2nd Annual Drew Turner - "The Man In The Dugout Canoe" - Memorial Paddle 2026

Description

Join Piney Woods Conservation Group / Pinebelt Blueways for the 2nd Annual Drew Turner Memorial Paddle, an annual float to honor the life and work of the late Drew Turner - "The Man In The Dugout Canoe."

- Saturday, June 27th - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.(ish) - Upper Leaf River - Church Street (Eastabuchie) to Hwy. 11 (Chain Park) - Approximately 11 miles

Registration is required at Paddlesignup.

Don't have your own kayak or canoe? No problem! We have enough kayaks and canoes to outfit 25-30 people. Just make plans to attend and let us know in the registration that you need a boat. The event is open to the public, whether you knew Drew or not, though we hate that you missed out.

Drew and his brother Kyle owned and operated Turner Brothers Taxidermy in Historic Downtown Hattiesburg. Drew was the epitome of an outdoorsman and frontiersman, spending all of his free time hunting, fishing, trapping and paddling. In 2011 and 2015, Drew hand-carved dugout canoes out of poplar trees and, over the next decade or so, Drew paddled those canoes over 1,800 miles throughout the Pascagoula River Basin, with his wife Donna by his side in her red canoe. There was rarely a weekend when Drew and Donna weren't paddling a South Mississippi river or creek, and they became affectionately known as "The Man In The Dugout Canoe" and "The Lady In The Red Canoe." Eventually, Donna launched a Facebook page in Drew's nickname, which became a platform to share about their adventures promoting outdoor recreation and the beauty of Mississippi's natural waterways. That soon developed into a full blown Gospel ministry with Drew and Donna sharing the beauty of God's creation with thousands.

His grand stories of exploration and adventure led PWCG's Board President Shawn Harris to delve into the world of paddling. Fast forward several years, that friendship and those stories were much of the impetus behind the creation, expansion and programming behind Pinebelt Blueways - to promote outdoor recreation and stewardship of our waterways. We can only hope we do it half as well as Drew Turner.

On Saturday, June 27th, join us for a float along the Leaf River in honor of Drew's life and legacy!