Amos Tuck has had a first-hand look at the natural wonders of the Coosa River basin during the last three weeks.

On Wednesday evening the Cedartown native presented a slideshow of some of the things he’s witnessed along his 200-mile paddle that has taken him from the Cohutta Wilderness Area at the Tennessee state line all the way to Rome.

“It’s been really great,” Tuck said. “It’s been the trip of a lifetime.”

People gathered in the courtyard at Schroeder’s Deli on Wednesday to hear Tuck tell some of the stories he’s been a part of while on his trip.

While some were humorous and others about the majesty of the river, the stories painted the bigger picture of educating people about the biodiversity of the Coosa River basin.

Tuck, who reached Rome on Tuesday by way of the Oostanaula River, will continue his journey today as he heads down the Coosa on his way to Weiss Lake.

He is hoping to cross the lake Saturday evening where a barbecue dinner and welcome party will be conducted at Little River Marina beginning at 5 p.m. CST.

Tuck began his trip on Aug. 25 on the Conasauga River, beginning a schedule that included paddling, meeting groups for education excursions and camping along the banks.

“I saw more wildlife in the first day of paddling down the Conasauga than I did any other day,” Tuck said.

He told the story of how a strange sound one day led him to discover a river otter.

“I kept hearing a noise that was not quite a bark but more of a cough,” Tuck said. He then saw an otter poking its head up from behind a log.

“Otters are my favorite animals,” he said. “Well, favorite mammal,” he quickly corrected. “Fish are my favorite animals.”

Tuck spoke about the different species of fish he has encountered along his trip, including the numerous types of darters, as well as mussels.

When he entered the Rome city limits Tuesday, he made sure to stop by the E.C.O. River Education Center in Ridge Ferry Park to check out some of the exhibits.

“I saw probably everything that I had seen on my trip,” Tuck said. “It just took me 18 days to do it. They had it all in one building.”

A highlight of his experience on the waterways of Rome came Tuesday when he spotted a lake sturgeon, a fish that had been eradicated from the Coosa River.

Efforts have been made to reintroduce the species back into the area in the last 10 years.

People can make donations to support Amos’ Odyssey and CRBI’s education efforts at www.coosa.org/events/amos-odyssey.

 Amos Tuck’s entries on the CRBI Musselhead Blog site



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