Apr 10, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      

Contact:  John Kiseda, Event Coordinator, Lee County Parks & Recreation
               (239) 432-2163
               kisedajb@leegov.com

THE CALUSA BLUEWAY PADDLING FESTIVAL 

PINE ISLAND - MATLACHA, FLA  (April 10, 2006) The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival, a premier, professional and amateur paddling event for Lee County, is slated for June 2-4, 2006.  Included in the weekend schedule of events are a kayak fishing tournament on Saturday and the "Paddle of the Pass" a 4 mile recreational or 10 mile competitive race on Sunday.  According to event coordinator, John Kiseda, Environmental Education Program Coordinator for Lee County Parks & Recreation, we believe The Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival will become a one-of-a-kind, county-wide, signature event.  The 100+ mile Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail has been recognized for its uniqueness and noted as one of the best U.S. kayaking destinations by both Paddler and Canoe & Kayak Magazines.

The community based planning committee has clearly identified the goals and objectives for this first event, as well as the long-term vision for what the Festival can become.  We are working hand-in-hand with The Society for Ethical Ecotourism in Southwest Florida, Lee County Parks and Recreation, Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, VISIT Florida, paddling clubs throughout Lee County and Florida, and kayak and canoe associations nationwide.  In addition, we are working closely with our historic attractions along the trail such as the Randell Research Center, The Nature Conservancy, and kayak and canoe outfitters and guides to view sunrises and sunsets, bird rookeries, manatees and dolphins, shelling, archaeology and history. Starlight and full-moon excursions will be special treats offered throughout the weekend festivities. For those who want to go it alone or at a more leisurely pace, there will be back bay tours by kayak, boat excursions to the barrier islands, and on land guided walks at various preserves throughout the Island. Vendor and organizational exhibits will be located at the Festival Headquarters, the Matlacha Community Center, along with food and informational booths.  Our seminar schedule will round out the event for all ages and levels of expertise, along with the children's discovery area, cultural programs, and photo contest.

Paddlers from around the world are invited to explore the fabled bays, rivers, backwaters and shorelines of southwest Florida along the 100+ miles of The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail in Lee County.  Kayakers and canoeists can revel in the variety of their natural surrounds: paddle alongside playful dolphins; log some 300 species of birds including egrets, bald eagles, pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys, roseate spoonbills and wood storks; disappear into the rivulets of countless inland waterways and gnarled mangroves. They will undoubtedly paddle next to dolphins or manatees. It's inevitable.  For full details on the Paddling Festival and registration information visit: www.calusabluewaypaddlingfestival.com

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