News Release Distributed 02/03/11
A river guide and canoe builder will speak about identifying criteria for canoeing and kayaking trails on Feb. 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the LSU AgCenter’s Scott Research and Extension Center in Winnsboro.
John Ruskey, of Clarksdale, Miss., who designs and builds canoes, started Quapaw Canoe Company in 1998. He provides guided expeditions by kayak, canoe and stand-up paddle boards on the Lower Mississippi River and some of its tributaries, including the Big Sunflower, Yazoo, Coldwater, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha rivers, the lower reaches of the White and Arkansas rivers and the Atchafalaya River.
Ruskey will discuss opportunities for paddling businesses in Louisiana, how he formed his company, his business plan and lessons he’s learned, said LSU AgCenter agritourism coordinator Dora Ann Hatch.
The presentation is supported by a $115,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation to the LSU AgCenter to help make the northeast Louisiana Mississippi River parishes a nature tourism destination.
Mary Ann Van Osdell