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Footprints & Paddledrips
Volume 4 Issue 5
Newsletter of the Georgia Nature-Based Tourism Association,
May, 2002
Tour of Massive Wading Bird Rookery
Set for Dodge Co. on May 28
May Meeting
The next meeting of the GNTA will be held at Cypress Lake Plantation
in Dodge County on May 28 (note date change). Rona
Janssen of the Eastman-Dodge
County Chamber of Commerce will serve as host.
The morning program and field trip will be a combined event presented
as one of the GNTA's periodic professional development training sessions.
Sheila Willis of Native
American-Naturalist Talks & Tours will conduct a bird and wildflower
walk that provides an insight into the lives of South Georgia's colorful
wildlife and the region's amazing Springtime floral displays.
Ms. Willis has worked as an independent naturalist, Native American lecturer,
and biologist for over 25 years.
The premiere event will be the opportunity to tour Cypress Lake's
famous wading-bird rookery that contains 5,500 nests!
Conditions and timing should be right to provide a spectacular scene
of nesting anhingas, egrets, ibis, wood ducks, prothonotary warblers &
other wetland species.
**A small entry fee will be charged. Lunch will be at a local restaurant
in Rhine.
Directions
The plantation is located two miles west of Rhine on U.S. 280 on the
north side of the road.
From I-75 take the Cordele exit for Hwy 280 east and look for the sign
on the left about 1 mile past Hwy 87 junction.
From Hwy 441 in Jacksonville, take Hwy 117 northwest to Rhine. Then take
Hwy 280 west for about 2 miles to the entry on the right.
From the Savannah area take I-16 west to the exit for Vidalia (Hwy 297).
From there go west on Hwy 280 to Rhine & continue as above.
For further information contact Ronna Janssen at 478-374-4723.
Cypress Lake Plantation
Cypress Lake Plantation is located northeast of the Ocmulgee River
in Dodge County south of Eastman and contains a 100-acre lake within a
1300-acre pine plantation.
Cypress Lake is famous for its beauty and the rookery which contains
thousands of nesting wading birds during the breeding season. A 45-minute
boat tour takes you in for close-up views of these birds.
In addition, there are miles of winding roads & trails that attract
hikers and cyclists. Picnic areas overlooking the lake and a snack bar
in-season provide lunching opportunities.
Access is normally by appointment only (229-385-3051).
May 28 Agenda
9:00 a.m. Committee Meetings
9:30 a..m. Refreshments & Socia Period
10:00 a.m. Introductions & General Meeting
10:45 a.m. Bird/Wildflower Walk (Sheila Willis)
11:30 a.m. Boat Tour of Lake
12:30 p.m. Lunch (Rhine)
GNTA in "GA Trends'
An upcoming edition of the respected business magazine "Georgia
Trends" will feature the Okefenokee Swamp and nature-based tourism.
As part of that coverage, both individual members and the Association
itself will receive attention in the article.
Writer Jerry Grillo traveled to the area and interviewed individuals
connected with each entrance.
Starting on the western side, he experienced the famous hospitality of
Jane Helms' The Helmstead Bed & Breakfast in Homerville
and got the scoop on the new state park near Fargo courtesy of Mayor Patricia
Oettmeier.
He next visited the sights in Waycross, and then headed east to Folkston.
There Mayor Dixie McGurn and Georgia Wildlife Federation representative
and O.E.R.C. Director Tommy Gregors described the progress being
made in developing the Okefenokee Education and Research Center.
At the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Mr. Grillo spoke with O.N.W.R.
Ranger Jim Burkhart about a variety of topics including
the Atlantic to the Gulf Paddling Trail that will cross the swamp.
Okefenokee Adventures co-owner Joy Campbell's story of her and
husband Chip's travels in the swamp and long-time love-affair with the
Okefenokee had the writer entranced as he learned about the challenges
and rewards of operating a nature-based tourism business.
Next, Native American-Naturalist Talks & Tours owner Sheila Willis
gave details about the life of an independent naturalist.
As GNTA president, she then described the founding of the Association
and provided a brief summary of some of the special projects, conferences,
and other events which the GNTA has been involved in over the years.
