3 outdoor conservation events in July you don’t want to miss, including the Turkey Creek Float Your Boat Summer Festival

Over the next two weekends, three important “can’t miss” July outdoor conservation events have been scheduled by the Alabama Rivers Alliance, Friends of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve and Ruffner Mountain.

Check them out.

Alabama Rivers Alliance DefendRivers Paddle – July 14

For over 30 years Dr. Doug Phillips has been hosting Discovering Alabama, the award winning nature program on Alabama Public Television.

This year, “Dr. Doug” will be speaking and leading a “float” on the river at the Alabama Rivers Alliance’s (ARA) annual Defend Our Rivers event in Montgomery.

Led by the Birmingham-based  ARA, the #DefendRivers paddle engages people across Alabama in raising awareness of water issues. This annual event provides an opportunity for citizens to *float* their message directly to Alabama’s decision makers along the Alabama River, a stones throw from the Capitol.

Want to participate?

9th Annual Float Your Boat Summer Festival at Turkey Creek – July 21

Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, home to Alabama’s most popular swimming hole will once again be holding their annual “Float Your Boat” Summer Festival. Doors open at 10:00am on Saturday, July 21 with the iconic Balsa Wood (build your own boat – visit for details) Boat Races starting at noon.

There will be a ice cream giveaway, a kid’s Fun Zone, food , music and more.

Home to one of the rarest fish on earth, the vermilion darter, the Forever Wild property attracts more than 130,000 visitors a year primarily in the summer.  The “Float Your  Boat” Festival supports the Nature Preserve.

Festival starts at 10am, races start at noon.

Night Festival 2018 at Ruffner Mountain

Once you finish spending the day at Turkey Creek, relax in the evening at Ruffner Mountain’s Night Festival.

Hugely popular, Ruffner Mountain asks people to explore nature at night and the question – “What happens while we sleep?

Ruffner has invited visual artists and musicians to present works inspired by those elusive natural processes that happen when we’re not awake.

The event features educational & interactive exhibits, an owl program presented by the Alabama Wildlife Center, mothing stations, nocturnal-themed visual art, live music inspired by nocturnal wildlife and kids crafts & activities. Night-themed Costumes Encouraged

Night Festival 2018 is made possible by the Birmingham, AL chapter of the Awesome Foundation.