Wilderness Waterway 50th Anniversary

[Keith W]

As you all know by now, we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Wilderness Waterway in ENP. Thanks to yakmaster, the Park service has shown a willingness to put together a celebration of this historic event and you all have a chance to get in on the ground floor and be a part of making this into something very special. What we need most of all right now are IDEAS. How do you think this should happen? When should it happen? What resources can we tap to help carry this from concept to reality?

Here is what I think:

Get the newpapers in the Naples and Miami areas involved. yakmaster has suggested that some of the old timers be located to tell their stories about the founding of the WW, and I can't think of a better way to do this than to put some professional journalists on the trail. The Historical Museum of South Florida in Miami and the Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City might also be good resources.

Alert the ecotourism industry in the area. They can use the 50th as a promotional tool.

The MIami and Everglades City area chambers of commerce might be very interested in promoting a WW 50th anniversary.

What do you think?

Finally, we all need to thank yakmaster, who has done a spectacular job in pulling this all together, from doing the research to bringing the Park on board for what will be a truly historical event. All that we need to do now is make it happen, and for that, we need YOU!

[Miami101]

Hi
Again
Sounds like an good idea for us to help this event happen, and perhaps use it to find others to support the cause.
It might be a good idea to meet and go over plans, or hand off task to the inner circle. For sure there needs to be a press kit which includes bio of the site, Everglades, and goals to protect promote the use of paddles. There is so much history here it is becoming my history, and so on.

Person note: No I'm not extreme
After getting on this site I have not gone back to the glades I used to go every week but soon discover the harm my two stroke was on the Everglades. I did some test at home, and ran my engine for an hour to review the water after, and the oil it left in the water. At this point I want to test with a four stroke engine. If it is the same I may have to stop using my boat period. I also think the Everglades needs to address this, and move the park into a new era of out doors services: Kayak/Canoe/Biking/Camping/etc. I would love to put together some kind of bike race 39 mile to the end. Anyone biked snake bite tail, or other tails. I'm not sure if this is O.K., but it can be a nice trip.

I also feel there needs to be a support team in place to bring this event to life.

Folks I vote for the group starts to meet up, and get build a support network. Even if it is a quick 1 hour session.

Almost everyone I had told about this site is very happy to find it. I also think the site should include a few other location in Fla. I had some thoughts about looking for an application to help map out tails, or provide GPS flight paths for people. Maybe an easy matrix for starters, old timers, mid level etc. Only thoughts for now I lack the skill, and information.

[Esther Luft]

Hi all,

What a great idea! What time frame are we looking at? Just how much participation would everyone like to see. Meeting is a great idea. I organize for a couple of the local Meetup groups. Have good contacts with several other groups as well. If it's a big showing you want, I will gladly help. Remember, large numbers are a double edged sword. Too many newbies and the damage can be very long lasting.

I would love to paddle the Waterway for the benefit of the Waterway/Park/Improvements. I know many other who would love to do the same. Responsible types too.

So yeah, let's set-up a meeting, virtual or face-to-face (face-to-face preferred), and start from there. I'm in my Miami but will travel for a worthy cause. What about if we plan an event for the group? Use that as a meet and greet for us voyeurs ready to step-up and become active. How does May 2nd sound? May 9th? Someone pick the spot, in the glades, with the mosquitoes and the no-seeums. :)

Oh, almost forgot, I do have some media connections too. No guarantees but… you never know.

Thoughts?

[Keith W]

Thanks Esther, we can use all the help we can get. The time frame and location for a meetup would depend a lot on who would attend. Most of the group lives in S. Florida so I would guess that would make the most sense for a location. I have no problem coming south, I do it all the time. We might want to consider making some accomodation for those who live farther away and can't attend but who would still like to take part. The chat function on this board would work for that, which means we would need a location with Internet access. Setting up a webcam is trivial and would make the event much more inclusive for remote attendees.

These are just some preliminary thoughts and details can be worked out as we proceed, if a meetup is what we decide to do. The biggest concern right now is generating demand. A little later on I'll be posting some thoughts and suggestions in that regard, not just for the WW 50th, but for the EDE board in general.

[Terry]

This is early to put on the table but there's not many logical options for location and date.
It only makes sense to have the location at a terminus of the WW. The 50th ENP Anniversary
was at Everglades City but that was best for the situation. It had political big shot speakers
flying in so they had it in the same spot as the inauguration, on the runway. However, this is
different, it won't be that big, the WW is held in highest regard to visitors seeking a deeper
experience than airboats and tour guides and if the after ceremony event is a classic
boatacade, the location quickly narrows down to Flamingo. Flamingo has the area, boat
ramp facilities and what we all like the most - it's deep in the park.

