Flint River, Where the Water Goes 2016, Part II

(this event is full – now taking wait list)

Jun 4,  10am – 6pm

Georgia’s Flint River is the focus for this year’s river odyssey, where we follow a Georgia River from its headwaters to the ocean. The Flint River’s headwaters are near Hartsfield-Jackson Intn’l airport, where they are rather unceremoniously piped back into their natural channel just below the southeastern runways. But the Flint recovers quickly and goes on to become one of Atlanta’s most beautiful and interesting rivers, one of a very few nationwide that still flow free (without dams) for more than 200 miles. Dropping through the Fall Line, sets of shoals make for challenging kayaking in some areas, while providing habitat for the rare shoal spider lily in others.

Named by Native Americans for the flint rocks found near the river, the Flint flows for over 300 miles from its Atlanta headwaters to its confluence with the Chattahoochee River at the Florida state line where the two rivers join to become the Apalachicola, which flows on to create the rich estuary of Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico.

Our second Flint River outing takes us to central-west Georgia. Going south from Atlanta, we’ll stop at the covered bridge at Red Oak Creek, a tributary of the Flint. This is a very special bridge because it is one of the few remaining works of renowned African-American architect and bridge-builder Horace King. Brilliant, famous, wealthy, free, and well-respected in his day, Horace King is one of the most important African-Americans of the pre- and post-Civil War Deep South you may never have heard of–when will someone produce the feature film? His story is impressive, intertwined with the history of western Georgia and Alabama. We’ll share his history as we tour his remaining work. (For more information about Horace King, see his entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.)

We’ll travel on to a cabin by the Flint River where we’ll eat lunch and take a short walk along a riverside trail to see the rare Shoal Spider Lilies that were “discovered” by William Bartram in the late 1700’s. These rare and beautiful flowers have a short blooming season that varies a little each year, yet we’ve timed our outing for the optimum week of the year. In addition to the lilies, this section of the Flint river is unique in that it holds an unusual diversity of plants, where species typically found further south in the coastal plain, such as Spanish moss, mingle with species more common to the North Georgia mountains.

Bring your own picnic lunch. There will be an option to tent camp overnight by the river too. Limit 12

This event is made possible in part by the Ecology Wildlife Foundation

 To register (RSVP) click HERE  – details and directions will be sent to registered participants. 
A donation of $15 or more helps sustain our programs.

 Photos: Horace King, Architect and Master Bridge Builder (above), Shoal Spider Lillies (below) by Linda Best.