~GRN’s Annual Conference and River Celebration event!~
When: April 6-7, 2013
Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center, Roswell, Georgia
Cost: $45 for adults (before March 1st, $50 after March 1st), $40 for the kid’s program. Ticket prices include Saturday presentations and party, Saturday night camping, shuttles for Sunday paddle on the Chattahoochee River and all meals from Saturday breakfast to Sunday breakfast. Participants will need to pack their own lunch for the river on Sunday. No daily rate will be offered, but tickets to the party for those who are not registered for the
weekend can be purchased for $25/ticket.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
INFORMATION
The Basics
Registration
Agenda
Speaker Biographies
Presentations
Highlights and Extras
Mini-Paddle Georgia
Boat Rental Information
River Celebration Awards and Party
Directions
Information about the Chattahoochee Nature Center
Lodging
Event Sponsors
The Basics
Weekend for Rivers is GRN’s Annual Conference and River Celebration event that gives us all a chance to celebrate Georgia’s unique, beautiful rivers through storytelling, partying and paddling!
Join us April 6th for a day of inspiration, education and connections with folks who love Georgia’s rivers as much as you! The day will include river-lovers of all kinds expressing their passion for rivers with inspiring presentations and interactive forums that will paint a broad picture of the state of Georgia’s rivers and the people who protect, enjoy and honor them.
In the late afternoon, enjoy a stroll around the beautiful Chattahoochee Nature Center or participate in a fun field trip: test out a kayak, participate in a meditation exercise or even try your luck in our Chattahoochee Nature Center scavenger hunt!
In the evening, we’ll have a ton of fun at our annual River Celebration Party and then we’ll camp at the Chattahoochee Nature Center (indoor and outdoor camping will be available, Paddle Georgia-style–OR you can just get a hotel room). The next morning, we’ll wake up and paddle a beautiful stretch of the Chattahoochee River! The experience will be as close to the real thing as possible (right down to the bus shuttles, the gym camping and the Satterfield’s catering) for the uninitiated as well as for all you Paddle Georgia fanatics who regularly plead with us to plan more than one event each year. Thanks go to Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, who lead popular trips and events on the ‘Hooch all the time, in supporting us on the paddle.
Agenda
Click here to view the Weekend for Rivers agenda!
Registration
You can register for Weekend for Rivers 2013 right now! Register online HERE, or if you’d rather fax (706.549.7791) or mail in (126 S. Milledge Ave. Ste E3, Athens, GA 30605) in your registration, you can find a pdf of our registration form HERE.
Speaker Biographies
Click here to see who will be presenting at Weekend for Rivers this year.
Presentations
Click here to read up on the kinds of presentations you’ll get to see at Weekend for Rivers.
Highlights and Extras
River Cafe Conversations
9:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Kingfisher Hall
The River Cafe Conversations bring together people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to explore questions that matter in intimate “cafe style” conversations. At tables of 4-6 people, we’ll set the space for you to do your most creative thinking, speaking and listening; taking a deep dive into several thought-provoking questions that have real consequences for the river movement.
In these open dialogues everyone’s contribution matters because we know that ideas and passion can emerge from the most surprising places. You’ll move between tables and conversations, meeting new people who will actively challenge your thinking, perhaps sparking an entirely new insight and connection. By sharing our discoveries, we’ll harvest the wisdom of the group and find new ways to tackle the issues that matter the most to us who love rivers.
Kayak Demonstration
4:45 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: Chattahoochee Nature Center pond
The Outside World and Cedar Creek RV & Outdoor Center will be showing off all kinds of boats on the Chattahoochee Nature Center pond. You can stop by and try one out! Or even buy one!
Nature Center Scavenger Hunt
4:45 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: TBD
Join us for a wild goose chase around the Chattahoochee Nature Center! Hunt down clues in teams and be the first to get to the end. Win fabulous prizes!!!
Nature Meditation Sessions
Two meditation sessions are offered. Participate in one or both. The meditations are designed to be both calming and refreshing for the mind and body. The meditations are suitable for all, with a special welcome to those who have not meditated before.
4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Elements meditation: In this seated, guided meditation, we will use our senses to notice the elements of earth, air, heat, and water as they are present in our surroundings, bodies, and minds. Afterward, join us for the walking meditation, go enjoy the many other offerings, or just relax on the grounds.
