Friends of Stafford Creeks Nonprofit organization of volunteer citizen scientists monitoring water quality, advocating sustainable land use policies and watershed protection, and promoting education and stewardship of aquatic and wildlife resources in Stafford County Virginia's Potomac River tributaries. Press Release

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                           July 15, 2008

Margo Pellegrino left Dobe Point on Stafford’s Accokeek Creek this morning just after 8:30 a.m.  Margo, a 40-year old mom from New Jersey, is paddling 500 miles this summer to bring attention to the new Federal legislation for the world’s oceans.  Margo left New Jersey on June 30, 2008 and is expected to arrive at Nation’s Capital on Thursday, July 16th.  Last year Margo paddled 2,000 miles from Miami to Maine to create awareness of the plight of our oceans.

Margo uses an outrigger canoe and she makes somewhere between 25 to 50 miles per day.  On Monday, July 14 she left Colonial Beach at 6:30 a.m. and made it 27 miles to Dobe Point on the Accokeek Creek by 3:00 p.m.  She travels very light—one drybag, a spare paddle, and a big compass.  She straps herself to her outrigger for safety in bad weather. 

Yesterday Margo paddled in rain for several hours and before reaching her destination ran into a big fog which drove her closer to shore.  Normally Margo paddles from point to point which makes the trip the shortest possible.  She has collected fossils with one stunning shark’s tooth which she plans to give her husband as a birthday present later this week.  Margo said, “My children have the most interesting show and tell stories.  Any one of these fossils makes a great story for their young classmates.”

Margo likes to put in on a sandy beach.  Just such a place exists on Dobe Point, but unfortunately Margo had to make her way through a nasty green algae bloom that stretches from Dobe Point to Indian Point to Marlboro Point on the Potomac Creek.   Algae blooms are caused by excess fertilizer in the water. Here is a picture of the bloom.

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Margo’s partner this year is National Resources Defense Council (NRDC).  NRDC works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth.  NRDC is helping with logistics and introduced Patricia Kurpiel, the founder of Friends of Stafford Creeks, who lives along the route to Margo for a restful evening of Dobe Point hospitality.

Margo’s specific purpose this year is to garner support for Oceans 21 (HR 21).  This is Federal legislation that will establish a national policy to protect and restore our oceans in order to safeguard the economic, cultural, recreational, and other benefits that healthy oceans provide. We have a Clean Water Act and a Clean Air Act, but the United States has not yet made a similar commitment to protect oceans.  Did you know that 90% of our large ocean fish have been wiped out by worldwide industrial fishing?  Margo said, “I am doing my part so my children will be able to enjoy what we once thought was an endless resource.” 

Read about Margo's journey here.