Tag Archives: Wild & Scenic Film Festival

The #Trashtag Challenge: Cleanups are good, but throwaway plastic needs to be stopped

It’s great the #Trashtag Challenge is getting people to clean up litter, but remember the straw and the sea turtle. Let’s also get on with fixing the problem, which is throwaway plastic and other discardable containers and wrappers.

A new challenge.

It’s fun and useful to clean up a creek, like we did Sunday on Onemile Branch at Azalea Festival in Valdosta.

Scotti downstream

WWALS does this on every outing, which is also a cleanup, plus some specific cleanups, such as two at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River and one at Sheboggy on the Alapaha River last year. We find the amount of trash tends to go down, as more people catch on that we need to take care of our waters.

Yet more needs to be done. Remember last year at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, the sea turtle and the straw? 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 →

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:

the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta, 7-10PM, May 31st, and
the First Annual Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest at the Salty Snapper in Valdosta, GA, 1-5PM, June 23rd.

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.”

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 →

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.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Tickets: Eventbrite Continue reading →

Sponsor: Innovative Rehab Solutions for Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Thanks to Bikram Mohanty of Innovative Rehab Solutions for becoming a sponsor of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which will be at Mathis Auditorium, Valdosta, GA, Thursday, May 31 2018.

Innovative Rehab solutions is a unique and state of the art facility located in Valdosta, Ga. We are home to the ONLY underwater treadmill in Valdosta.

3368 Greystone Way, Valdosta, GA 31605
809 Beacon Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Phone: (229) 242-6670
facebook, website www.werehab.net.

They’re a pillar of the local community; here’s a Valdosta Daily Times article from 2013.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

All about the film festival.

Tickets: Eventbrite Continue reading →

Valdosta Wake Compound donates tickets to Wild & Scenic Film Festival

You could learn to wakeboard next to I-75. Thanks to Luke Tilt at Valdosta Wake Compound for two wakeboard lesson tickets for the silent auction at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, 7PM Thursday, May 31, 2018:

They are valued at $65 apiece. The passes include all gear needed to participate as well as a one-on-one instructor. Open to any level of rider. This lesson is the easiest and safest way to learn how to ride a wakeboard on the water.

Photo: Wakeworld, January 2017, of Terry Bailey
VWC: Instagram @valdostawakecompound, website http://valdostawakecompound.com/,
off of I-75 Exit 13, at 2314 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, 229-375-3060.

VWC was recently featured in a video by the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority, and VWC is on Georgia Tourism. That’s about 3 and 1/2 hours South of Atlanta, 3 hours North of Orlando, and 3 hours NorthEast of Tampa.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is also on Georgia Tourism.

Tickets: Eventbrite

Date and Time: Thu, May 31, 2018 Continue reading →

Dragging 235 lbs Uphill Both Ways @ Wild & Scenic Film Fest 2018-05-31

See how one mom engages her children in outdoor activities in “Dragging 235 lbs uphill both ways”.

The next generation is becoming increasingly plugged in to electronics and out of touch with the outdoors. This will have enormous effects on future conservationism. A mother of four kids decides to turn off the screens and make a change. Though challenging, her kids go from fearing and ignoring nature to understanding and loving it.

This short film will be one of many shown at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival:

Tickets: Eventbrite

Date and Time: Continue reading →

Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Rivers

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival WWALS is holding 7PM Thursday, May 31, 2018 at Mathis Auditorium in Valdosta, GA is about:

Celebrating fifty years of Wild and Scenic River designations by Congress, this film festival showcases frontline issues and activism with stunning cinematography. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that individuals propel the groundswell of the environmental movement. Collectively, we CAN make a difference!

There aren’t any Wild & Scenic rivers in the Suwannee River Basin, although maybe after seeing this film festival, people will be motivated to fix that.

We have river gems unknown even to most of the people who live here: the Alapaha, the Little, the Withlacoochee, and the Suwannee River.

Alapaha River

Some Atlantans paddled the Alapaha River Water Trail last month, and confirmed its A+ rating for scenery. Even portaging around a deadfall didn’t dampen their spirits.

Consensus: we love the Alapaha!

Photo: Robert Marshall of First Camp: a beach on a point

Little River

When retired outfitter Continue reading →

Video: Suwannee Riverkeeper on Steve Nichols Drive-time Radio 2018-04-24

This morning I was on The Morning Drive with Steve Nichols on 105.9 FM WVGA, Valdosta, Georgia, which Steve says reaches 100,000 people. We talked about all the things we said we would: Troupville cleanup, water trails, paddle race, film festival, songwriting contest, outings, and more.