Meeting Programs
CHAPTER MEETING PROGRAMS: Our chapter meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month from 7 to 9 PM in Building F, Suite 100 (U.S. Forest Service), the first building on the right as you enter Woodcrest Office Park at 325 John Knox Road, Tallahassee. The meeting room is ground level at the east end of Building F. Look for the Florida Trail signs at wooden door. For more information, contact Linda Patton (850) 668-4334 or Terry Tenold (850) 877-1612. Meeting programs are free and open to the public.
Click on the map below for a larger image showing the location of our meetings.
SPRING 2010
January 12 “Ocean to Lake Trail.” Johnny Molloy, author of dozens of outdoor guidebooks, will give a slide show and presentation about his 2009 thru hike of the Ocean to Lake Trail (O2L Trail), a 70 mile east-west spur of the main Florida Trail, running from Port Mayaca on Lake Okeechobee to Hobe Sound on the Atlantic Ocean. Molloy will give an overview of the trail, terrain and campsites so you can plan your trek on the O2LTrail. Bring your questions!
February 9 “Outdoor Photography.” Wildlife photography adds a whole new dimension to enjoying the outdoors. In this program, local author and photographer Doug Alderson will focus on wildlife photography techniques and suggested equipment. What makes a good wildlife photograph? What are some tried and true methods of photographing wildlife? Where are the best places to take wildlife photographs in this area? Doug will show many types of photos, from winners to bloopers, and he’ll also cover some basic landscape photography techniques.
March 9 “Open Forum with FTA Directors.” Come hear what is being achieved and worked towards on your behalf, with your support! Executive Director Deborah Stewart-Kent will update us on exciting developments and FTA objectives. Development Director Mike Eurich will outline some exciting activities taking place & answer any giftgiving or legacy questions. This is a rare opportunity to meet State HQ staff face-to face and directly ask the hardhitting questions you want answered. Plan to attend. And bring a friend.
April 13 “National Treasures: My Incredible Western Road Trip.” Chapter member Linda Patton will show her slides and tell us how she spent 78 days, 14 thousand miles and one night in a teepee while visiting the mountains, dunes and red-rock canyons of 21 National Parks, Monuments, Forests and Recreation Areas in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota during the summer of 2009.
AUTUMN 2009
September 8 “Hiking Florida’s Western Panhandle.” From meanders through pitcher plant bogs to hikes on the dunes, author Sandra Friend shares a virtual walk in the woods along hiking trails west of the Apalachicola River. While the Western Panhandle isn’t as well known as the rest of Florida, it offers a wide variety of hikes - from easy nature trails to rugged climbs - with spectacular scenery, unusual geology, botanical diversity, and the opportunity for backpackers to get out and stretch their legs on the Florida Trail.
October 13 “Exploring Lost Worlds In Northern South America.”The ancient Guiana Shield region supports mesas–called tepuis by local Amerindians–which jut from rainforest up to 10,000 feet in altitude. Come hear Dr. Bruce Means talk about these tepuis, his exciting herpetological and backpacking adventures during two decades of tepui exploration, and discovery of numerous new frog species, a new family of vertebrate animals and giant earthworms.
November 10 “Adventures in New Zealand and Australia.” Diving the Great Coral Reef and flying high above beautiful Milford Sound, Ken and Ginger Loewe traveled from hostel to hostel throughout New Zealand and the metropolitan coast of Eastern Australia, where they enjoyed climbing on glaciers and espying wild kangaroos and rare yellow-eyed penguins, among other adventures that they will share with us.
December 8 “Annual Holiday Social.” Bring a covered dish or dessert and an inexpensive wrapped item for the gift-exchange game. Socialize with your fellow hiking and outdoor enthusiasts as we celebrate another year of hiking and outdoor adventures. For more information, call Terry Tenold, Chapter Chair 850-877-1612.
SUMMER 2009
May 12 “Voices of the Apalachicola.” Faith Eidse, public information specialist at the NWFWMD will talk about the history of the Apalachicola River and some of the remarkable individuals who lived out their entire lives in this region–people such as the last steamboat pilot on the river, turpentine workers in Tate’s Hell, and a Creek chief descended from a 200-year unbroken line of chiefs. Copies of her award-winning book will be available for purchase. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton 850-668-4334.
June 9 “The Apalachicola River: An American Treasure.” Come on an exciting journey down the Apalachicola river system, exploring its rich history and current issues, and meeting people who live and work along the waterways. Award-winning filmmaker Elam Stoltzfus will be with us to introduce his film–which uses interviews, historical reenactments, photographs by such renowned artists as Clyde Butcher and Richard Bickel and a soundtrack by Sammy Tedder to weave a not-so-simple but well-told story. Copies of his films will be available for purchase. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton 850-668-4334.
July 14 “Paddling Trails of the Apalachicola.” Concluding this series of summer programs about the Apalachicola River, Liz Sparks of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will share news about their exploration of some intriguing scenic paddling trails along the River. They are in the process of developing maps and trip reports for an exciting interactive website project for paddlers. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton 850-668-4334.
