A costumed Cajun hovering between the living and the dead appeared to have emerged from the depths to lead a group of 16 on a spirited tour of Lake Lanier in October. With a fake blood-smudged skirt and gaping pasted-on facial wounds, the feisty lake-monger joined her pirate captain to mix fact, myth, and lake lore to enlighten and entertain their enthralled passengers.
Was it another profit-take on so-called “haunted Lake Lanier?” A pontoon Halloween party? A new movie shoot? None of the above. The outing was coordinated by Chattahoochee Riverkeepers’ Headwaters Division as part of an outreach program that has created new watershed alliances and pulled in new members.
“The goal of our outreach program is to grow CRK’s membership and ensure that our member-base is an accurate representation of the diverse communities that rely on the Chattahoochee River. We hope to plan and attend events that draw the interest of anyone who has a stake in the river’s protection,” said Kyndall Thiessen, CRK Development Director.
Lake cruises, paddle trips, an acoustic concert and music festival are among the activities that have helped the river advocate to attract more than 10,000 members from the Chattahoochee’s headwaters near Helen down to the Georgia/Florida state line. The Headwaters office, located in Gainesville, has partnered with private, local government, and corporate entities to offer excursions like the spirited one hosted by Candace Solyst, founder of Best Friends on the Lake.
Solyst, a lake entrepreneur who started taking humane society dogs out on the lake 20 years ago on her Pooch Pontoon, donated her creativity to CRK on the invitation of former Headwaters Outreach Director Mallory Pendleton. She regaled her charges with tales of “bad juju” rising from the deep, where Native Americans once dwelt, a small town flooded, and the legendary Lady of the Lake searches for her lost friend.
Becca Risser, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Headwaters Headwater Watershed Specialist, informs passengers in October’s “Spirited Tour” of Lake Lanier about the organization’s scope and purpose.
Solyst interspersed her stories of haunts and woes with tidbits of Lake Lanier facts, including the measly price, $30 per acre, the federal government paid farmers for the land inundated when Buford Dam was completed. CRK Headwaters Watershed Specialist Becca Risser was also on board to inform the boatload of tourists about the organization, its partnerships, and its work to protect and preserve the Chattahoochee River, its lakes and watershed. Captain Greg Distefano chimed in with stories of the Dixie Mafia and fish whoppers.
The tour itself grew not only from a connection with Solyst, but also through alliances with Elachee Nature Science Center and Hall County Parks & Leisure. “These partnerships usually form around a common goal for the Chattahoochee River or Lake Lanier, often with a good old fashioned phone call,” CRK Development Coordinator Thiessen said. The October excursion launched from River Forks Park, where the host vessel, the Chota Princess, is docked. CRK owns the “floating classroom” pontoon, which Elachee books for tours, primarily for school children learning about the lake environment. The October cruise, not a school kids’ field trip, allowed attendees to bring an adult beverage.
Kaye and Ron Olexa exemplify the fruits of CRK’s outreach efforts. The local couple joined CRK after their first excursion, another cruise on the Chota Princess. Kaye Olexa said she learned about CRK by chance after glancing at a poster in the window of the headwaters office near the Gainesville square. They signed up for a wildlife cruise, a sunset float, and the spirited tour.
Ron Olexa, an avid photographer, said he especially enjoyed the wildlife cruise and likes the “diversity of ideas” CRK presents on its excursions. The spirited tour presented a lively lake history and lore, including “the good, the bad and the ugly,” Kaye Olexa said.
Thiessen said that based on ticket sales, the cruises are the most popular CRK Headwaters outreach program. Other outreach efforts in recent months include a Lullaby of the Rivers concert at the Nacoochee Farmers Market, a Soque River paddle, river and lake clean-ups, and water sampling at Chicopee Lake.
Perhaps the most visible outreach is the spring Waterfest on the Midland Greenway in Gainesville. The second annual music fest and environmental expo raised $24,500 for CRK’s headwaters initiatives. Waterfest returns to the Midland Greenway April 26.
As the year was winding down, CRK was interviewing candidates for a new headwaters outreach director to replace Pendleton. In her 4 ½ years as outreach director, Pendleton initiated many of the recent partnerships leading to headwaters events. Last month CRK was interviewing candidates to fill the position after Pendleton took a job with Gainesville Water Resources.
Thiessen said the outreach program will continue in 2025 with volunteer clean-ups, boat cruises, paddle trips and Waterfest. Check out activities at Chattahoochee.org/events.
Photos: by Jane Harrison
