Paddle Georgia Kayaking Seminar at REI: An evening with Joe Cook

IN A NUTSHELL:  Many of our Atlanta Outdoor Club members may be unaware that our four Metro Atlanta REI stores offer a wide variety of FREE classes, seminars and talks on topics including basic backpacking, camping, hiking, bicycling, paddling, skiing, climbing & mountaineering—also first-hand accounts of exotic adventures and favorite wilderness destinations.  Each session is presented by an invited guest speaker who is an expert in their field or by an REI employee who is a specialist in the featured topic.
  Metro Atlanta native Joe Cook is a veteran canoeist, nature photographer, author, environmental educator and river conservationist who for want of a better term might aptly be called the "godfather of Georgia's rivers and watersheds."  Professionally Joe heads Georgia's "Coosa Riverkeeper" organization which monitors and protects the health of our ~10,000-square-mile Coosa watershed that includes Lake Allatoona, the Etowah River and other major river basins just north of Atlanta.
  "Paddle Georgia" was Joe's brainchild in 2005, and each year since he has done a splendid job as chief planner and leader of this amazing river adventure and environmental education experience.  In this week-long odyssey each June about 300 kayakers and canoeists from all walks of life paddle together down the chosen river for that year and enjoy nightly camping, educational programs and entertainment at college campuses and schools along the river corridor.  Our daily paddling legs are typically 10 to 20 miles, adding up to more than 100 miles in our seven days on the river, putting in each morning at the previous day's takeout.  This year's Paddle GA 2012 will be primarily on "GA's Amazon," the Altamaha River, with our initial put-in on its beautiful blackwater tributary, the Ohoopee, in Reidsville, GA on June 16th.
   We have confirmed reservations on Thursday evening, March 8th for an AOC "subgroup" of up to 12 AOC members to attend Joe's personal presentation entitled "Paddle Georgia 101 for 2012" at the REI "Atlanta Store" on the I-85 southbound Access Rd between Clairmont and North Druid Hills Rd—see detailed directions below.  

AOC TIMETABLE for SEMINAR:    Our AOC subgroup will first gather at 6:40 PM just inside the store entrance where we'll introduce one another.  Please check in with me (Charlie) and so I can record your AOC participation.
  A few minutes before 7:00 PM we'll check in together with the REI event registrar and find seating in the presentation room.  This is usually the large storage room far to our right after we enter the store. There we'll meet Joe, his GA River Network colleagues and other clinic attendees.

REI PROMO PARAGRAPH: Here's a brief outline of Joe's presentation as posted on the REI.com website:
"Paddle Georgia 101 for 2012"
  - presented by Joe Cook
Join staff from Georgia River Network and Paddle Georgia to learn more about this week-long, 100-plus mile canoe/kayak adventure that will take place June 16-22 on the Altamaha River. What's it all about? How do I participate? What can I expect from the journey? Paddle Georgia is an adventure that attracts more than 300 paddlers and takes place on a different Georgia river each year. Since its inception in 2005, more than 2100 people have participated, helping generate more than $85,000 for river protection in Georgia.

SIGN UP for PADDLE GA 2012 and JOIN our informal AOC Paddle GA "Subgroup!"  The available spaces are selling out quickly.  If you're interested, take a look at our online AOC article at this link:
http://www.atlantaoutdoorclub.com/events/details.asp?eventid=4492

BY THE WAY:  If you'd like to make PERSONAL RESERVATIONS  at FUTURE FREE REI CLASSES or SEMINARS for yourself and your friends & family:
You can check the offerings & availability and reserve your spot(s) as follows:
1. Go to REI.com
2. Click on "Store Locator" in the upper right corner of the home page and choose your Store of interest from the pop-up menus that appear.
3. Click on the free Class or Seminar of interest,
4. Fill in the online Reservation form and submit (may require your REI member number.  A lifetime membership is only about $20 if you'd like to join).
5. If you fail to succeed in making a formal reservation, keep in mind that walk-ins at these events are usually acceptable, but only on a space-available or standing-room-only basis.