August 11 “Climbing Colorado’s Mountains.Mountains! – just the thing to cool us off in the heat of summer. In Colorado, there are 54 mountain peaks over 14,000 feet high. Chapter member Dawn Brown shows her photographs and recounts her experiences hiking and climbing some of these high peaks. 7 p.m. at Woodcrest Office Park, 325 John Knox Rd., Bldg. F (first bldg. on the right). Look for Florida Trail signs on wooden door at east end of building. Free. Contact: Linda Patton 850-668-4334.
SPRING 2009
January 13 “Colorful Peru.” Ken and Virginia Loewe will present highlights of their introduction to the resilient cultures and hospitable habitants of an ancient land, where stone-age ruins contrast with the current floating villages of Lake Titicaca and the shanty towns of modern-day Lima. The presentation will also feature their venture into the amazing Amazon rainforest with its unusual tree-top trails.
February 10 “Nokuse Plantation and its Gopher Tortoises.” The FNST now passes through a portion of Nokuse Plantation–a 48,000 acre private preserve with a goal of restoring natural communities to their pre-European- settlement conditions. “Turtle” Bob Walker will tell us about this restoration effort and the approximately 500 wild gopher tortoises on the property, along with the relocation of over 1800 tortoises rescued from development sites where they would otherwise have been buried by developers with “incidental take” permits.
March 10 “Hiking in New Mexico’s Fabulously Diverse Backcountry.” Will Sheftall presents six trips to the Sangre deCristo Mtns. (Pecos Wilderness, Carson NF), Gila Wilderness (Gila NF), Sacramento Mtns. (Lincoln NF), Guadalupe Mtns. (Guadalupe NP, TX), and Davis Mtns. (TX) — one of The Nature Conservancy’s “Last Great Places.”
April 14 “Backpacking Equipment Show-and-Tell.” Our chapter’s backpacking members will display their backpacks, tents/hammocks, sleeping bags/pads, cooking gear, etc. and will be available to talk to you about their gear.
FALL 2008
September 9 “The Florida Trail and YOU.” Get inspired at our hiking season kickoff meeting! See some short trail videos–including a brief history of the Florida Trail. Learn about building it, supporting it, and hiking it. Hear about the Trail’s current status. Find out how to get hiking information. Honor our Chapter’s volunteers–past and present–and learn how you, too, can help.
October 14 “So What’s New?” J.C. Gayhartt, owner of Tallahassee’s Trail and Ski outfitters, and an avid hiker, will show us the very latest in outdoor clothing and hiking gear.
November 11 “Hiker’s Guide to the Prehistory and Archaeology of North Florida.” Ryan Means will inform hikers where and how to experience north Florida’s extensive archaeological record. He will tell us about the prehistoric human cultures and animals that went extinct during the last 15,000 years of our history and will teach us about projectile points–their types and ages. He’ll bring a teaching collection of artifacts for an interactive, hands-on experience.
December 9 “Annual Holiday Social.” Bring a covered dish or dessert and an inexpensive wrapped item for the gift-exchange game. Socialize with your fellow hiking and outdoor enthusiasts as we celebrate another year of hiking and outdoor adventures. For more information, call Richard Graham, Chapter Chair 850-878-3616.
SUMMER 2008
May 13 Program: ‘Florida’s Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail.’ Beginning near Pensacola, extending around the Florida peninsula and Keys, and ending near the Georgia border, this trail is a 1,550-mile sea kayaking paradise. Doug Alderson, Florida Office of Greenways and Trails field director for this project, will show photos from nearly all of the trail’s 26 segments & discuss a new statewide group recently formed to support the trail.
June 10 Program: ‘Carnivorous Plants of the Panhandle.’ These plants are fascinating because of their great beauty and intrigue. The Florida panhandle has 30 of the 33 naturally-occuring Florida species of these animal-eating plants. Dr. Loran Anderson of FSU will present a program of color slides of most of the thirty and discuss their life histories and the variety of mechanisms through which they attract, capture, and digest their prey.
July 8 Program: Tracks and Scat: Is Our Poop Fascination Hardwired?’ Trackers, hunters and trappers of yore and primitive cultures depended on reading the woods for their survival. Will Sheftall, Natural Resources Agent for UF’s Leon County Extension Office, will give hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts a chance to ramp up their skills. Learn to identify animal tracks, scat, and other traces and signs found on our trails and woods roads.
August 12 Program: ‘Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.’ Larry Thompson, a 54-year-old county Extension Office agent at the time, and his 26-year-old son, Matt, thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1996. They had no idea what they were getting into. “Old Swamper” and “Grasshopper” will discuss preparation for–and the mental and physical difficulty of–a long-distance hike and show images of the Trail and of the other backpackers they met that year.
SPRING 2008
January 8 Program: ‘Trekking in Viet Nam.’ Journey with Apalachee Chapter members Ken and Virginia Loewe through the lush topography of this scenic country, where they hiked on rice paddy dikes, dodged motorbike traffic, enjoyed homestays, survived rickshaw rides, and sailed the Mekong Delta.
