RiverTrek 2012, our 4th annual fundraising kayak trip on the Apalachicola River Blueway, is scheduled for October 10-14. Each year, a group of intrepid paddlers take off from Chattahoochee, Florida, just below the Woodruff Dam. They paddle the entire length of the Apalachicola River, arriving in Apalachicola 107 miles & 5 days later!
This year's RiverTrek is coordintated by Georgia Ackerman and Doug Alderson. Georgia owns and operates Wilderness Way in the Tallahassee area. Doug coordinates paddling trails for the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails and he helped to develop the Apalachicola River Blueway.
Each of the participants raise money through sponsorships. You can be part of this great adventure by sponsoring one of the paddlers or making a contribution to support the event. Simply select the participant you wish to sponsor from the list below, click on the SPONSOR link, select the amount you wish to pledge & enter the participants name/RiverTrek 2012 in the comments section. If you wish to make a general contribution to support the RiverTrek, type "RiverTrek" in the comments section.
"Whether she is forging through the mountains, roaming through the flatlands or dancing to the sea,
the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint has remained constant.
She has always given so graciously and we have always taken from her so freely.
It is time that we give something back.
Generations to come need to know her as we have."
~ Alex Reed, RiverTrek Participant
RiverTrek 2012 Participants
If you would like to sponsor one of our participants, please select the amount you wish to pledge & enter the participants name/RiverTrek 2012 in the comments section.
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 Georgia Ackerman:Georgia grew up playing in the thick woods of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She eventually migrated to the swamps of North Florida where she continues to camp, kayak, hike and play. Fascinated by Florida's waterways and its abundant wildlife, Georgia stays knee-deep in conservation issues. When asked her reason for volunteering with Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Georgia stated, “As a parent, I have a real passion to take care of Florida’s water--on the only planet we’ve got. My kids are counting on us all. That river needs us and we need it. ” Georgia owns and operates a kayak shop in the Tallahassee area. She can usually be found in or on the water. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Doug Alderson: Soon after moving to Tallahassee from Chicago in 1968, Doug Alderson learned firsthand about the Apalachicola River and Bay, how its rich waters and scenic beauty could feed both stomachs and souls. After a rough start on a survival camping trip in Boy Scouts on St. George Island, he even began to enjoy Apalachicola oysters, the best around! Over time, he became aware that this dynamic resource was being threatened by ever increasing water use by Alabama and Georgia. That’s why he is participating in this year’s Apalachicola RiverTrek—to support the Apalachicola Riverkeeper and its mission. “Now we need your help!” he says. “Please contribute to this worthwhile cause.” Doug Alderson (http://www.dougalderson.net/) is the author of several books, including Waters Less Traveled: Exploring Florida's Big Bend Coast (University Press of Florida 2005), New Dawn for the Kissimmee River: Orlando to Okeechobee by Kayak (University Press of Florida, 2009), Encounters with Florida’s Endangered Wildlife (University Press of Florida, 2010), and Wild Florida Waters: Exploring the Sunshine State by Kayak and Canoe (Earthways Press, 2011). Additionally, his articles and photographs have been featured in numerous outdoor magazines. Doug also coordinates paddling trails for the Florida Office of Greenways and Trails and he helped to develop the Apalachicola Blueway. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Josh Bolick: Hailing from a small town in central North Carolina, Josh discovered his passion for the great outdoors as he came into adulthood. A five year enlistment in the Navy carried him to Hawai'i, where he surfed, swam, snorkeled, and generally gloried in the pleasures of an aquatic existence. When his naval tour was up he continued his recreational watery ways through a Bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. While there, one of his outdoor jobs was guiding folks through the salt marshes and coastal creeks of Eastern North Carolina for the now defunct Salt Marsh Kayak Company. He is currently pursuing a Master's of Library and Information Science at the Florida State University while managing a Tallahassee area bike shop, and occasionally guiding river trips. When not employed in the above he can be found paddling, cycling, and hiking the trails and waterways of the Panhandle. Josh is excited to participate in RiverTrek 2012 because he believes the protection of the Apalachicola River and Bay are an unqualified good, and because he wants to savor Bay oysters for the remainder of his days. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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Rob Diaz de Villegas: Rob is a producer, editor, and director for WFSU-TV. He has produced and edited music-themed documentaries and is the co-creator of WFSU's former music performance program, outloud. For the last two years, Rob has managed WFSU’s ecology video blog, In the Grass, On the Reef, which keeps him happily outdoors. In 2011, he was accepted to the prestigious PBS/ Corporation for Public Broadcasting Producers Workshop. Rob lost his favorite production collaborator when his wife Amy became pregnant with their son Max. They’re working on teaching him to swim so they can bring him out on the water. You can follow In the Grass, On the Reef at wfsu.org/coastalecology. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Bryan Desloge: Bryan is excited to participate in RiverTrek 2012! Bryan is a native of Tallahassee and other than a two year stint as a ski bum in Aspen, he has spent his entire life in the North Florida area. After Aspen, Bryan returned to Tallahassee, cut his hair, went to work with IBM and married his high school sweetheart. Ten years and four children later he left IBM to establish Desloge Home Oxygen and Medical Equipment, where he is the current President and celebrating 20 years in business. Bryan was elected to the Leon County Commission in 2006 where he currently serves as the District 4 Commissioner. Bryan has completed multiple marathons, an IronMan event, skied the Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt), and reached the summits on Mt Rainier, iIztaccihuatl in Mexico, Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, and last year spent the month of May reaching the summit of Alaska’s Denali. In the end, North Florida is the best place to "come home to," and protecting and preserving our waters and wilderness areas is a priority--the legacy we leave for our children and grandchildren. Bryan hopes you will consider supporting this great cause. The Apalachicola River is a great American treasure, and we must ensure its preservation for the enjoyment of future generations. