Bagdad Living        Com

 

The Pyrates work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the local Coast Guard Auxiliary throughout the year on boater education initiatives.  Individual members often assist other vessels in need of help and are a known friend on the waterways.    

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All through the year, individual members remove trash and debris from the waterways while out on pleasure ventures.  The organization conducts two annual river clean-ups where the public is invited to join them.  The spring clean-up is in concert with Earth Day coordinating clean-up from Coopers Basin in Milton south to Escribano Point.  The fall clean-up targets trash and debris left behind in the creeks after the summer tourist season is over.  

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The Pyrates are known for their community support, donating thousands of dollars and man-hours each year. Their annual Duck Race fundraiser is a 4th of July favorite. It features thousands of rubber ducks racing to the finish line after being dropped into Blackwater River off the Highway 90 Bridge. 

 

Other community support from the Blackwater Pyrates range from simple spot-funding to scholarships where the Pyrates work closely with the Florida Archaeology Public Network (FPAN) and the University of West Florida in support of their underwater archaeology program.  The students use the Blackwater River as a classroom where over 25 sunken vessels from the 1800's have been discovered and recorded.

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The Blackwater Pyrates have more than 150 active members.  To join, contact the Pyrates through their website at www.blackwaterpyrates.com