To a Texas Master Naturalist, "Paddle Caddo" is an annual clarion call.
It's meaning?
"Come to Caddo Lake at the town of Uncertain, Texas, once yearly and bring your canoe. Meet others like yourself who will want to get out on the water of this Jurassic-like natural lake and do some good-will work to keep it unspoiled and pristine."
Texas Master Naturalists are like this, according to the president of the Cypress Basin Chapter of TMN, Becky Gullette, biology professor at Panola College in Carthage.
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S'mores in the City
Supporters gathered to roast S'mores and raise money for the Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas which involves more than 18,000 girls! The Rivermarket pavilions were a perfect location for the "camp" feel of the party.
"The rather official-sounding 'master naturalist' is really a designation for one who is masterfully interested in nature," Gullette said at the recent TMN canoe flotilla held on the lake.
"Paddle Caddo" is in its seventh year. It is held annually in conjunction with international Earth Day. Some 160 canoeists will turn out for the festival which includes food, raffles, a silent auction and display tables featuring people and organizations with Earth Day messages and-love of-nature matters to promote.
The event is held at the Shady Glade RV Park and Resort in Uncertain. Ted and Stella Barrow, members of Cypress Basin chapter, are nature lovers, too.
"Being a member of the Cypress Basin chapter of TMN is a fun way to enjoy nature, learn and give back," Gullette said. "The Cypress Basin chapter is about 100 of us. Of course, there are dues to be paid, and one has to take a 40-hour education course, no matter even if you have a doctorate in the field."
The chapter has 50-plus members who are constantly active, with feet on the ground and hands in the dirt, getting volunteer hours, she said.
"But others just come to meetings and participate as they can. We're diverse. Some will work with schools and children, others will work with other adults on nature trails. Some are great organizers of events like this flotilla."
TMN collaborates with other groups such Texas Parks and Wildlife, Collins Academy, Texas Wildlife Association, Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area, Greater Caddo Lake Association of Texas and Friends of the National Refuge.
"For the refuge, we've built and maintain the bird blinds," Gullette said as an example.
One of the fun activities canoeists at Paddle Caddo were involved with this weekend was being the first "to find Bigfoot." The ape-like mythical creature was hidden somewhere on the lake, likely along and among the designated canoe trails.
One of the TMN volunteers who was helping flotilla guests park their cars and then chauffeuring them in golf carts was Barry Hughes, former head baseball coach at Texas High School in Texarkana, now retired.
"Master naturalist chapters are in every state," Hughes said, "and I work with the Cypress Basin chapter here. We have paddlers from all over who want to come to this lake and support this community. We'll help remove the giant salvinia weed, do other studies and projects. We're really volunteers who do the manual labor. It's a good way to give back."
The TMN chapter meets monthly in Jefferson, according to Stella Barrow. In its self-description, the TMN notes that the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area has more than 8,000 acres of bald cypress swamp, bottomland hardwood forests and pine-hardwood upland habitats.
"This area is a an internationally-recognized wetlands area," Hughes said. "It's beautiful here."