Paddlers have a chance to be part of history and join the members of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition on their excursion along the Rainbow River.
The District is hosting a Trail Mixer in partnership with the Expedition 9 a.m. Jan. 24 at Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon. The public can meet the team and canoe or kayak with the members for two hours starting at the park.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition, which begins Jan. 10, is a team of people traveling across the state to help raise awareness and generate support for connecting natural lands and waters through Florida. The exploration team will walk, paddle or bike their way through more than 700 miles from the Everglades Headwaters in Central Florida, through the District, up to and across the Panhandle to the Alabama border.
During the District’s Trail Mixer, event attendees pay $2 park admission and can participate in a meet and greet, which will take place at the Hickory Pavilion. Attendees can bring their own canoes and kayaks and launch them for free, or rent a canoe or kayak for $22 for one or two people, $33 for three people, and $44 for four people, to be paid to the park concessionaire the day of the event. Call (352) 796-7211, ext. 4770 to make a reservation. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Spaces are limited.
The paddle will include one hour down the Rainbow River and one hour back to the park. The team is expected to launch at 10 a.m. and the event is expected to end at noon.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor encompasses a 15.8 million acre area of minimally developed land. The expedition team and partners advocate for the protection of the “missing links,” roughly two million acres of highest priority lands still in need of protection to ensure the long-term viability of the Corridor. The Corridor provides habitat for 42 federally listed endangered species and 176 state listed endangered species. Some endangered species include the Whooping crane, Florida panther, West Indian manatee, Green turtle, Leatherback turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Gulf sturgeon and many more.