Category: Press Releases

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RELEASE: ORK announces Riverfest at the Mill

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper March 8, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
03/08/23
Contact: Meaghan Walsh Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER ANNOUNCES RIVERFEST AT THE MILL
The day-long festival will be held in Warrenton, Georgia

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) will host Riverfest at the Ogeechee River Mill, on the border of Warren and Hancock counties, on Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Outdoor events and activities on the grounds of the Riverview Farms and the Ogeechee River Mill will include:

Music, cornhole, rubber duck race, archery demonstration, tractor display, mule-drawn wagon rides, raffle and more! Guests are also welcome to paddle or fish but must bring their own equipment. The mill will have fresh ground cornmeal and a chance to ‘bag you own’.

Admission is FREE for Ogeechee Riverkeeper members, and for children 12 and under. Admission is $10 per person for all others. Tickets will only be sold at the door.

All proceeds from the event will support Ogeechee Riverkeeper’s efforts to protect, preserve, and improve water quality throughout the basin.

Food, drinks, and snacks from Mill Rock Missionary Baptist will be available for purchase throughout the day. A limited number of vendors will also be on site. Note: All sales will be CASH ONLY.

There is no reliable GPS, internet, or cellular service in this area. The event is rain or shine. Outside food and drink is not allowed. No alcohol is allowed on site.

Where: Ogeechee River Mill, border of Warren and Hancock counties
When: Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Details: https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/events/riverfest/

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia.

 

PDF of press release

PDF of flyer

Blog Post, Press Releases , ,

RELEASE: ORK revives popular Canoochee Paddle Race

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper February 16, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02/16/2023
Contact: Meaghan Walsh Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org


OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER REVIVES CANOOCHEE PADDLE RACE
The popular event returns to Evans County

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) will host the Canoochee Paddle Race on Saturday, April 22, 2023 in Evans County, Georgia. The race will begin at 9 a.m., with fun paddlers to follow.

The race will take place along approximately seven miles of the Canoochee River, from Brewton Bridge to Rocks River Bridge landing. Rocks River Bridge landing will also serve as the headquarters for the awards presentation, winners circle, food vendors, and entertainment. Everyone is welcome to come cheer for the racers and enjoy a day out by the river.

Paddlers of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and canoes are welcome to compete. Non-racing paddlers are also welcome to follow the route after racers have started. Entrants will receive a vessel identifier, map, and official race t-shirt. Registrants will receive packet pick-up information via email. Entry is $50 per vessel, regardless of racing status.

ORK does not provide vessels or equipment. Personal flotation devices are required for each participant. Entry is limited to 100 participants and pre-registration is required. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at noon.

Where: Canoochee River, Evans County
Rocks River Bridge Landing: GPS 32.184196, -81.889276
When: Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Cost: $50 per vessel; $30 for student paddlers; Free to cheer for the paddlers
Details and registration: https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/events/canoochee-paddle-race/

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

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Blog Post, Press Releases ,

RELEASE: ORK announces winners of annual photo contest

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper December 5, 2022

12/5/2022 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) has chosen the best photographs from across the 5,500 square mile watershed submitted for the annual photography contest. Judges sorted through images that highlighted what makes the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, and the surrounding areas, ecologically and aesthetically remarkable.

The 2022 winners are: 

Black and White: Big Splash, Don Howe
Funny Wildlife: Great Blue Heron Waving, Janet Strozzo Anderson
Landscape: Fall in the Coniferous Swamp, Vivian Lynch
Plant life: Pink Muhly Grass, Charlotte Landon
Wildlife: Great Blue Heron, Christian Scott
Honorable Mentions:
Autumn Cypress Pond, Wesley Hendley
Ogeechee Palette, Gretchen McLeod
Sunrise, Len Kramer

All winners and honorable mentions are available to view at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org or via the Flickr album. ORK has permission from the photographers to share their work. Contact ORK for files to reprint or share in publications.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

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2022 Annual Photography Contest

Blog Post, Press Releases , ,

RELEASE: New research fellow at ORK plans year-long monitoring project

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper November 14, 2022

11/15/2022
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

NEW RESEARCH FELLOW AT OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER PLANS YEAR-LONG MONITORING PROJECT
The annual ORK fellowship provides research opportunities in the watershed

The 2023 ORK Research Fellow is Molly McKean, a graduate student at Georgia Southern University (Statesboro campus), pursuing a master’s degree in biology. She works in the lab of Dr. Checo Colón-Gaud. She worked as a research assistant under a National Science Foundation Research Experience for post-baccalaureate grant for a year prior to joining the master’s program in August 2022.

McKeon will conduct a year-long monitoring project focused on an upstream site at Rocky Ford, a site at the soon-to-be closed textile plant, and a site where Black Creek meets the Ogeechee River downstream of the new EV plant development. “Monitoring these sites particularly will help contrast and compare how the upstream site will compare with these two downstream sites and the health of the river,” McKeon says.

McKeon is a first-generation college student from the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. She started out her higher education journey slightly later in life. She first started attending community college courses, as well as working full time, in 2017. Her bachelor of science degree in biological science, with a minor in environmental science, was earned in August of 2021 from Wayne State University. While there, she worked with Dr. Donna Kashian in her aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology lab.

McKeon has participated in the National Science Foundation’s Instars and Emerge programs for underrepresented students and early career fellows in STEM fields. She has a passion for urban community aquatic ecology and taxonomy work.

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) created a year-long research fellowship in 2022. The fellowship is underwritten by investments secured from the 2011 fish kill settlement.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

 

Blog Post, Press Releases ,

RELEASE: ORK accepting entries for annual photography contest

by Ogeechee Riverkeeper November 7, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11/07/22
Ogeechee Riverkeeper
Contact: Meaghan Gerard
Communications and Administrative Director
meaghan@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

OGEECHEE RIVERKEEPER ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
Multiple categories will put on a spotlight the beauty of the area

Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) is soliciting the best photographs from across the 5,500 square mile watershed. Judges will be looking for images that highlight what makes the Ogeechee and Canoochee Rivers, and the surrounding areas, remarkable. This is the third year for the contest. 

“From the Ogeechee Shoals to the expansive marshes, tall pines to knobby cypress swamps, our watershed is home to an incredible variety of ecological features,” said Meaghan Walsh Gerard, communications director for ORK. “We are also a habitat for more than 160 rare species of plants and animals. By displaying the amazing ecological wealth we have, we hope to inspire more people to protect it.” 

Photographers can enter in multiple categories: Landscape, portrait, wildlife, plant life, underwater, aerial, black and white, and funny wildlife. Since this will be an annual event each December, ORK requests that any images submitted be taken within the same calendar year. ORK hopes to see entries from across the 21 counties encompassing the watershed. 

Submissions are due by November 28, 2022. Winners receive a free membership to the organization and ORK merchandise. Winners will be announced early December 2022. Complete rules and submission guidelines at: ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/annual-photography-contest.

About Ogeechee Riverkeeper: Ogeechee Riverkeeper 501(c)(3) works to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the Ogeechee River basin, which includes all of the streams flowing out to Ossabaw Sound and St. Catherine’s Sound. The Canoochee River is about 108 miles long and the Ogeechee River itself is approximately 245 miles long. The Ogeechee River system drains more than 5,500 square miles across 21 counties in Georgia. More at ogeecheeriverkeeper.org.

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