DECEMBER 1 - 3, 2023
Ebenezer Creek Paddle & Service Weekend
Effingham County
Join the Georgia Conservancy on December 1 - 3 for a weekend of service work and paddling at beautiful Ebenezer Creek and experience its incredible bottomland forests and blackwater swamps.
When: Friday - Sunday, December 1 - 3
Where: New Ebenezer Retreat (2887 Ebenezer Road, Rincon, GA 31326)
On Friday afternoon, we will meet at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center for a short program on the history and ecological importance of Ebenezer Creek and the Springfield Ebenezer Creek Greenway Initiative. Guests will enjoy dinner and an evening around the campfire.
Saturday will see our group perform a variety of service projects at New Ebenezer Retreat and along the creek. Following dinner, participants have the option to join us on a short evening new moon paddle.
On Sunday morning, we will head to Tommy Long Landing to begin our paddle of Ebenezer Creek. We will depart at 11 AM on our 3-hour paddle towards the Savannah River. Along the way, we will experience the uniqueness of this cypress-tupelo swamp, as well as outline the history of the area, including the Native American eras and when the Salzburgers landed in 1734.
Plus, we will visit a very meaningful and historic site along the river known as Ebenezer Crossing and learn about its significance.
Join us on a Georgia Conservancy Stewardship Trip to learn more about important location-specific conservation issues, as well as statewide advocacy opportunities. Our goal is simple: Create a connection between some of Georgia’s most precious places and the people needed to protect them.
TRIP PRICE/OPTIONS
Cottage Bedroom: $380 for private room, bathroom and meals/participation for two individuals (does not include boat rental)
Kayak Rental: $35 for solo kayak rental from Backwater Expeditions
Recommended Experience Levels: Novice
DETAILS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
REGISTER BELOW *
*Early registration opens to current Georgia Conservancy donors ($30 and above) on August 15 at 5 PM and General Public on August 17 at 5 PM. Use your email-provided promo code for early registration when registering for this trip.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EBENEZER CREEK
The Tragedy at Ebenezer Crossing
Ebenezer Crossing is the location of the tragic drowning of hundreds of freed slaves in December of 1864. The recently emancipated African-Americans, traveling with a vanguard of Union forces who were being hotly pursued by Confederate troops, perished as they attempted to cross swollen Ebenezer Creek following the removal of pontoon bridges by an unsympathetic Union command. December 9, 2023 will mark the 159th anniversary of the tragedy.
Learn more about the tragedy at Ebenezer Crossing
Learn more about the efforts of the Georgia Conservancy and partners to protect Ebenezer Crossing
Ecological Significance
Ebenezer Creek has been called "Georgia's best example of a blackwater stream ecosystem.” The swamps boarding the creek contain excellent examples of water tupelo and virgin bald cypress bottomlands. Many other aquatic plants such as parrot feather, pennywort, carnivorous bladderwort, tiny duckweed, and the floating mosquito fern occur in abundance. The bald cypress and tupelo that line the creek are hosts to such epiphytic plants as Spanish moss, resurrection fern, the uncommon green fly orchid and the parasitic American mistletoe.
State and National Recognition
The Georgia Conservancy, under the leadership of Bob Kerr, worked with the local community in Effingham County, including the Salzburger Societ,y to recognize the natural and historical importance of Ebenezer Creek. Georgia Conservancy trustees held a canoe trip in 1980 and saw first-hand the unique beauty of the area. In 1981, the Georgia Legislature made Ebenezer creek a Georgia Wild and Scenic River. It is one of three Georgia Rivers with that distinction and the only one on the coast. Ebenezer Creek is also designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. Some of the cypress trees in the corridor are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.
PHOTOS FROM PAST TRIPS
The Ebenezer Creek Paddle is one of our Heartland Rivers of Georgia Paddle Series trips featuring camping, day paddling, weekend paddling, and stewardship on rivers in Georgia. The series has brought to light conservation efforts, economic development and recreational opportunities on Georgia’s Heartland Rivers, including the Broad, Etowah, Flint, Ochlockonee, Oconee, Ocmulgee, Ogeechee, Chattahoochee, Altamaha, Satilla, Savannah and Yellow rivers, as well as Spring Creek near Bainbridge.
Learn more about the Georgia Conservancy's Stewardship Trips Program
If you have any questions about our Stewardship Trips Program or about any upcoming trip, please contact Georgia Conservancy Stewardship Trips Director Clark Harrison at charrison@gaconservancy.org.