Now that we're already into 2009 there's only one time of year - December, late November is
even out because of Thanksgiving. Attendee's have to be comfortable.

[Keith W]

I don't think it's too early to start thinking about setting a date for the celebration event. In fact I think that should be the first agenda item (once we actually have an agenda) that all others will follow. Time flies and we're already a month into the second quarter of 2009. December is definitely the right time of year to draw people in. If you do it when the Glades are still in the mosquitos then you're looking at a very small and intimate gathering of crazy people like me. So, we need to start looking at dates soon. Exactly when in December depends on how big a turnout we want.

I also agree that Flamingo is the logical location choice, if only because that's where the WW technically begins in terms of marker numbers. The boatacade idea is a good one and Flamingo is very well equipped in terms of ramp space on the WW side.

Before we can do anything though, maybe we need to know better how we're going to go about doing all of this and making these decisions. Do we want to get more organized? Miami101 and Esther's idea of a meetup is one way to start the process. That would have to happen sometime after the May 8-9 weekend for me, since I have finals coming up next week and I'll be deep in the Big Cypress on 5/8-9.

[yakmaster]

I also agree that Flamingo is the logical startoff point, or end point. The party could be @ the begining or the end of the boatacade.

This would also give us an opportunity to highlight the situation @ Flamingo. The WW & the lodge came @ about the same time. Now only one is left!

Also I think some folks may want to coordinate a simultaneous paddle of the route (obviously starting a bit later, depending where they want to meet the boatacaders.

Early December seems to be the logical choice.

[Terry]

The first thing that has to happen is for the park to want to do this. We can contribute,
volunteer and even be part of the decision process but it's a park event. Yakmaster has
been in contact with some of the park officials but I don't think they have made any
commitment. The park has to agree to an event to have an event.
The organizational process will begin when it's established that there will be an event.

So what we need to do right now is bend as many park official ears as possible to
make this an event.

[Keith W]

If I read yakmaster's last comments in the earlier thread correctly, then the powers-that-be in the Park are already agreeable to allowing the boatacade event. They are now going to have two questions for us: what exactly do you want to do, and when do you want to do it? Those questions need to be answered with a well-defined proposal that presents a clear statement of goals, including a time frame. How can we expect them to commit to this if they don't have a clear idea of what we want?

[Terry]

Okay. But we need a park contact and they need to be receiving these discussions.

Wilderness Waterway 50th Anniversary Celebration, meeting 1

A Saturday and Sunday event for 5,6 of 12,13 December 2009

Saturday 09:00 or 10:00
Downstairs of the permit desk where the ranger talks are given at Flamingo.
We need a cake with a canoe on it, lemonade, cups, plates.
A lectern and electricity is available, the area is shaded with plenty of
spill over capacity.
The MC will probably be some one from Interpretation.
Speakers: The superintendent and anybody else he wants.
Here's where we need the park contact. Is the superintendent available on
those weekends, who does he think should speak, etc.
Media: Again, this has to be done through park channels. The park contact
would direct this to the appropriate person.
After the cake cutting and the crowd starts to disperse we go to our boats and
the boat ramp.
Saturday afternoon: Boat to Canepatch or Watsons Place. They're the only
original sites that have space for a number of tents. Canepatch also provides
very good overnight anchoring for sleep aboards.
Saturday evening: Yakmaster brings the steaks or can any of the fishermen
among us catch on demand? We'll back slap each other over how great of an
idea this was then get comfy chairs so we can spend the evening swapping lies
about the biggest one, the hardest tide and the most lost.

Sunday: Head north out Harney and in Lostmans River to stop at the
Lostmans River Ranger Station site. Continue up the WW pausing at Onion Key,
stopping at Watsons Place then the Lopez homesite then end at the Everglades
City Ranger Station.

I'll contact the National Parks Conservation Association, South Florida National
Parks Trust and Everglades Association.

[Keith W]

I like it!

[Terry]

The Wilderness Waterway is younger than expected. From the Everglades
National Park archives:

August 26, 1966 - The date of Stokes/Allin first attempt to find the inland
route.
January 1968 - "Four days and five men cutting out Wood River Creek with
not much visible progress."
September 1968 - "The Gulf Coast Rangers were assisted by District
Naturalist Truesdell in marking the Wilderness Boat
Trail from Everglades City to the Harney River. 80
markers were placed along the waterway. After
completion of the waterway marking, Truesdell drew
strip maps of the entire waterway and is writing a
text to accompany the maps in a handbook of the
Mangrove Wilderness."
November 1968 - "Wilderness Society Trip from Flamingo to Everglades
City via inland water route - five boats taken on trip."
1969 - Truesdell's Guide to the Wilderness Waterway.

[cesar becerra]

has this already happened