#155 - Paddling Florida’s Great Calusa Blueway: Mangroves, Mounds & Manatees with Mike Hammond

Mike Hammond oversees the Great Calusa Blueway, a nearly 200 mile paddling trail in Florida’s Lee County.  Mike joins today’s episode to talk about the area’s fascinating indigenous history, its interesting utopian history, the beauty of the trail, and why this might be your next paddling destination. 

Highlights include the region’s unique subtropical wildlife (manatees, dolphins, shorebirds), the Calusa people and shell mounds like Mound Key, the Koreshan historic site, protected mangrove tunnels, safety considerations, volunteer stewardship, and inclusive outreach programs.

• Great Calusa Blueway: https://www.leegov.com/parks/Blueway
• About the Calusa Tribe: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-the-calusa-tribe/
• Who were the Koreshans?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreshan_Unity