, and maybe bats]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-03--full-wolf-moon-paddle/fbmany.jpg)
![[Outboard birding, Banks Lake 2025-12-04, Bat tree, feathers, Sand Hill Cranes, White Ibis, hydrilla, Lily pads]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-04--banks-lake-outboard-birding/fbmany.jpg)
![[Full Beaver Moon Paddle, Banks Lake, 2025-11-05, Guide: Chris Turtleman Adams, Bat Biologist: Elizabeth Brunner]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-11-05--full-beaver-moon-paddle-pictures/fbmany.jpg)