Update 2018-12-12: And the winner is….!
Thanks to Bret Wagenhorst for the raffle kayak, which he donated at the Berrien County Harvest Festival.
You can get your raffle tickets here:
We’ll be picking the raffle winner on Saturday, December 8, 2018, in the Okefenokee Swamp. Continue reading
Venus gleamed through the fires of sunset as the full moon and Mars hid behind clouds.
The sound of frogs brought out swoops of bats, as a dozen or two paddlers braved the placid flat waters of Banks Lake Friday evening in the least strenuous yet one of the most enjoyable of all WWALS outings. As one new participant remarked, it’s one thing to see it from the road, but out on the water the size, the lucidity, and the sunset are startling while calming.
Bret Wagenhorst, who brought a crew of new people from Tifton and paddled out with them first, reports: “Got to see: ospreys and nest, eastern kingbirds, egrets, ibises, bats, gators and hear Continue reading
You’ve seen who won the eleven awards. Now here are the rest of the paddlers in the 6th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, from more counties, states, and watersheds than ever before. Also more Solo Female Kayaks than Solo Male Kayaks, and several whole families of paddlers.
43 Boats
37 kayaks
6 canoes
49 Paddlers
29 male
20 female Continue reading
Previously you saw the overall winner of the 6th Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, organized by WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) and Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB), Saturday, April 28, 2018. Update 2018-07-16: Plus pictures of all the paddlers.
Here are all the winners:
The prize category is included for each winner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valdosta, GA, July 2, 2017 —
In a good time with good food and good music, at the Salty Snapper in Valdosta, Saturday afternoon, June 23, 2018, three judges from Georgia and Florida deliberated a long time after six songwriters from Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida sang, and selected winners of the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2018.
The WWALS Songwriting Contest Committee met many times to plan for the first annual contest. The purpose of the contest was to raise awareness of the WWALS watershed and its accomplishments. Will Eason of the Salty Snapper welcomed us, WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel spoke about the origins of WWALS, Board member Bret Wagenhorst spoke about Outings, Committee Chair Eileen Box spoke about the Committee, and WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman was the M.C.
Winners and Judges (Sharon Yeago), left to right:
Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, WWALS E.D. and contest M.C. Gretchen Quarterman, ? (JJ), ? (JJ), Jay Jourden (JJ), Judge J.J. Rolle, Emmett Carlisle, Laura D’Alisera, Mike Tappan, Judge Cindy Bear, Dave Pharr, ? Tom Shed (JJ), Don Austin (JJ), Hollin Gammage, and the small child is next year’s contestant (JJ marks members of Jay Jourden’s band).
The finalists, who played in random order, selected by drawing straws, with sound by Will Eason and other help by Scotti Jay, were: Continue reading
Update 2018-07-05: All the winners. Update 2018-07-16: All the paddlers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, GA, April 29, 2018 — With the first-ever winner from Florida and a new record time, the next two categories one each from Tift and Lowndes Counties, Georgia, and a record number paddlers from 4 to 67 years old, the BIG Little River Paddle Race at Reed Bingham State Park Saturday was a fun time and a successful fundraiser for Friends of Reed Bingham State Park (FORB) and WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS).
Lloyd Reeves drove three hours from Crescent City, Florida, with a very fast kayak, to become the first-ever Florida winner, and he proved himself a winner in another way with the prize.
In addition to the First Prize trophy, winner Reeves got a hundred dollar bill from race organizer Bret Wagenhorst of WWALS. and a matching hundred dollar bill from Dianne Walters of FORB. Reeves then Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hahira, GA, April 23, 2018 — Fifty children and adults helped WWALS clean up the site of old Troupville Saturday, with permission and thanks from the landowner where that former Lowndes County seat goes down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta.
Cleanup leader WWALS member Bobby McKenzie said:
We met at the signs for safety/execution briefing. I was able to talk about the signs and water trail to 50 folks and when I asked who knew about the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and being able to kayak them, only 2 folks were aware. Now 50 more folks are aware…and half were kids…but some of the best kind of kids…Boy and Girl Scouts!
Photo: Bobby McKenzie for WWALS 2018-04-21, at
Troupville Boat Ramp,
by the WWALS
signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT)
that
Phil Hubbard planted 2018-04-20.
Landowner Helen Tapp, whose family LLC gave permission for this cleanup, added:
What a fabulous turn-out of Earth Day workers! Thank you so much for Continue reading
Thanks to Bret Wagenhorst, here’s a printable flyer (PDF) for the Sixth Annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, Saturday, April 28, 2018, at Reed Bingham State Park, between Adel and Moultrie, Georgia.
Paddlers can also register online or (for a bit more) at the event.
Sponsors welcome: get your name or your organization’s name on a banner at the event, mentioned on the radio, etc.
Sixth Annual
BIG Little River Paddle Race
Saturday, April 28, 2018Proceeds to benefit Friends of Reed Bingham and WWALS Watershed Coalition,
the Waterkeeper® Alliance Member for the Little River as Suwannee Riverkeeper®TIME: Continue reading
Update 2018-03-14: Printable flyer for registration, attracting sponsors, and information.
Will Dwight Griner win like the last five years? Come see if you can beat him for the cash prize. If not, you may still win a medal in any of a dozen categories. And it’s a nice spring paddle anyway!
With the silent auction again afterwards: it’s the fifth annual BIG Little River Paddle Race, a fundraiser for WWALS and Friends of Reed Bingham (FORB). Last year we had 54 paddlers, 31 men and boys, 23 women and girls, from eight Georgia counties. That was more than the previous year’s 34 paddlers. Floridians, come on up and help us set another record for entrants! Georgians, there’s plenty of room on the Little River for more paddlers!
Where: Red Roberts Landing
31°11’32.0″N 83°31’13.2″W
Rountree Bridge Road
Between Moultrie and Adel, GA
I-75 Exit 41 (at Sparks) to Rountree Bridge Road
When:
8AM-9AM On-site Registration
9:30 AM Mass Start
Saturday, April 28, 2018
What:
Canoes or Kayaks Only
Life jackets required of all participants.
Let people know:
facebook event
or the
meetup.
But remember to register.
Registration: Register on-line Continue reading
Back for the third year: the WWALS booth at Little River Fest, on the border Little River between Colquitt and Cook Counties. Georgia, in the heart of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).
When: 9AM to 4PM, Saturday, April 14, 2018
Where:
Reed Bingham State Park,
542 Reed Bingham Rd.
Adel, Ga 31620
![[Finish]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-04-28--blrpr-hubbard/4063062-28Apr18.jpg)