Apalachicola RiverTrek 2017 Ready to Launch --Paddlers follow the river to raise funds for Apalachicola Riverkeeper

On the morning of October 10, a team of volunteer paddlers will launch their gear-laden kayaks at the northern end of Florida’s Apalachicola River just below the Jim Woodruff Dam in Chattahoochee. Their goal? Follow the river nearly 110 miles over five days until it empties into Apalachicola Bay. It is all part of RiverTrek 2017, the annual event to raise awareness and funds for the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. The non-profit member-based organization is celebrating 18 years of protecting the Apalachicola River and Bay.


The Apalachicola River moves the largest volume of water of all Florida rivers and nourishes Apalachicola Bay's diverse estuary, famous for its oysters and seafood. The river basin provides critical habit for plant and wildlife, including many threatened and endangered species.


The RiverTrek team members, hailing from north Georgia to south Florida,—including Mary Balthrop of St. Teresa--have been raising awareness about threats to the river system while going about raising funds and sponsors. Once on the river, the adventure and learning continues. The paddlers will meet with community members, biologists and historians along the way. From the steep bluffs of the northernmost Apalachicola to the marshlands of the coastal plain, the RiverTrek kayak paddlers will experience the most diverse habitat in North America.


At journey’s end on Saturday, October 14 (day 5), the team will arrive at Battery Park in Apalachicola for a festive finale in celebration of their river basin exploration. The public is invited to join in welcoming them to Apalachicola.


Learn more at: http://apalachicolariverkeeper.org/rivertrek

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