5:20 PM – 6:00 PM
Walking meditation: We will take a slow, quiet walk along the trails in a contemplative mood. Attending to the senses and our movements, we will silently notice the flow of life in our surroundings, bodies, and minds. While the walk will be silent, we will have an opportunity at the end to share what we observed and learned.
Mini-Paddle Georgia
Have you ever wanted to just try Paddle Georgia without committing to a whole week? Are you a Paddle Georgia veteran who can’t wait until the end of June to get your fix? Either way, on April 7th, we’re packing everything folks love about Paddle Georgia into one day: the great time on the river, the gymnasium (or outdoor) camping, the bus shuttles–even the same caterer will be the same! We’re paddling 6.5 miles down the Chattahoochee from Johnson’s Ferry to Paces Mill.
Schedule:
7am: Wake up! Breakfast is served in Kingfisher Hall
8-8:30: Drive to Johnson’s Ferry with your boat. Leave it here, we’ll have a boat guardian watching while you drive your car to the take out.
8:30-9: Drive to Paces Mill, park your car, and take the shuttle back to Johnson’s Ferry.
9:30: Start Paddling!
3pm: Take out at Paces Mill
Johnson’s Ferry address: 9 Sherwood Lane, Marietta, GA
Paces Mill address: 3444 Cobb Parkway SE Atlanta, GA
Here’s a video of what you might see!
Boat Rental Information
You’ll be able to rent kayaks from the Broad River Outfitters for $30 for the day. More information to come!
River Celebration Awards and Party
Join your friends at the Georgia River Network’s Weekend For Rivers Party on Saturday, April 6th at 7pm at The Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell for dinner by Satterfields, beer and wine, music by our DJ, a silent auction, our famous Paddle GA Port-Potty-Auction and River Celebration Awards.
To buy tickets for the party only, click HERE.
Register for the entire weekend if you would like to attend the educational sessions, camp out and paddle on the river the next day.
Directions
From Roswell Road (Highway 9/U.S. 19):
(Heading North from Atlanta or I-285).
At the first traffic light after crossing the Chattahoochee River, turn left onto Azalea Drive. At the second traffic light, turn left onto Willeo Road. CNC is located one-half mile on the right.
From GA 400 Northbound:
Exit on Northridge (exit #6) and bear to the right, back over the expressway. Immediately after crossing over 400, turn right onto Dunwoody Place. Follow Dunwoody Place until it intersects with Roswell Road (1.2 miles). Turn right onto Roswell Road. At the first traffic light after crossing the Chattahoochee River, turn left onto Azalea Drive. At the second traffic light, turn left onto Willeo Road. CNC is located one-half mile on the right.
From GA 400 Southbound:
Exit Northridge Road (exit #6). At the top of the ramp is a traffic light. Travel straight through the traffic light onto Dunwoody Place. Follow Dunwoody Place until it intersects with Roswell Road (1.2 miles). Turn right onto Roswell Road. At the first traffic light after crossing the Chattahoochee River, turn left onto Azalea Drive. At the second traffic light, turn left onto Willeo Road. CNC is located one-half mile on the right.
From Marietta and All Points West:
Take Highway 120 (also called Marietta Highway or Upper Roswell Road) east toward the city of Roswell. Cross Johnson Ferry Road and travel approximately four miles to Willeo Road. At a traffic light, turn right onto Willeo Road. CNC is located one mile on the right.
Chattahoochee Nature Center Info
The Chattahoochee Nature Center is located on the Chattahoochee River in Roswell and sits on a beautiful site comprised of 127 acres of native plants and gardens that showcase the beauty of Georgia. It has a River Boardwalk, Discovery Center, wetland demonstration gardens and woodland trails that are home to over 50 species of injured, non-releasable wildlife. For 30 years, this facility has continued to grow and reach out to citizens as a place to explore new ideas and expand the awareness of the natural world.
Click here for more information.
Lodging
If you choose not to camp at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Saturday night, rooms for the event will be blocked at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta/Roswell at 1075 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, GA 30076. To reserve a room at $79/night, call 770-992-9600 and tell them you’re with Weekend for Rivers. 10 rooms have been blocked for the nights of April 5th and 6th. Click HERE to see the DoubleTree website.
Sponsors
Cedar Creek RV and Outdoor Center, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Bud & Mary Freeman, Georgia Wildlife Federation, The Rain Barrel Depot, Broad River Watershed Association
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