Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve in Maryland will host the 7th annual Wild Goose Chase on May 16 & 17, 2015. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve and will provide a weekend of riding and special events for women bicyclists. Each year, several hundred active women participate in the Wild Goose Chase weekend.
The Wild Goose Chase started as a one-day ride, but has become a weekend bicycle festival with self-guided bicycle rides and kayak rentals on Saturday and the original Wild Goose Chase bike ride on Sunday. There also is a separate Sunday bike ride for men.
Georgena Terry started the event in 2008 to help protect the area from development. Special activities include an optional Saturday evening dinner with Georgena Terry and bicycle tours of the scenic Wildlife Drive and historical Harriet Tubman sites, also on Saturday. There will be vendors on hand selling bicycle related clothing and accessories throughout the weekend.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1933 as a waterfowl sanctuary for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. It is home to an incredible amount of plant and animal diversity in its three major habitats – forest, marsh and shallow water. The refuge contains one-third of Maryland’s tidal wetlands, which makes it an ecologically important area within the state.
The refuge has been referred to as the “Everglades of the North” and is home to the largest breeding population of American bald eagles on the East Coast, north of Florida. The Nature Conservancy calles it one of the “Last Great Places” on earth.
What better way to celebrate the return of warm weather than peddling through the salt marshes that offer protection for the migratory waterfowl in the Chesapeake Bay region. Established as a fundraiser to help protect the refuge, the Wild Goose Chase has generated more than $150,000 for the Friends of Blackwater. Registration is $60.00. Contact the Friends of Blackwater to sign up or more more information.
Source: The Star Democrat / Photo Credits: Shutterstock