Registration Fee: $100

Equipment and Attire: Attire for canoeing to include shoes likely to get wet and muddy; hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, zip locked bags for water protection, and bug spray. Avoid exposed bare skin unless not bugged by bugs. Heat and humidity during August is almost a given regardless of trip timing. Raingear will be available as well as small but shared waterproof boxes for camera and cell phones. Expect to be in canoes for up to 4 hrs. Site 'restrooms' will be the 'forest' near the canoe launch site unless bus service accommodations. Finally, consider a phone video in working order for recording sounds. Please respect other participants by avoiding use of phones for calls and messaging.

Itinerary: This will be a 7.5 hr trip Convention Center door to door. Time of departure will be 1:30 pm. The leader has lead such trips dozens of times primarily as a required educational experience for most of his university-level courses. Again, no canoeing experience is necessary, but an adventurous spirit is. The group providing the canoes and gear can be reached at canoeandtrail.com. The leader of the trip has been working with them since 1976. They are the premier outfitter business in this greater area; now competing with the trendy exploding ecotourism business of this region. (Cost per person $25 - in each two person canoe) (1) Travel time on bus to Shell Bank Bayou put-in along HWY 51 between Laplace, LA and Ruddock, LA in the Manchac Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is under 1 hr. (The site put-in is located at the western edge of Lake Pontchartrain.) (2) After an introduction to the area, canoeing basics, and loading of canoes (30 minutes) the 4 hr on-water experience will take place. (3) Return to put-in site around 8:00 pm for the return trip to the Convention Center.