Tag Archives: Sara Jay Jones

Speakers and last call for songs for WWALS River Revue

Last call, songwriters: August 14, 2024 is the last day to send in your excellent song about the Suwannee River Basin. We mean it this time. Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897

The Finals for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest will be at the WWALS River Revue, Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the Turner Center for the Arts, in Valdosta, Georgia.

Songwriters will perform for the audience and the three judges will decide, after the speakers from Florida and Georgia.

Logo: WWALS River Revue 2024

Dr. Jason Evans will speak about his many-year study of water lettuce, which establishes definitively that it is native to Florida. This may mean that the state should not spray to try to get rid of it.

He is Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida. Jason Evans is an interdisciplinary systems and landscape ecologist who works in the fields of climate adaptation, land cover change, and water quality improvement within the built environment.

Dr. Jason M. Evans, Stetson University, Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, DeLand, Florida, speaking to the Santa Fe Springs Working Group, December 14, 2023

Heather Brasell will speak on the impacts of forest management on water quality.

She is the founder of the Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia, where she has won state and national forestry awards. 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. She owns several miles of the Alapaha River and has paddled many times with WWALS. She is a former WWALS board member. She is a WWALS water quality tester.

Heather Brasell, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha, Georgia

“Musicians, we have some songs, but we also want yours,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, Continue reading →

Today’s the day to send your Suwannee River Basin song

Surely you have a song about Debby. Or the Swamp. Or your favorite river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, pond, aquifer, or bay in the Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, except not in the Santa Fe River Basin.

Send it in by midnight tonight!

Entry Deadline: August 7, 2024, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897

“Musicians, this is the end of the two more weeks to tinker and finish up that song, so it’s time to send it in,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.

Public Service Announcement (PSA):
https://youtu.be/wC1edqJybuU?si=3OL_9Nm_jntQbZWX

The audience will listen and three judges will decide who wins in several categories at the finals, Saturday, September 7, 2024, during the WWALS River Revue, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, “Your ticket or sponsorship helps support everything WWALS does, from water quality tests, paddle outings, to chainsaw cleanups, and beyond to advocacy to stop trash at its sources, strip mines, and pipelines. We work for water trails, solar power, and Right to Clean Water, with growing engagement for youth and marginalized communities.”

Organizing Committee member Arinda Kennedy said, “Maybe you’d like to join the organizing committee!”

For everything else, go to wwals.net and scroll down to WWALS River Revue.

Continue reading →

More time for your Suwannee River Basin song

Hahira, Georgia, July 26, 2024 — Songwriters now have two more weeks, until Wednesday, August 7, to send in your story in song about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, pond, aquifer, or bay in the Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, except not in the Santa Fe River Basin.

Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897

“Musicians, you have two more weeks to tinker and finish up that song, then send it in,” said organizing committee chair and WWALS President Sara Jay Jones.

Continue reading →

It’s Suwannee River Basin song time

Update 2024-07-26: More time for your Suwannee River Basin song

Hahira, Georgia, July 22, 2024 — Songwriters, Wednesday is the last day to send in your story in song about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, pond, aquifer, or bay in the Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, except not in the Santa Fe River Basin.

Send your song by midnight Wednesday –Sweet William Billy Ennis

WWALS President Sara Jay Jones said, “Musicians, you can finish up that song you’ve been tinkering with, and send it in.”

Here’s the entry form:
https://forms.gle/ett6ne6DxMc8Ln897

“So sharpen your pencils and submit your song, to www.wwals.net. See you there!” said Sweet William Billy Ennis, the 2021 winner and 2022 headliner,
https://youtu.be/GGns39nI6-o

The finals will be held Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the WWALS River Revue, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, Georgia. The audience will listen, while three judges decide who wins in several categories.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, Continue reading →

Agendas: WWALS Annual Member Meeting and Quarterly Board Meeting 2024-07-14

Here are the agendas and zoom parameters for the two meetings this evening.

Zoom Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtduCqpjspHtDZFVMrh-7gPdiDKbHFjHCl

WWALS Annual Member Meeting

When: 6 PM, Sunday, July 14, 2024

What: Presentation of Annual Report, and WWALS members elect some board members.

Agenda: 2024-07-14–wwals-annual-member-meeting-agenda.pdf

WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting

When: 6:30 PM, Sunday, July 14, 2024

What: WWALS Board members elect officers for one year terms, and do the usual board business.

