Canoeing 3 Florida Rivers Elderhostel...

... out of "UU In The Pines" in Brooksville, Florida. We had a number of speakers, all of whom were excellent. Monday's sessions included the ecology and water of central Florida, info on the Nature Coast and efforts to preserve it, and, with the participants giving rapt attention as seen here...



...as Judi Carter, a licensed raptor rehabilitator introduced her 2 friends, Bee Bop, a Southeastern Kestral...

...and Cocoa Puffs, the Barred Owl.



Tuesday we paddled 8 miles on the South Withlacoochee River, a beautiful day and a magnificent paddle through the Withlacoochee State Forest and a wildlife refuge...



... where we saw many birds and even a number of alligators...

That evening we learned about the whooping crane relocation project, both non-migratory where they raise birds from eggs in a fixed location, and the migratory program, where they lead cranes from Wisconsin to Florida with ultra-light planes.

Wednesday was cooler and rained on us a few times, but since the forecast several days earlier had predicted storm cells with tornadoes, we felt we had gotten off pretty lucky. We paddled 11 miles, some against fierce headwinds, down the Hillsborough River, certainly one of the finest paddling venues I've ever encountered. The scenery was awesome, as much of the paddle was through water management property.



The twisty, turning river with much deadfall to go over or under made us stay alert to conditions, but we were constantly distracted by the hundreds of birds and dozens of gators we observed. Anhinga, Osprey, Great While Egrets, White Ibis, Great Blue Heron, vultures, Roseatte Spoonbills, and too many more to list were all in abundance. Marvelous day despite the conditions!

Our canoe guide extraordinaire, Ken Kramer, spoke to us that evening of the paddling resources available to Florida paddlers, and related many anecdotes from his 4 decades of paddling in Florida.

Thursday had more rain but that didn't spoil our 8 mile paddle down Weeki Watchee River, starting at the springs. The crystal clear water the first several miles was amazing to us after paddling the blackwater rivers...

... and the dozen or so manatees that visited us downriver made the day a wonderful success!



Thursday night our speaker was from the state fish and wildlife commission and spoke of their efforts, especially at Chinsegut Wildlife Area.

Friday we had one final speaker before we departed -- Margaret Longhill entertained us with folk songs by local Florida artists singing of Florida rivers and environmental concerns. A great conclusion to this fine Elderhostel week.

More photos are available in my photo gallery.

Chuck's other active outdoor Elderhostel programs (with photos)