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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)

1. freshman Jordan Martin of Waxhaw, N.C.;
2. freshman Thomas Allison of Hickory, N.C.;
3. freshman Kelli Tysinger of Lewisville, N.C.;
4. sophomore Karen Love of Greenville, S.C.;
5. sophomore Jay Wolfe of Spartanburg, S.C.
6. sophomore Kim Williams of Melbourne Beach, Fla.;
7. sophomore Patrick Lawrence of Grand Rapids, Mich.;
8. junior Jennifer Gift of Durham, N.C.;
9. junior Charles Jordan of Athens, Ga.;
10. junior Jenny Baxter of Carthage, Tenn.; and
11. 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

SCDNR is reminding boaters to avoid collision with various forms of marine life; specifically: to be on the lookout for endangered animals, especially now that the first manatees in SC of the season have been spotted along the coastline.

Like every other spring, manatees begin their slow migration up the coast since our water temperatures rise into the upper 60s. This timeframe may be shifted a little going forward due to global warming’s effect on ocean temperatures, so be aware of updates.

SCDNR has several tidbits of information about manatees on their website, and if you do happen to spot one, they encourage you to file a report on their Manatees in South Carolina web page.

Here are some other ways we can help protect manatees:

1. Look around for manatees before cranking your boat’s motor.
2. Never pursue, harass or play with manatees. It is bad for the manatees and is illegal.
3. Please heed “slow speed,” “no wake” and manatee warning signs, especially around docks.
4. Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare, making it easier to spot manatees below the surface.
5. Watch for large swirls in the water called footprints that may be caused by manatees diving away from the boat.
6. Use caution when navigating in shallow water and along the edge of a marsh. Manatees cannot dive away from boats in these areas.
7. Dock owners should never feed manatees or give them fresh water. This could teach the animals to approach docks, putting them at greater risk of a boat strike, and it is illegal.

UPDATE 7/20/10: Here’s a short video Dr. Ryan T Kendall shot of some manatees swimming by the boat right here in Shem Creek this past spring:

And like clockwork, manatees have been spotted in Shem Creek again; just yesterday:

“We have seen a lot of manatees inside the creek, out in the harbor, on the backside of Crab Bank Island, they do a lot of feeding back there” – Ryan Sechrist, Nature Adventures Outfitters kayak guide.

But like dolphins, manatees shouldn’t be approached by humans, whether for feeding, petting, or otherwise (unless you’re at Sea World).

“The numbers have been declining relatively. You see their backs and almost all of them are scarred by boat interactions, so the more they see humans not associated with food and comfort, the better it is for their survival,” – Dr. Shane Boylan explained, a SC Aquarium veterinarian.