Agenda: 2024-07-14–wwals-quarterly-board-meeting-agenda-no-reports.pdf

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/854738966701213

The 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin and Estuary in Georgia and Florida –Suwannee Riverkeeper of WWALS

WWALS Board members and staff are listed online: Continue reading →

WWALS Annual Member Meeting and Quarterly Board Meeting 2024-07-14

You are invited to two WWALS meetings the same evening, both online by zoom.

Agendas and zoom parameters will be posted before the meetings.

WWALS Annual Member Meeting

When: 6 PM, Sunday, July 14, 2024

What: Presentation of Annual Report, and WWALS members elect some board members.

WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting

When: 6:30 PM, Sunday, July 14, 2024

What: WWALS Board members elect officers for one year terms, and do the usual board business.

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/854738966701213/

The 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin and Estuary in Georgia and Florida –Suwannee Riverkeeper of WWALS

Continue reading →

Three judges for Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting

Hahira, Georgia, May 30, 2024 — Three judges, from Berrien County, Georgia, Madison County, Florida, and Columbia County, Florida, will decide at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest Finals at the WWALS River Revue, September 7, 2024.

Judges, 2024-09-07, 5-8 PM, Valdosta, GA, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Anna Stange (Madison, FL), Tony Buzella, (Lake City, FL), Robert Griner (Nashville, GA)

Judge Tony Buzzella lives in Lake City, and was raised in Miami, FL. He studied under many great teachers, and he has performed with many great musicians over the years, including Frank Hubble, Charlie “Brown” Weatherbee, Rusty Hammerstrum, Leo Villar, Carlos Guzman, and the “Our Gang” Dixieland band during the 1960s and ’70s. He has also performed with Pete Fountain, Bonnie Dawson, Freddie Palmer, Jerry Clower, Grandpa Jones, The Original Salt & Pepper Trio, The Gainesville Jazz Orchestra, Alfonso Levy, and many others.

Judge Anna Stange moved to Madison, FL, in 2019, after 25 years as a music teacher, performer, and educator in the Chicago area. Well known for her multicultural music programs, Anna performed at festivals, libraries, and community events, from Key West to Seldovia, Alaska. Her most recent album, “When Will We Ever Learn: Songs For Peace and Justice,” is a mix of folk and original songs. She currently homesteads on six acres in North Florida with her spouse, 15 chickens, and two lovable mutts.

Judge Robert Griner is a graduate of the Berrien County school system, Valdosta State University, and has a BBA degree. He worked in the banking industry for 51 years and retired as president and director of Trust Bank. His hobbies include professional drummer, licensed pilot, fishing, pheasant hunting, and scuba diving. He enjoys all outdoor activities in beautiful southern Georgia! He has a daughter, Andrea, and a grandson, Jackson. He is a member of the Jacobs Well Church in Nashville, GA.

M.C. Chuck Roberts said, “This is the most dedicated group having fun raising funds to conserve our waterways that I’ve ever been around.”

WWALS President Sara Jay Jones said, Continue reading →

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

Phil Hubbard, longtime WWALS paddle outings leader, on March 11, 2024, 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 two chainsaw cleanups on the Suwannee River and one on the Little River. Here are all the ones we can remember: Continue reading →

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Online via zoom, 2024-04-21

WWALS President Sara Jay will preside over the WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting. The public is invited.

We will be reviewing plans for the Big Little River Paddle Tour, and other outings and events such as the WWALS Webinars, as well as for the next WWALS Gala including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. See https://wwals.net/outings. Plus trash, sewage, water quality testing, opposition to mines (titanium, phosphate, and sand), excess water withdrawals, coal ash, pellet plants, and LNG export, as well as promotion of water trails and solar power: see https://wwals.net/issues/ And of course finances and fundraising.

That’s for the entire 10,000 square mile Suwannee River Basin, in Georgia and Florida, including the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Alapahoochee, Little Alapaha, Little times two, New times two, Black, Dead, Sampson, Santa Fe, and Suwannee Rivers, and all their creeks, springs, sinks, ponds, and swamps, such as Grand Bay, Banks Lake and the Okefenokee Swamp.

When: 6 PM, Sunday, April 21, 2024

Where: Online via zoom.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89308028204?pwd=VmwyMzVTMVR6WGJxbUFUSlFXWFRWQT09
One tap mobile: +16469313860,,89308028204#,,,,*392346#

Agenda: WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting, Online via zoom, 2024-04-21