The Happy Paddler: August 2025 ~ Volume 195

August 2025 ~ Volume 195

Inspiring. Meaningful. Adventure.

Place-based Learning in the Great Outdoors

Paddle Florida congratulates the Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Georgia Rivers, and The Conservation Fund on their success in protecting the Apalachicola Basin and Okefenokee Swamp from drilling and mining!

"We did it! You did it! The governor has signed HB 1143, the bill that bans oil drilling in most of the Apalachicola Basin! It shows what we can do when we come together for a common cause." —Apalachicola Riverkeeper post

#KillTheDrill #apalachicolabay #apalachicolariver #apalachicolariverkeeper

Activating people to raise their voice, from letters to phone calls, is what created the public outcry. Your voice was so loud that it scared Chemours off from buying out Twin Pines to mine and spurred Georgia leaders get behind a conservation buyout. No other conservation project in Georgia state history garnered this much support. Now all citizens can celebrate this first step to protect all of Trail Ridge! —Georgia Rivers post

Our season is off to a great start with the Santa Fe Springs Celebration and Blackwater River trips SOLD OUT!

In this issue, read more about these success stories: Governor DeSantis Signs Kill the Drill Bill!, Land Deal Protects Swamp from Mine, The Conservation Fund Ends Okefenokee Mining Threat

We look forward to our 2025-2026 Season, our 94th to 99th trips, paddling with you!

2025-2026 Paddle Florida Season

Santa Fe Springs Celebration - 3 nights of optional cabins! - Our 94th multi-day trip! - SOLD OUT!

November 3-8, 2025

Come celebrate one of Florida's prettiest rivers, called "Holy Faith" by the Spanish, which lives up to its name with its quiet beauty. The Santa Fe boasts dozens of significant springs, including the celebrated paddleable Santa Fe tributary, the Ichetucknee River.

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Florida Keys Challenge - Base Camp Cabins - Our 95th multi-day trip!

January 12-18, 2026

Join us for a cold weather escape as we paddle the Florida Keys and explore some of the most beautiful turquoise waters in the State of Florida! This year’s trip includes both short and long paddling options, from our basecamp each day, and an educational component provided by Seacamp Association, Inc. From our homebase cabins at Seacamp Association, we will enjoy glorious sunrise and sunsets, and paddle out to explore the area each day. This is a spectacular location for us to call home during our visit to the Keys! Nature beckons you as you cross paths with Key deer, sea turtles, dolphins, and egrets. You will make memories grounded in nature, with an eco-friendly Florida charm in an area that is known as a paddling destination.

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Rivers Exploration - Blackwater River & Coldwater Creek - 1 night of optional cabins! - Our 96th multi-day trip! - SOLD OUT!

February 16-22, 2026

The Blackwater River in Florida, particularly within Blackwater River State Park, is known for its unique contrast of dark, tannic water with pristine, white sandy beaches and large sandbars, making it a popular spot for swimming, paddling, and hiking. Coldwater Creek, a major tributary of the Blackwater River, also features sandy bottoms and broad sandbars, offering a similar experience for paddlers. Join us as we explore these riverways and Blackwater River State Forest close to Pensacola!

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Suwannee River Paddling Festival - Our 97th Multi-day trip!

March 20-22, 2026

With camping atop the bluff overlooking two beautiful rivers, our season-capping festival takes place at Suwannee River State Park near Live Oak. The weekend will offer supported 12 mile paddling options on both the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, a concert featuring Paddle Florida's favorite musicians, and educational presentations from regional waterway experts.

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Suwannee River Wilderness Trail - Our 98th Multi-day trip!

March 20-25, 2026

Celebrate Florida's version of autumn on its most famous river. The trip spans 65 miles of the scenic Suwannee and a portion of the (northern) Withlacoochee, from Madison Blue Spring to Branford. This section features dozens of clear blue springs perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

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NEW - St. Augustine History Paddle - Our 99th multi-day trip!

April 20-26, 2026

Nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will find much to appreciate on Florida’s Historic Coast. With miles of protected water, and current and tidal flow to help in any direction, we will paddle to historic sites including downtown Castillo de San Marcos and the Bridge of Lions, Fort Mose, Fort Matanzas National Monument and the St Augustine Lighthouse. Our home base for this historic adventure will be at Anastasia State park, where you can explore Anastasia’s four miles of pristine beach in this idyllic location renowned for gorgeous white sand, the park is also rich in both sea and wildlife.

News Articles of Interest

Governor DeSantis Signs Kill the Drill Bill!

By Doug Alderson

Phew! Yes! That’s our collective sigh of relief and shout of jubilation when we learned Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1143, the “Kill the Drill” bill, on June 26. It wasn’t without some consternation and lots of effort. The Kill the Drill coalition groups sent out numerous email and social media blasts. Hundreds of you sent emails and made phone calls to the Governor’s Office.

The media stepped up to effectively cover the issue, and a Kill the Drill Rally was held on Monday, June 16, in Apalachicola, to urge the Governor to sign the bill. And you know what, it all worked!

There was concern that the Governor was going to veto the bill. […Read More…]

Read about Land Deal Protects Swamp from Mine

Great news!! A land deal has been made for purchase of property near the Okefenokee Swamp where Twin Pines Minerals was planning a mine. This mine could have irreparably damaged North America’s largest blackwater swamp.

The Conservation Fund will acquire the 600 acre tract of land where the mine was planned, along with other land holdings in the area and the underlying mineral rights, for just under $60 million dollars.

“Sometimes it takes almost losing something to realize what you have. Sometimes it takes a crisis to pull people together to save a valuable piece of nature and ourselves. While raising the visibility of the Okefenokee with songs and movies and lobbying down at the Capitol is exciting, the most rewarding work is taking people boating on the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail and recruiting conservation buyers for protecting the swamp forever.” – Rena Ann Peck, Executive Director of Georgia Rivers […Read More …]

Check out the The Conservation Fund Ends Okefenokee Mining Threat

A proposed deep earth mine near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is off the table thanks to a recent purchase by The Conservation Fund.

The refuge, North America’s largest blackwater swamp, extends from southern Georgia into northern Florida.

The newly purchased Trail Ridge site — most recently owned by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC — was the subject of a six-year effort by conservation-minded Georgians and folks throughout the South to protect the Okefenokee. After advocates exhausted every possible avenue to stop the mine, The Conservation Fund stepped in to buy the land and mineral rights — ending the mining threat once and for all and safeguarding the adjacent half-million-acre wildlife refuge.

“Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a special place and one of the most important natural treasures in Georgia. It’s the kind of place that sticks with us and sustains us — a destination for nature lovers and home to unique plants and wildlife like alligators, wood storks, and bald eagles,” said Stacy Funderburke, vice president of the central Southeast region at TCF. […Read More…]

How To: Paddle with Wildlife

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