Celtic Musicians Unite to Protect International Rivers!

Music of the Rivers and Audubon of Florida are pleased to announce that a music festival of Celtic musicians from around the world will take place in Jacksonville, Florida, from November 16-19, 2000, on the St. Johns River, at Metropolitan Park Pavilion.

What began as a family project to protect a part of Florida’s natural heritage has grown into possibly the largest gathering of Celtic bands in history. Forty-seven bands from eleven countries will converge in Jacksonville, Florida to join the fight in protecting internationally significant rivers like Florida’s Ichetucknee River, the Everglades: “America’s River of Grass”, and other special places around the planet.

The Ichetucknee, a spring-fed river that winds through pristine, undeveloped Florida backwoods, delights over 200,000 children and grandparents yearly. It's cold, pure waters are threatened by a $130 million cement plant, with a 280-foot smokestack for a tire and toxic waste-burning kiln, that will emit about 97 pounds of mercury annually, along with multiple tons of evaporated heavy metals and dioxin poisons. There is currently a nitrate emergency in this area, the middle Suwannee basin, and millions of tax dollars have been spent to reduce nitrates. It has been estimated that the cement kiln will emit 2 million pounds of nitrous oxide, which turns into nitrates in the environment.

Also threatened are two endangered species- the Silt Snail (Cinncinatia mica), and the Red-eyed Blind Crayfish (Procambarus erythrops). The only habitat for these species is in the direct vicinity of the cement plant.

A call has been sent out to Celtic and Irish rock musicians for a benefit concert, to raise money for advocacy and educating the public about the value of rivers around the world, and to raise world awareness of the ecological plight of the Ichetucknee River. From France, Russia, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and from all across the USA, come 47 of the biggest and best Celtic bands to play, on one stage, for 4 days, to raise awareness of protecting river environments around the world. Featured Celtic Music covers Electronic, Traditional, Folk, Rock, Punk, Tex-Mex, Country, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Fusion, Pop, Surf, Ska, Tribal. Bands include The Cowboy Junkies, Seven Nations, Bad Haggis, the Young Dubliners, The Popes, Green Man, Celtic Soul, and more. For details about the event and the bands, visit the website at  http://www.musicoftherivers.org .

Holding onto Special Places

With your help we can change the course of history, and preserve our waterway resources for our children and generations to come, and ensure that a strong message is heard in the public sphere. The profits of the Music of the Rivers festival will be shared with several non-profit organizations committed protecting and restoring the environment in Florida and internationally.

Organization Affiliates include the following:
Audubon of Florida
International Crane Foundation
River Watchers
Friends of the Ichetucknee
Friends of the Narmada


For more information from festival management, or Affiliate information contact:
Music of the Rivers:  kctoons@mediaone.net - (904) 384-4709 Jacksonville, FL, EST
 http://www.musicoftherivers.org

Audubon of Florida:  smayorga@audubon.org – (305) 371-6399 Miami, FL, EST
 http://www.audubonofflorida.org