The GNTA currently has 19 members with ties to the "Land of the
Trembling Earth".
No date is known as yet for this article's publication.
Send Us Your News
If you know of any interesting nature news, conservation concerns, or
nature-based events & conferences, please help spread the word by
sending us a notice.
At each meeting member newsletters & other informative documents
will be on display.
June Altamaha River Run
Have you ever wanted to paddle down the majestic Altamaha River?
On Saturday, June 1 you will have a chance to spend a few hours cruising
with experienced guides and other nature-lovers on a 10-mile journey into
serenity.
Joining in this day of fun on the river has become a tradition for many
families and scout groups.
Altamaha Outdoor Adventures will lead the way from Deen's Landing at
8:00 a.m. to Davis Landing.
Besides enjoying the view, participants who wish to do so can help "Keep
the Scene Clean" by snagging floating river trash for later disposal
as part of this "Keep America Beautiful" project.
Baxley-Appling Co. Board of Tourism Director Lynn Carter
invites the public to participate by contacting her at 912-367-7731 or
by going to www.baxley.org for complete details & registration
forms.
A nominal entry fee is required.
New Falling Rocks Park
Baxley-Appling Co. Board of Tourism Director Lynn Carter
announces that they have received substantial funds to develop a new county
park through a grant from the OneGeorgia Authority Board with construction
expected to start in 2003.
The location will be at Deen's Landing along the Altamaha River.
It will include a group shelter, picnic shelters, campsites for tents
& RVs, a children's play area, and a nature trail.
Ms. Carter stated that it will be marketed as part of the Altamaha Canoe
Trail, "promoting nature-based ecotourism and stimulating economic
opportunity in the region."
Association Schedule
General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of alternate months. If
you would like to host a future meeting, please contact the current president
no later than the 15th of the month preceding the gathering.
2002 (date/location/host)
May 28--Cypress Lake Plantation, Rhine--Eastman-Dodge Co. COC
Note: Hosts are needed for 2002 in Jul. 16, Sept. 17, & Nov.
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GNTA Contacts
Newsletter items (by last Monday of each month)
Editor: Current president
Correspondence/membership
President:
Sheila Willis
326 Pineview Dr.
Waycross, GA 31501
912-285-0419
swillis@wayxcable.com
Vice President:
Karen Arms
P.O. Box 10585
Savannah, GA 31412
912-232-0032
karms@tootsytours.com
Billing statements
Treasurer:
Joy Campbell
Rt. 2, Box 3325
Folkston, GA 31537
912-496-7156
info@okefenokeeadventures.com
Members Spotlight
The GNTA is composed of a variety of individuals & entities who all
believe that conservation and commerce are inter-connected.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of Nature-based Tourism.
There is a shared sense of responsibility to our communities and our
natural resources.
Also, GNTA members believe in the importance of looking past artificial
boundaries of city, county, & state limits and those that separate
various agencies & organizations.
Each of us can reap benefits by examining the work & ideas of others.
In order to learn more about the individual members of the GNTA &
the focus of their work, a "Members' Spotlight" column is presented
here with excerpts taken from the members' brochures, flyers, and
other information sources. Additional members will be highlighted on a
regular basis.
City of Fargo
Located in Southeast Georgia, Fargo offers itself as a gateway to both
the Okefenokee Swamp and the Suwannee River.
The western Okefenokee has always contained the largest trees found in
that wetland, and so visitors who wish to explore the classic swamp scenery
of towering cypress draped in Spanish moss use the border town as a "jumping-off
place" for their adventures.
From deep within the depths of the swamp, a slow-moving current of ebony
water gradually leaves the great basin, and provides paddlers with just
enough push to help them in their travels "way down upon the
Suwannee River".
Recognizing the need to insure that this incomparable waterway would
continue to flow unspoiled for future generations, Mayor Patricia Oettmeier
and her fellow Clinch Countians worked tirelessly on its behalf.
The town's motto is "We may be small but we think big", and
so they persuaded timber company Superior Pine to donate large areas of
land along the corridor, and the state legislature to appropriate funding
for development.