February 12 Program: ‘Tales from the top of Africa.’ Member Dawn Brown will present the story of her successful summit attempt of Mt Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft.), the highest peak on the African continent. She will also speak about her walking safari and descent into the Olduvai Gorge in the Angata Kiti area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area; driving safari in the Ngorongoro Crater and cultural exchange with the Massai people.
March 11 Program: ‘Hiking the Florida Trail: 1,100 Miles, 78 Days, Two pairs of Boots, and One Heck of an Adventure.’ Johnny Molloy, outdoor adventurer and prolific guidebook writer, will wow us with images of his 2005 thruhike, talk about his trail experience–the good, the bad, and the ugly– and let us in on his thoughts about the Florida Trail. His newest book is the very first narrative of a Florida Trail thruhike.
April 8 Program: ‘The Geology of Florida’s Springs.’ Florida has over 700 springs–possibly the largest concentration in the world– due to the presence of underlying limestone and dolostone which dissolve away over time, leaving voids that fill with water–the Floridan Aquifer System. This is both a curse and a blessing. Harley Means of the Florida Geological Survey discusses the issues facing our Florida springs.
FALL 2007
Sept 11 Program: “The Florida Trail: Florida’s Own National Scenic Trail.” By Seidler Productions of Sopchoppy, under the direction of the FTA and the USFS, a version of this film was previewed at the 2007 FTA Annual Conference. The completed program debuted May 27th on WMFE-TV in Orlando. Robert Seidler brings us this wonderful film to kick off our Florida Trail hiking season, & also shows a selection of short films on successful green economic programs involving nature-based and heritage tourism, trails, & greenways. (Related FNST hike on Sep. 15 )
Oct 9 Program: “New Zealand and the Milford Track” Chapter member Dawn Brown will present her hiking and kayaking trip to New Zealand, including a hike of the dramatic and awesome Milford Track. Milford Track traverses the heart of Fiordland National Park–the wildest, wettest and most isolated part of the country–and has long been described as “the finest walk in the world.”
Nov 13 Program: “The Nature Conservancy” Deborah Keller, coordinator of TNC’s Northwest Florida Greenway Project, will talk about the urgency of preserving Florida’s remaining open spaces and methods of funding the protection of high-quality habitats. She will highlight the use of military lands as conservation and recreational places. (Related hike on the FNST at Eglin Air Force Base: November 17)
Dec. 11 Program: “Annual Holiday Social” – Please bring a covered dish or dessert and an inexpensive item for the gift-exchange game. Socialize with your fellow hiking and outdoor enthusiasts as we celebrate another year of hiking and outdoor adventures. For more information, call Richard Graham, Chapter chair, at 878-3616.
SUMMER 2007
May 8 Program: “The Australian Outback.” Harley, Ryan and Bruce Means spent three weeks driving across the “top end” of Australia, investigating the geology and natural history of this wonderful continent, with its geological wonders and critters of all kinds. Harley Means tells us what it is like to be immersed in the real Australian Outback!
June 12 Program: “Tales of the Great Outdoors.” Edwin McCook, Public Use Coordinator for the Suwannee River Water Management District, talks about recreation opportunities available on the District, reaching from the Wacissa River to the Waccasassa River and including the path of the Florida Trail along the Suwannee and Aucilla Rivers. (Related hike on June 16.)
July 10 Program: “An Arctic Adventure.” Ryan Means and Rebecca Meegan backpacked nine days in the heart of the Brooks mountain range in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, encountering the Porcupine caribou herd, dall sheep, grizzly bear, and musk ox. Ryan will recount their trip, presenting Arctic natural history and the importance of preserving great wilderness.
Aug. 14 Program: “Butterflies of North Florida.” Most of the 120 species of butterflies in North Florida can be found along the trails we hike–like in Elinor-Klapp Phipps Park, with 78 recorded species. Dean and Sally Jue, of the Florida Natural Areas Inventory and the local Hairstreak Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association, will provide an overview on local butterfly identification and good places to see a variety of them. (Field trip on Aug. 18.)
SPRING 2007
Jan. 9 Program: “Geology and Paleontology from the Aucilla to the Apalachicola.” Harley Means, District Geologist from DEP’s Florida Geological Survey, will talk about the geology and paleontology of the area along the Florida Trail between the Aucilla and Apalachicola rivers. Harley will lead a hike to Alum Bluffs & Ravines on Jan. 27.
Feb. 13 Program: “Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail with ‘Awol’.” David Miller, whose trail name is ‘Awol’, will discuss his 2003 thru-hike of the A.T. His talk will be accompanied by slides with A.T. facts and beautiful scenes from the trail. He will bring his backpack and exhibit the gear used during his hike. Come and learn how it’s done.
Mar. 13 Program: “Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories.” Vic and Carlene Danart will present a slide show of their 2006 trip to Northwest Canada and also Alaska, from the Arctic Circle to Juneau, with maps and a video of the pipeline. Brochures of these areas will be available.
Apr. 10 Program: “Hiking and Paddling in WMAs.” Liz Sparks, Recreation Planner with the Office of Recreation Services at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, will tell us about opportunities for hiking, paddling, and wildlife viewing in FWC’s Wildlife Management Areas within a day’s drive of Tallahassee. Maps, brochures and area information will be available.