SHORELINES

21 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :3 Shelby County ACES Coordinator Ricky Colquitt, who assists Battles in kayak instruction and float trip supervision. "We encourage the youths to be active, enjoy the outdoors and safely enjoy Alabama's abundant water resources." That's exactly what 16-year-old Grace Wilson is doing. She trained at Beeswax Creek Park Landing on Lay Lake. "I had never tried kayaking before and I thought it would be fun," she says. "What I like the most is having fun with friends." Battles took her Shelby County 4-Hers on five floats during 2016; the last one was on Yellowleaf Creek the first week of August. "The 4-H program has been one of my daughter's favorites," says Grace's mother, Kim Wilson. "It's such good exercise and it is great to see the children being outside. It's a chance for her to learn something new I could not teach her. The leaders are great with the kids teaching them safety as well as responsibility, all the while letting them have a great time." Susan Paul, the mother of three boys ages 11, 14 and 15, raves about RiverKids. "At one point, they tied their kayaks together and had so much fun pulling each other along the route," she says. "They were making fun memories every step of the way." Fun is just one component of why Alabama Power supports RiverKids, says Edna Felton, manager of the company's Shelby County offices in Calera and Columbiana. Above: Photo by Joe deScioSe — Jim Felder, executive director of the Alabama Scenic River Trail.

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