Two local women to kayak entire river in October
Apalachicola Riverkeeper kicked off its annual RiverTrek campaign with a team meeting and ice cream social in Tallahassee last week. Tommy Thompson, coordinator of RiverTrek, explained the annual affair is both a fundraising and awareness-raising campaign. “We’ve got a tremendous team of volunteer paddlers this year, hailing from Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Several have completed the ‘Trek before,” Thompson said.
Janine Gedmin and Anita Grove, both of Apalachicola, are participating in this year’s 100+ mile kayak journey. When asked about her decision to apply for the team this year, Grove said, “The Apalachicola River is an integral part of our lives in Apalachicola. Our livelihoods and culture revolve around the health and vitality of the Apalachicola River and Bay. It is woven into every aspect of our being.”
The volunteer kayakers will travel the entirety of the Apalachicola River in mid-October, camping along the way. They will meet with expert biologists, historians and others along the route. Prior to the team launch in Chattahoochee on October 9th, the RiverTrek volunteers host neighborhood get-togethers and related gatherings in their respective communities to increase knowledge of the ecological threats facing the Apalachicola River and Bay. RiverTrek team members also enjoy a friendly competition of garnering financial sponsorships to see who can raise the most funds. Gedmin recently enlisted the Bowery Station for support. During the month of June, tips from the pub’s open mic night benefit Gedmin’s RiverTrek campaign. All RiverTrek donations support the continued work of Apalachicola Riverkeeper.
According to Riverkeeper, Georgia Ackerman, the organization was founded in 1998. Ackerman said, “We’re working to reverse the trend of ecological threats to Apalachicola River and its watershed, through advocacy, outreach, education, collaborative research—and sometimes, if needed, legal action.”
In 2017, Apalachicola Riverkeeper and several conservation partners legally challenged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Water Control Manual, a reservoir system operating guide. The manual was updated for the first time since 1958. The freshwater needed to maintain the health Apalachicola Bay was not considered in the revised manual. The case is currently in play.
In other legal matters, the interstate water conflict, FL vs. GA case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 8, 2018. A ruling is anticipated by the end of this month.
To learn more, visit www.apalachicolariverkeeper.
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