Brevard College’s Voice of the Rivers team readies for kayak journey through the Carolina’s
VOR members visit the rim of Linville Gorge, N.C., 3,600 feet above their final destination, Charleston. S.C. (Credit: Brevard College)
Their bags are packed and their gear is ready for what will be an adventure of a life time for a group of Brevard College students and professors.
This Saturday, May 16, the Brevard College Voice of the Rivers (VOR) team will embark on a more than 400-mile kayak expedition that will snake from North to South Carolina and end in the Atlantic Ocean.
This year, two Brevard College faculty members and 11 students will paddle the length of the Catawba-Wateree watershed, beginning on the Catawba River near Linville Gorge, N.C and ending at the Atlantic Ocean in Charleston, S.C. The Catawba-Wateree watershed was selected for the College’s fifth VOR expedition after being recognized by American Rivers as America’s most endangered river in 2008.
Since its inaugural 1997 expedition from Brevard, N.C. to the Gulf of Mexico, the Voice of the Rivers program at Brevard College has offered students and faculty an opportunity to paddle and study a variety of ecologically and culturally significant rivers.
During their 18-day trip, the group will study about rivers and their importance to society, while camping along the riverbank and talking about their experiences with the people they meet. Plans are underway for VOR members to talk with school programs, media organizations and conservation groups in North and South Carolina as the group makes its way to the sea.
The VOR students – whose majors include art, environmental science, English, elementary education, business and organizational leadership, theatre, music and wilderness leadership and experiential education – are also required to post daily journal entries, photos and videos of their travels and experiences online using Facebook, blogs and the College Web site (www.brevard.edu/VOR).
Student expedition members include:
Members of Brevard College’s 2009 Voice of the Rivers (VOR) team practice on Lake Julian (Credit: Brevard College)
- freshman Jordan Martin of Waxhaw, N.C.;
- freshman Thomas Allison of Hickory, N.C.;
- freshman Kelli Tysinger of Lewisville, N.C.;
- sophomore Karen Love of Greenville, S.C.;
- sophomore Jay Wolfe of Spartanburg, S.C.
- sophomore Kim Williams of Melbourne Beach, Fla.;
- sophomore Patrick Lawrence of Grand Rapids, Mich.;
- junior Jennifer Gift of Durham, N.C.;
- junior Charles Jordan of Athens, Ga.;
- junior Jenny Baxter of Carthage, Tenn.; and
- senior Dean Mobley of Brevard, N.C.;
Team leaders are Brevard College Assistant Professor of Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Robert Dye and Assistant Professor of English Kristina Holland. Brevard College junior John Palmer of Great Barrington, Mass. is handling logistics for this year’s trip.
The VOR experience – which combines academics with outdoor exploration – is designed to educate the public and raise awareness of activities that threaten rivers; bring attention to organizations and groups poised to address those threats; and foster a sense of stewardship and community activity among the students who participate.
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina in Brevard, N.C., Brevard College offers a range of distinctive baccalaureate degree programs. The VOR program embodies the College’s commitment to a liberal arts education that is interdisciplinary and experiential. Past VOR expeditions include trips down the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi rivers; the Green River; the Rio Santa Cruz, Rio Limay and Rio Negro rivers in Patagonia, Argentina; and the Savannah River.
Tentative Schedule
May 16, Morganton, N.C.
May 17, Hickory, N.C.
May 18-19, Statesville, N.C.
May 20-21-22, around Charlotte, N.C. — hoping to be at the U.S National Whitewater Center on the 21st.
May 23, Lansford Canal State Park (S.C.)
May 24, Lake Wateree (S.C.)
May 25, Camden, S.C.
May 26-27-28, just sandbars
May 29 Santee State Park (S.C.)
May 30- 31, Lakes Marion and Moultrie (S.C.)
June 1-2 Cooper River into Charleston, S.C.
You can read more about the 2009 Brevard College VOR Expedition at www.brevard.edu/VOR, but all I can say is, “I’m extremely jealous” – this should be a sweet trip! I have already marked my calendar, and plan on meeting them on their arrival – maybe they’ll ping me on Twitter @ShemCreek when they’re heading in! 
BC VOR Homepage: www.brevard.edu/VOR
Blog: http://vor2009.blogspot.com/2009/05/meet-vor-2009-team-members.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brevard-NC/Brevard-College-VOR-2009/59723056375?v=wall&viewas=1269109701
Wendy Jones
Director of Communications and Media Relations
Brevard College
One Brevard College Drive
Brevard, NC 28712
828.884.8338
www.brevard.edu
joneswe@brevard.edu
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