Place-based Learning in the Great Outdoors ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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June 2026 ~ Volume 205

Inspiring. Meaningful. Adventure.

 

Place-based Learning in the Great Outdoors

Welcome summer!

Hello Paddlers!

As the Florida summer begins to settle in with its trademark warmth and dramatic afternoon skies, we’re taking a moment to breathe and look back on an incredible 2025-2026 season. We couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful season of sold-out adventures, shared "nature therapy" moments, and the kind of fellowship that only happens when you’re drifting down a spring-fed river together. While our bright yellow safety hats might be drying out for a brief summer hiatus, our team is already hard at work scouting and prepping for a monumental 2026-2027 season—including our landmark 100th multi-day trip this November! Whether you’re cooling off in a local spring or planning your next big expedition, we hope this month brings you plenty of time under the big Florida sky.

Read on for more about one of our favorite rivers, the Santa Fe! We’ve got articles about the river, and its flora and fauna (TURTLES!).

Happy paddling,

Your Paddle Florida team

 

2026-2027 Season

Santa Fe Springs Celebration - Our 100th Multi Day Trip!!

November 2-8, 2026

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 - All Cabin Base Camp

January 18-24, 2027

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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Blackwater River & Coldwater Creek Experience - with some optional cabins!

February 22-28, 2027

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

March 19-21, 2027

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

March 19-24, 2027

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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St. Augustine History Paddle

April 12-17, 2027

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.

 REGISTER FOR TRIPS HERE 
 

News Articles of Interest

Read In the Santa Fe River, generations don wetsuits to study a global hotspot of turtle diversity

Photo credit: Rose Schnabel/WUFT News

Turtles glide through the blue-green waters of Hornsby Spring like hockey puck slapshots as snorkelers stretch like goalies in their wake.

If the brownish-yellow blurs make it behind a cypress root or into a hidey-hole, swimmers are to “tip your cap and say ‘well done,’” researchers reminded them this morning. But not even a minute after diving in, one snorkeler gets lucky.

With a firm, two-handed grasp, he scoops an algae-coated turtle out of the water and into the warm March air. There, through ears covered by skin and scales, the turtle hears something unusual: a muffled Sunday sermon.

This spring and the river it feeds is a globally recognized turtle hotspot. Eleven freshwater turtle species mingle in its depths, a level of diversity seen in only a handful of rivers worldwide.  […Read More…]

 

Read about Water Hyacinth removal effort continues on the Santa Fe River

Photograph by Willey Durden

Members of the wildlife and conservation community gathered Saturday to remove invasive Water Hyacinth from the Santa Fe River, continuing efforts to protect the rivers ecosystem.

The project was led by Our Santa Fe River, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to river conservation.

Volunteers worked to hand-pull the aquatic plants, which have become a persistent threat to the river’s native vegetation and water quality.

While the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission manages some infestations with herbicides, President of Our Santa Fe River, Rick Lanese, said his organization prefers the labor-intensive approach of manual removal to prevent chemical contamination of the water. […Read More …]

 

Santa Fe River Turtle Project

Image courtesy of santafeturtle.org

The Turtle Conservancy partners with the Santa Fe River Turtle Project (SFRTP), a collaborative effort by scientists, students, and citizens to study and conserve native turtles in the Santa Fe River in northern Florida. This partnership enables Turtle Conservancy supporters to donate directly to the SFRTP, ensuring that the project has necessary supplies to sustain long-term research and conservation work. Since its founding in 2004 by Professor Jerry Johnston, the SFRTP has captured, examined, measured, marked, and released more than 12,000 turtles with the help of hundreds of dedicated volunteers. The project also promotes the conservation of the entire Santa Fe River ecosystem, engaging students and citizens in hands-on research and community education.

 

How To: Identify Turtles and Tortoises in Florida

Click here for the scoop!

 

Support Paddle Florida

Paddler Raffle To Help Protect Florida's Waterways

PRIZE PACKAGE: $3,000 VALUE

Tickets available here!

 

Donate. Introducing our NEW Long Sleeve Dri-fit Shirt, available in women's v-neck, unisex crew or hoodie. Support Paddle Florida by purchasing one of our NEW Paddle Florida Dri-fit shirts for $40 (add $10 to have it shipped to you), or we can bring it to you on your next trip! Donate online here or mail a check to Paddle Florida, PO Box 840205, St Augustine FL 32080. In appreciation of your donation, you will receive a special gift!

 

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Paddle Florida, Inc., PO Box 840205, St Augustine FL 32080, USA

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