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Kent Mayer: Kent has roots deep in north Florida -- his great great grandfather homesteaded in what is now Manatee Springs State Park in 1860. In college, extensive SCUBA diving in springs and sinks around north Florida and completing a cave diving course helped him become even more familiar with our water resources "inside and out". Kent started kayaking in 1980, and has been paddling his beloved black Nordkapp sea kayak for over 30 years. Favorite paddling trips include 3 weeks in Glacier Bay, Alaska, and a month long National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) sea kayaking course in Prince William Sound, Alaska, where he was selected one of two student leaders at the end of the course to lead a gorup of students 75 miles without instructors. Unfortunately the NOLS trip was in 1989 a few months after the Exxon Valdez accident, so he was able to experience the results of environmental carelessness firsthand. As a volunteer interpreter and river boat guide at Wakulla Springs State Park he helps educate the public about the importance of water quality. Preserving and protecting the Apalachicola River is important for our quality of life and economic livelihood. Kent is honored to participate in fund raising for the Riverkeeper and helping raise awareness of this incredible resource, and hopes yo will donate whatever you can to help us in this quest. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Michael Mendez: Michael is a 4th generation native Floridian, has enjoyed the Florida waters and natural beauty from Key West to Pensacola. He was raised hearing tales of the abundance of crawfish and sponges in the Florida Keys only to watch it all but disappear during his lifetime. He’s watched the once pristine springs and rivers of North Florida become cloudy and choked with weeds. From the KP hole in Dunellen to the Wakulla River, once pristine water ways are becoming threatened and scarce. Mike feels an obligation to preserve Florida's natural ecosystems for the children of tomorrow. For the economic health of our state and the sheer beauty of it, we must protect the Apalachicola River and estuary. Michael lives in Tallahassee Florida with his wife and daughter. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Jennifer Portman: Jennifer, a Los Angles native and senior writer for the Tallahassee Democrat, fell in love with free-flowing streams during her decade living and reporting in the Ozarks. She has floated the entire 135-mile length of the magnificent Buffalo River in northwest Arkansas as well many of the region’s other glorious rivers. Whenever possible, she has used her newspaper work to educate, enlighten and inform readers about the importance of protecting and preserving such special places. Since settling down in Tallahassee in 2004, she has written in-depth pieces on the dangers facing such wonders as Wakulla and Wacissa springs and is looking forward to putting her reporting - and crude kayaking skills - to work to benefit the incredible Apalachicola. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Chris Robertson: Chris, a project manager for The Woodlane Cabinet Company, came to Tallahassee in 1988 to attend Florida State and never left. When Chris, an avid cyclist, isn’t on two wheels, he enjoys hiking the forests and paddling north Florida’s streams. A one-time campaign organizer for Florida Public Interest Research Group, he has long advocated for the environment and is eager to add his muscle to support the mighty Apalachicola. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Alex Reed: Alex, geologist and environmental manager, grew up in North Georgia where she spent her youth hiking the Appalachian Trail, paddling white water on the multitude of regional rivers, and wandering the foothills with parents who grew up along the banks of Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Running through her small mountain town, the Chattahoochee River silently and steadfastly existed as her family's center, lifeblood, and playmate. Although she has travelled across the country and lived as far away as Maine, California and Colorado, the rivers here have always drawn her back. She and her family make their home in Tallahassee to be close to the Apalachicola River basin. Alex believes that…"Whether she is forging through the mountains, roaming through the flatlands or dancing to the sea, the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint has remained constant. She has always given so graciously and we have always taken from her so freely. It is time that we give something back. Generations to come need to know her as we have." Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Micheal Taber: Like many, Micheal moved to Florida lured by the images of sandy beaches and blue waters. But as an avid outdoorsman, he was pleasantly surprised to find the secret of Florida in its ribbons of watery highways and colorful flora and fauna. Beyond the postcard images and high-rise hotels, Florida is nature, and Micheal enjoys the thrill of exploration paddling the rivers, bays, and coasts: “gliding up a calm and shallow trail, with Spanish moss hanging overhead and the exotic call of a Limpkin in the air, I always imagine what it was like for the first European explorers to come here – it’s amazing you can still find places that pristine.” In an effort to help preserve that wild Florida, Micheal is happy to volunteer with the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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 Rick Zelznak: Rick enjoys the narrow, canopied dark water streams and the expansive deep clear water springs of North Florida. He especially enjoys paddling the coastal waters of the Apalachicola Bay crossing the estuary to St. Vincent Island. Rick is intrigued by the evolving history of the Apalachicola river basin and the diversity of cultures -- from the early natives to the current day oystermen -- that have relied on its wealth of natural resources. He recognizes the critical role that we all must play to ensure that these resources remain for generations to come. Sponsor!
-- Be sure to enter your favorite RiverTrek participant's name in the comments section!
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