Dean Naujoks is getting out of the office and into a kayak for a month-long tour of a river that he has spent the last 1½ years trying to protect.
Naujoks, the Yadkin Riverkeeper, begins the first leg of his trip down the Yadkin today with a paddle across Kerr Scott Reservoir to Bandit's Roost in Wilkes County.
Dubbed the Tour de Yadkin, Naujoks will be paddling a stretch of the river almost every day before winding up on May 2 near the confluence with the Uwharrie River.
"Quite frankly, I've worked very hard to grow the organization so that we could take on important issues and I haven't been able to get on the river as much as I'd like," said Naujoks, who was named the Yadkin's first riverkeeper in November 2008. "This is a great opportunity for me to meet people along the way and for them to educate me on the river and the issues that are important to them."
Riverkeepers around the country are part of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national organization devoted to clean water. Naujoks was the riverkeeper for the Neuse River before moving to Winston-Salem.
Most days, Naujoks will paddle anywhere from 3 to 17 miles. He will swing past historic communities such as Rockford and Huntsville and natural marvels such as Pilot Mountain and Boone's Cave.
The public is invited to paddle with Naujoks. On most weekends, outfitters will be renting canoes and kayaks and offering shuttles. On April 16 and 17, Naujoks will take a break from paddling to attend Earth Day celebrations in Salisbury and Winston-Salem.
Naujoks said he hopes to be on the river each day by 9 a.m. but it's best to check the riverkeeper's Web site before heading out. His itinerary is at www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/tour2010schedule.
One of the goals for the trip is to highlight some of the issues that Naujoks has tackled since becoming the riverkeeper. He has been a vocal opponent of Alcoa's efforts to get a new federal license to run the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project. He has also spoken out against Fibrowatt, which wants to build an incinerator in Surry County that would convert chicken waste into energy.
"Part of this trip is just to inspire me and make me better appreciate what I'm doing here," Naujoks said.
Zoe Gamble Hanes, the president of Yadkin Riverkeeper Inc., said that she hopes Naujoks' trip will gain people's attention.
"My hope for Dean's voyage down the Yadkin is that it raises awareness about the important role the river plays in all of our lives. It is a beautiful river. It provides us with drinking water. It is a major resource for our economy," she said. "Dean is the Yadkin River's protector. He is acting as the river's voice. We're just trying to get more people to listen."
lodonnell@wsjournal.com
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