2005 Gathering participants enjoy the sunshine, adventure, and new friends found in Cedar Key

Participants in the 2005 Cedar Key Gathering embark on a boat ride in the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.

Cedar Key clam farmer Mike Hodges displays the tools of his trade during a visit to a clamming facility.

Leslie Sturmer describes how Cedar Key clams are processed and distributed around the country.

Cedar Key

Schedule of Events

Pre-Gathering
Arrive early and get a jump-start on your Gathering weekend!

The Pre-Gathering begins at 10:00 am on Friday, October 13. An additional fee is charged for this activity.

Kayak through the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge with Master Naturalist John Lohde. We'll enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery and hope to spot some of the shore birds and dolphins that call the area home. Next, we will kayak to the quiet island of Atsena Otie, the original site of Cedar Key. We will visit the island's 19th-century cemetery, and explore the natural environment of this unique ecosystem.

Prior kayaking experience is not necessary. Limited to 23 people.

The Gathering
During our weekend together we will:

The Gathering weekend begins with a 5:30 pm reception on Friday, October 13.

• Reception and Dinner at the Island Hotel, and Pres - The famous dock at Cedar Key and presentation by UF historian Jack Davis.
  We will enjoy the culinary delights of the historic Island Hotel while listening to a popular local band: Anna White and the Clam Jam. After dinner we will head across the street to the Cedar Key Public Library for a talk by University of Florida History Professor Jack Davis. Davis, co-editor of Paradise Lost? An Environmental History of Florida, will prepare us for the weekend's exploration of Cedar Key by examining the changing idea of "nature" on the Nature Coast.
• Boat tour to Seahorse Key
  We will board a boat to the island of Seahorse Key, where we will be greeted by Professor Harvey Lillywhite, director of the University of Florida's Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory. Designated as an American military reservation in 1841, Seahorse Key once served as a prison to Seminole Indians and Confederate soldiers. The Island, part of the Cedar Keys Wildlife Refuge, is now home to one of the largest colonial nesting bird rookeries in Florida. Dr. Lillywhite will guide us in an exploration of the island's unique natural history, including a tour of the Marine Lab and the island's historic lighthouse, built in 1854.
• Local history with long-time Cedar Key residents
  We will visit the Andrews House, an old fiber factory that is now part of the Cedar Key Historical Society museum. There, local historians Dr. John Andrews and Mr. Grady McCloud will tell us of Cedar Key's rich history and their experiences as natives of this unique island community.
• Aquaculture presentation and tour of clamming facility
  Leslie Sturmer, University of Florida Aquaculture Extension faculty member, will discuss the effect of the 1995 net ban on Cedar Key's fishing industry, and describe the town's remarkably successful transition to clam farming. Following her presentation, we will tour a clamming facility with some local farmers to experience first-hand Cedar Key's aquaculture industry, the number one producer of farm-raised clams in America.
• "In Their Own Words" Presentation by anthropologist Michael Jepson and photographer Carlton Ward, Jr.
  Using a combination of stunning photography and audio and video excerpts from oral history interviews, "In Their Own Words" examines two communities in Florida that have struggled with the issues of natural resource dependence and coastal development. Anthropologist Michael Jepson and photographer Carlton Ward, Jr. will explain their work in the communities of Cortez and Cedar Key, and then lead a round-table discussion with Gathering participants and a few of the Cedar Key residents featured in the presentation.