Category Archives: Festival

Paddle Georgia discovers the Withlacoochee River

Would you like to paddle the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers for a week in June 2019 with 300 of your closest friends? Our rivers topped Paddle Georgia’s poll of six destinations. Joe Cook, Mr. Paddle Georgia, called me back in July about this possibility. That’s why on July 5, 2018, I blogged A week on the Withlacoochee River in June?

Shoals on the Withlacoochee River
Paddle Georgia discovering the Withlacoochee River has rapids.

It turns out there was a story in the Continue reading

Picture: WWALS @ VSU The Happening 2018-08-23

Erica and I were so busy this is the only picture we took at The Happening at VSU yesterday afternoon.

Suwannee Riverkeeper at The Happening, VSU, Erica took this

Many students came by, and a surprising number of them took intern flyers. We shall see how many of them apply.

We have a sheet full of Continue reading

WWALS at VSU The Happening 2018-08-23

Come join WWALS and 10,000 of our closest friends at VSU this Thursday:

When: 1PM to 4PM, Thursday, August 24, 2017

Where: Front lawn, VSU, 1500 N Patterson St., Valdosta, Georgia 31698

Event: facebook

Gretchen talking to students
Gretchen talking to students, picture by John S. Quarterman for WWALS, 2018-08-23.

Gretchen will not be back in time this year, so we really need volunteers. Come on down! It’s fun!

Jessica Pope, Newsroom, VSU, 15 August 2018, The Happening Returns to the VSU Front Lawn Aug. 23, Continue reading

Protected A Wild & Scenic River Portrait, tonight 2018-05-31

7PM tonight at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta, come see that Oregon has the most official Wild & Scenic Rivers, but we’ve got some just as good here in south Georgia and north Florida.

Follow river paddler, author, and conservationist, Tim Palmer, through the enchanting waters of Oregon’s Wild Rivers Coast, which has the highest concentration of National Wild & Scenic Rivers in the US. With just a canoe, a camera, and an old van, Tim finds his bliss and his calling on these rivers, and has found a way to share their beauty… while reminding us all about the significance of national Wild & Scenic Rivers program that protects beautiful rivers all across the country. Produced in Partnership with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Photographing, Stills

This film seems to be showing the most places: PROTECTED: A Wild & Scenic River Portrait, by Jeremy Monroe, David Herasimtschuk, Freshwaters Illustrated. You can see it tonight with a dozen others.

Here’s a trailer for this short film: Continue reading

Video: Gretchen Quarterman on Steve Nichols radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-05-29

Coming up tomorrow, Thursday, May 31st: it’s the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta. WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman noted you can still buy tickets online or at the door.

Radio host Steve Nichols yesterday first wanted to know about the the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest at the Salty Snapper in Valdosta, GA, June 23, 2018.

They also talked about Continue reading

Watershed Coalition to hold film festival –VDT 2018-05-29

Today in the newspaper of record for the biggest city in the Suwannee River Basin, Amanda M. Usher, Valdosta Daily Times, May 29, 2018, Watershed Coalition to hold film festival

VALDOSTA — The WWALS Watershed Coalition will host the Wild and Scenic Film Festival, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31, at the Mathis City Auditorium.

The festival will feature 13 films from national filmmakers, one of which will focus on coral reef restoration and another on the Chattooga River.

Gretchen Quarterman, executive director, said one of the purposes of the festival is to observe the 50th anniversary of rivers reaching the designation status by Congress in 1968.

“We’re trying to raise awareness of the rivers in the Suwannee Basin, which is our area, so that people will appreciate them more,” Quarterman said….

Gretchen, Before

There will be Continue reading

WWALS Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Steve Nichols drive-time radio 105.9FM WVGA 2018-05-29

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 29, 2018) morning at 8:30 AM WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman will be on the air with Steve Nichols talking about:

Banner, Gretchen, Stills

Plus WWALS advocacy, and upcoming paddle outings: Continue reading

Gretchen inviting Lowndes County Commission to Wild & Scenic Film Festival

WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman said “I’m here this evening to invite y’all and everybody present to come to a Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Thursday, May 31.”

Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter wanted to know time and place: 7PM at Mathis Auditorium. Gretchen added, “And we’re going to have a silent auction, and a raffle, and fun stuff. Please come.”

After, Still

Here’s the video:


Gretchen inviting Lowndes County Commission to Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE)
May 22, 2018 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission<,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Tickets: Eventbrite Continue reading

Florida Folk Festival Saturday 2018-05-26

Rain stayed away, on a fine day, Florida Folk, Saturday. Teri and Eileen were there Friday, I was there Saturday, and Gretchen is there this Sunday morning, at the Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Sanders Dr, White Springs, FL 32096.

Suwannee Riverkeeper, Tent

Children played the froggy toss, bigger children liked the Enviroscape (thanks Nature Coast Biological Station!), and adults talked about everything from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to outings (next: Suwannee River, weekend after next), to Continue reading

Coral Reef Rescue at Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018-05-31

This one surprised me: there is a way to regenerate coral reefs. You can see it at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 7PM, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Valdosta, GA.

An upbeat look at a downbeat topic, coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species and protect the coastlines of more than 100 countries and provide 500 million people with jobs. They are also taking a huge hit from climate change, ocean acidification, and other pressures. The Mote Tropical Research Lab and the Coral Restoration Foundation’s ground breaking work with accelerating coral growth in the lab, creating nurseries in the ocean, and replanting back to the reefs is nothing less than fantastic. Their efforts creates hope for the future of sustainable coral reefs around the globe.

Coral-Reef-Rescue,

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Tickets: Eventbrite Continue reading