Thus, the ground was broken on the site of the future Okefenokee State
Park containing the existing Stephen C. Foster State Park and a Suwannee
River Section.
From the beginning, listening to residents who said "we don't want
a Disneyland", community leaders set out to have a facility developed
that would be built with the environment in mind--"minimum disturbance"--
and provide a center for both individual visitors and larger groups to
learn about the local ecosystem.
The diverse forests in both the swamp and on the uplands have always
attracted the timbermen. Likewise, the pure waters are home to many species
of fish, and sunny days entice anglers from all over.
Nearby Griffis Fish Camp has been the scene of many a fisherman's tale,
including those told by the legendary Lem Griffis himself.
Culture and history are not forgotten in this place that was "as
far as you could go".
Interpretive markers pay homage to Stephen C. Foster whose classic song
about the Suwannee River first drew the world's attention to this corner
of Georgia, and the state park that bears his name often holds "Man
in the Swamp" events that serve as both reunions for past inhabitants
and educational forums.
Plus, the new state park will have a living history village component.
Seeing the broader picture, the mayor routinely works with other area
leaders, conservation organizations, & stateagencies to designate Scenic Highway routes, fight pollution, &
promote regional culture.
Despite the fact that the City of Fargo doesn't have any paid employees,
Ms. Oettmeier has said that they all want to "work for a better quality
of life, and that includes preserving the environment."
For further information:
City of Fargo
P.O. Box 387
Fargo, GA 31631
912-637-5597
Eastman-Dodge Co. Chamber of Commerce
Dodge County is centrally-located in the heart of Georgia and
gained attention in the late 1800's as one of Georgia's premier rural-vacation
destinations.
It's "quiet, relaxing atmosphere" is still seen as a valuable
attribute and touted as helping the city-dweller to “de-stress” after
hectic times in the urban areas.
Nature-based tourism in the form of farm tours is a key feature for the
county with cotton fields, acres of watermelons, and pecan
orchards (Eastman is the original home of Stuckey's Pecan Logs) being
visited.
The gently-rolling farmlands are surrounded by a variety of forests and
offer multiple opportunities for the birder in search of countryside species
unique to the South.
Waterways both large and small (Ocmulgee River, Gum Swamp Creek) stream
through the region on their way to the coast.
The county works with the Dept. of Natural Resources to offer visitors
access to Steve Bell Lake in the Dodge County Public Fishing Area
while an abundance of old grist mill sites turned farm ponds prove attractive
to fisherman and wildlife alike.
Brochures proudly announce that "traveling through Eastman and Dodge
County, its roads shaded with huge old oak trees, the singing of frogs
can be heard".
Scenic Cypress Lake Plantation is currently the preferred home
for thousands of nesting wading birds, dozens of Wood Ducks, and other
bird species, and walking or biking one of the trails brings you in contact
with those of the pinelands.
Dodge Co. Welcome Center Manager Ronna Janssen is providing assistance
to the Dept. of Natural Resources and the National Audubon Society as
they work to have it designated as an official "Important Bird Area".
Jay Bird Springs near Chauncey gained national attention when
word spread that an injured logger had followed a Blue Jay to a local
spring where its pure mineral waters healed his leg.
Americans flocked to the little town, and eventually Georgia's first
spring-fed swimming pool was built at the site in the early 1900's.
Further proof that healthy waters are good for the economy.
In the 1800's the county seat of Eastman acquired the nickname
of "The Paris of the Wiregrass" and developed a reputation for
attracting those early "snowbirds".
Historical tourism is alive and well there because "Eastman, although
focused on the future, has not forgotten its past".
Picturesque antebellum and Victorian homes can still be visited courtesy
of the efforts of the Dodge County Historical Society.
The motto "For every season there is a reason to visit Eastman and
Dodge County" can be recalled during the nature-themed Arbor Day
Salute, Spring Tour of Gardens, & Fishing Rodeo as these events are
celebrated.
For further information:
Eastman/Dodge Co. Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 550
Eastman, GA 31023
478-374-4723
www.eastman-georgia.com
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