Launch of the first cohort! River Fellows Summer Experience- day 1 (by Daphne T. and Amanda M.)

Hey y’all! This is Daphne and Amanda here to talk to you about our first day as Tucker River Fellows.

            On Monday, June 16, ten of us met (six girls and Mrs. Couch from GPS and two girls and Ms. Semanco from CGLA) for the first time as Tucker River Fellows to prepare for our two-day kayak trip down the Tennessee River Gorge. After talking for a bit, we piled into a small bus and drove to where our expedition would start: Suck Creek. There we met our awesome trip leaders from Outdoor Chattanooga, Terri and Shaundra. They helped us adjust our kayaks and gave us kayaking instructions for the beginners in the group such as how to hold a paddle. When we capsized (accidentally or on purpose the world may never know) they patiently taught us how to efficiently dump water out of the kayaks while still in the water.

  

(Photo: passing a barge)

About halfway to a cabin called the Pot Point House, our destination, we were hot and sweaty from the scorching sun and ready to get in the water. When a rope swing was spotted, we excitedly paddled over and swung into the cool and refreshing Tennessee River! After doing some backflips (more like belly flops) into the water, we were ready to get a move on. After many splash battles we finally arrived at the Pot Point House. It used to be a small cabin. Now more has been added on it and is used by lots of people who want to explore the Tennessee River Gorge. After we had settled in and explored a bit, Rick Huffines from the nonprofit organization, Tennessee River Gorge Trust talked to us a bit about their new money grants for two projects that they are about to start. One grant is for tagging neo-tropical birds. They will set up a large net in the woods and the birds will get trapped in it so bird taggers will be able to weigh them, measure them, and tag them. In doing this, they determine how healthy the birds are to determine how healthy the forest is. If the birds are unhealthy, they find out why and figure out how they can help them by fixing the habitat they live in.   

 (photo: cerulean warbler. credit: trgt.org) 

         The other grant will be used for long term bird banding and monitoring and

computer models of the Tennessee River Gorge. This can help determine what they need to do that will affect the land in a positive way in the future. These models might let them know where land supervisors might be needed or what to do to prevent the extinction of a plant or animal.

            We all thought what Mr. Rick had to say was really cool! If you do too and want to learn more then them out at https://www.trgt.org/.

 (photo: on porch of pot point) 

            After Mr. Rick left, Terri and Shaundra made us a delicious dinner of lasagna in portions that were literally bigger than our heads, but most of us finished it! We were really full for the rest of the night, but we didn’t pass up a chance for some s’mores!