175 exuberant paddlers set off early this morning for our first day on the fabulous Flint river.
Although we had anticipated cool fall weather, temps warmed up to the upper 80’s today- a welcome delight for those that decided to brave the beautiful but chilly 68 degree blue holes we encountered at Radium and Wilson Blue Springs.
Some folks even had the foresight to bring their snorkels to peer down into the depths where the water spewed forth.
Camm Swift and Brett Albanese- ichthyologists extraordinaire- dragged their seine net and scooped up a plethora of shiner, sunfish, minnow, and bass, etc… 
not to mention the scorpion water bug that resembled a walking stick but had a powerful bite for those that accidentally made a misstep.
The limestone topography dotted the river banks resembling a moonscape, with Floridan Aquifer spring water gurgling up from the depths below. Lush green ferns and vibrant red and purple flowers hung
over the karst ledges and caves beneath like a garden, with the occasional waterfall beckoning us to come closer.
You never would have guessed that you were paddling through downtown Albany until we made a special detour to the Flint Riverquarium.
Paddlers parked their vessels under the overhanging branches of giant cypress and made there way 200 feet around th
e construction of a new riverwalk and boat launch to the Aquarium.
It was such an interesting experience to go from the secluded and intimate river corridor into revitalized downtown Albany with its pedestrian street signs marking points of interest only walking distance away- such as the James Brown Memorial.
The Riverquarium is a must see with very well done exhibits of native river life, such as catfish, gar, terrapin & alligator snapping turtles, albino alligator and even tanks with animals from the gulf- such as octopus, sea horse, piranha, shark, and urchin.
Fathers paddling alongside their daughters, mothers with their sons, such a heartening sight to see that these paddling adventures have become such a special family affair.
At the end of the paddle, the colorful assortment of kayaks, canoes, and stand u
p paddle boards were lined up on the sandy riverbank and the buses lined up to whisk everyone back to our lovely temporary home at Chehaw Park where showers and the evening festivities awaited.
We were thrilled to be joined by Flint river supporter, Representative Winfred J Dukes (Albany)!
Evening entertainment and educational presentations also included Brett Albanese, GA DNR and Gordon Rogers, Flint Riverkeeper,
What a fabulous day! Really excited about tomorrow’s journey…
Keep on rollin’ down the river ~
Gwyneth Moody,
Georgia River Network.
Community Programs Coordinator
We know how much you LOVE Georgia’s rivers and Paddle Georgia, and to celebrate that LOVE, we thought it would be appropriate on Valentine’s Day to let you know that Paddle Georgia 2013 registration is now OPEN! 
If you haven’t heard the news yet – Paddle Georgia 2013 will take place on the lower Flint River – from Warwick to Bainbridge – June 15-21, 2013. Read
think best represents the topic of the month.We will showcase everyone’s photos on our website and social media and one photo per month will receive the illustrious title of ‘GRN Staff Pick of the Month’ and the chosen photo’s author will receive a surprise token of gratitude.We will accept photo entries up until the third week of each month and announce the GRN staff pick and showcase all photo submissions the last week of each month.
photo
Over 60 people took on our challenge to paddle 12 different Georgia rivers in 2012. And even though not everyone completed 12 rivers, everyone made a valiant effort and got out and en
joyed Georgia’s rivers.We are extremely proud of the 
he went on to paddle 24 rivers by the end of 2012. Another avid paddler who ultimately paddled 20 rivers was Glen Smith, who went on a total of 50+ paddle trips during the year.
challenge together. It was a true delight to hear about Suzi Parron’s strong passion for paddling that even a boot on her foot couldn’t keep her off the river. Bobby Marie made us proud with the photos capturing the immense amount of trash he picked up. It was inspiring to see the love bird couples Kyle & Andrea Camp and Lonny & Rhonda 
Martin accomplishing the challenge together. Outdoor enthusiast, Patrick Phelps, persevered even when the temperatures started dropping and he was ready to move on to his other love – mountain biking. Photographer, Anne Ledbetter, captured some absolutely amazing photos on her paddling trips. We were excited to see Allison Hughes of GA Adopt-A-Stream share photos of her awesome adventures on both black and whitewater, too! And last but not least – our very own Joe Cook and April Ingle led by example and represented our Paddle GA/Georgia River Network team well when they paddled 12+ rivers each.
So, kudos to each of the 
from wild places to urban waterways – by taking 13 people paddling in 2013 who might not otherwise go on their own. Set your New Year’s resolution to get outside, get active and get to know your home state with friends and family. Georgia’s rivers offer a variety of experiences including family friendly afternoon paddles, riverside hikes, exciting whitewater and blackwater experiences.
Paddle Georgia, A Project of Georgia River Network - Weblog 