Issue link: http://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/1165512
Water whys Some of my earliest memories of being on the water were canoeing as a Cub Scout with my twin brother and dad. First, I'd put on an orange life vest, buckling up and pulling on the straps tight. en, my brother and I would fight for the seat up front without tipping the boat over. I don't remember ever falling in, but I'm sure we came close. Once we were both seated, we would paddle around in circles for the first few minutes until we got on the same page about which direction we wanted to go. ough I don't have much time today for paddling, I still try to get out to the Cahaba River or Oak Mountain State Park a couple of times a year with a kayak. It warmed my heart to learn about 4-H RiverKids, a partnership between the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Scenic River Trail to teach paddling basics and safety tips to young people. Hopefully, these classes will cultivate a lifetime love of being on the water. Without the program, many of these children probably wouldn't have the chance to learn about paddling. at's absolutely true for Smile-A-Mile, which provides summer camps for children with cancer, offering some normalcy and a needed distraction for young cancer patients and their families. Smile-A-Mile was founded in 1985 to provide camp, under medical supervision, to these children. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded its outreach across the state. It's much more than just camp today. Who knows? One of the RiverKids or Smile-A-Mile campers one day might grow up to really like paddling. en they can compete in the Alabama 650, an epic race from Weiss Lake in the northeast corner of Alabama all the way down to Mobile Bay. I look forward to following this race and am amazed these athletes can complete the course in 10 days or less. In this issue, we also look at work Alabama Power is doing at several lakes, including installing a new turbine at Bankhead Lock and Dam, planting fields of flowers for pollinators like bees and the continued work of Renew Our Rivers, which was just named the Water Conservationist of the Year by the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Enjoy! — Justin Averette Photo: Jay Parker 2 | 2019 Vol: 3