LIZ SPARKS & DOUG ALDERSON “W
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA BY CONOR MIHELL
hen small businesses realize the economic benefits of sustainable tourism, they become champions of conserving the very resources that attract
paddlers and other outdoor enthusiasts.” It would’ve been easy to side with the critics when the state of Florida legislated the development of a 1,500-mile water trail around its entire perimeter in 2004, but Liz Sparks, 56, is a firm believer in the power of the paddle. Environmental lobbyist David Gluckman first proposed a Florida water trail to
mirror the Maine Island Trail in the 1980s. But it wasn’t until 2003 that Sparks, then a Florida Fish and Wildlife planner, got the ball rolling by developing the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail, a 105-mile corridor of access points and campsites along the Gulf Coast near Tallahassee. A transplanted Midwesterner, the affable Sparks won over private landowners with her so-called “southern mama dance”—borrowing local turns of phrase and charming residents with her genuine interest in building the local tourism economy. Doug Alderson, the Tallahassee-based paddler who was tasked with developing the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Trail, credits the Big Bend for convincing legislators that a similar planning and mapping initiative comprising the entire state was feasible. Even so, “some people thought the trail could never be completed,” he says. “It was too ambitious, there was too much development, and there weren’t enough lands for camping.” Fast-forward to today: Florida’s recreational water trails network is second to none. The 26 sections of the Circumnavigational Trail—which took Alderson more than three years to
complete—are joined by 47 other designated paddling trails on rivers and waterways throughout the state. Sparks was brought on last year as Alderson’s successor, to “close the gaps” on legs with limited camping and to develop alternate, safer routes for the Circumnavigational Trail’s more exposed sections. Given the intensity of urban development in Florida, Sparks says the paddling trails initiative’s founding goals remain critical for the benefit of current and future generations. The routes reveal the hidden wilderness of Florida’s coast and rivers. In addition to promoting positive economic impacts and raising cultural and environmental awareness, she says, “We are hopefully igniting a passion for engaging with nature.”
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Florida’s Office of Greenways & Trails oversees 48 paddling trails. Sparks’ favorite—the Big Bend—is a 10-day route capturing the best of Old Florida’s unique blend of wilderness and quaint coastal villages. BEST SEASON: November through April, when it’s temperate and relatively insect-free. HIGHLIGHTS: Expect to see iconic wildlife, including alligators, sharks and an impressive variety of birds. MORE INFO:
www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/paddle.htm
56 | ADVENTURE KAYAK
PHOTO: MICHAEL SCHWARZ
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80