Amy and North Guana Outpost
Author: Howard, Amy
Primary project: 3
Collection: 195
Published: 2025-11-22
Medium: 1
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17 Timeline Entries
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- Hayden
- Paddles
- Facing same way
- Rinse both sides together
- Store facing same way for other guides
- Cart
- Pushes the cart, says it's easier on his arms
- Will pull 4/5 kayaks!
- Pressure washer
- Will not use it because of the loud noise.
- Hose
- Will not loop the hose for storage because it's so annoying.
- Padlock
- Leave it open but looking locked
- This pays off because I've had to return to the shed with guests waiting
- Leave it open but looking locked
- Life jackets
- Snap top buckle
- Rinse inside and out
- Yard light
- Plug and unplug from hanging extension cord
- Paddle backward
- So you're facing the guests in transit.
- Works great!
- Paddles
- Claire
- Pressure washer
- She uses it. How?
- Pressure washer
- Kara
- Pressure washer
- She uses it. How?
- Cart
- Push kayaks further back less weight. Up to the tail tread. What a difference!
- Pressure washer
SHE WAS ASKING IF THE TOUR IS STRENOUS. FYI
Open booking #322040779 Megan Short (405) 613-3471 1 Single Kayak1 Tandem Kayak Not checked in Not yet checked in Checked in RETURNED No-show Set check-in per customer... 3 signed Megan SHORT Maria Bailey Patricia Mccafferty -$58.30
One person dropped out due to being sick - they called at 4pm to let us know (no refund). - LB
Open booking #322047149 Noah Barcio (850) 459-4378 1 Single Kayak Not checked in Not yet checked in Checked in RETURNED No-show Set check-in per customer... 1 signed Noah Barcio $0.00 Open booking Thursday · 4:12 PM Hey Amy, one person dropped out tonight due to being sick but you will still have 2 tandems and 1 single total. FYI - I send out an email to the customers giving them the lead guides cell number when we have night tours just incase they need to get ahold of someone after the shop is closed Thank you Thursday · 7:40 PM Everything went great. Cleaning up now. Awesome! How was the bio tonight? Great Good to hear. Thanks! Have a great rest of your night ❤️ 8:45 PM ===================================== Amy's journal 4:30 Arrived early. 5:00 As I was getting kayaks out, a young guy (Noah) said he was here for the 5:00 tour. I asked to see his reservation. It was with Earth Kinship. He went away, then came back a few minutes later. He said he scheduled the wrong date with Earth Kinship and only had tonight in town. He asked if he could join our tour. I called Lauren. She asked how I felt about it. I said it was fine with me. I gave him my phone and she got him booked and paid while I continued loading gear. 545 I was ready on the beach, but I walked up to the parking lot to greet the guests and distribute parking passes. We walked back to the beach together. The no-see-ums were terrible. Noah had already been battling them for 45 minutes. I used a botanical and offered it around. It wasn't helping much. Joanne had used OFF, and it wasn't helping much. I hurried them to the water to get away from the no-see-ums. I asked about their kayak experience. Noah was a pro, had kayaked all over Florida, but mostly in Tallahassee. He had brought his 84-year-old grandfather to visit St. Augustine. Meghan's group was average kayakers. Joanne and Emelio were new. I quickly explained my background. I had them put on their life vests and demonstrated paddle technique. I let them get started quickly to get away from the bugs. Noah asked if he could put his phone in the dry bag. I said I had heard of such a thing in our procedures, but I wasn't able to find one in the shed. I offered him my phone pouch, which I wasn't using because I didn't like it. He used that. Joanne and Emelio had never kayaked and asked who should sit where. I said it would feel like a canoe, where the person in the back would act like a rudder. I said whoever had more arm strength should sit in front to paddle and the rear person can be the rudder. Joanne sat in front. Emelio did rudder duty way too strong. I encouraged him to go lighter. They eventually made it work, but continued to struggle. Joanne was frustrated. Meghan's group had a great time. They loved learning about the ecosystem. They asked about the land swap. I told them about the land ownership and zoning saga. I told them about the Save Guana Now woman who rallied the troops at the Mickler intersection. They asked about the state park debacle, and I explained that to Joanne and Emelio, who were from Pennsylvania. One girl from Meghan's group said she should quit her job and get into conservation. When I shared about the comb jellies invading the Black Sea via cargo ship bilge, Joanne shared how her son worked at a basin in Minnesota that was built to safely offload bilge water. We discussed the futility of preventing transmission of species in a global economy. Noah said he was feeling targeted by the jumping fish. He tried to paddle away from them, but he still seemed to get more jumpers than the rest of us. Toward the end of the tour, he made his way back to shore on his own.Night Bioluminescence Kayak Tour 5:45 PM – 7:15 PM Online closed 11 booked1 available 0 blocks 2 crew Actions & Settings Print all Amy Howard Lead Guide Muneerah Ayotte Sweeper Waiver Breakdown 2 bookings 10 Single Kayaks 1 Tandem Kayak 11 not checked in Not yet checked in Checked in RETURNED No-show 12 signed $0.00 #321898304 Erin Tyson (850) 445-4284 10 Single Kayaks Not checked in Not yet checked in Checked in RETURNED No-show Set check-in per customer... 10 signed Erin Tyson Sierra Sternberg Madelyn Moore Garrett Moore Meghan Ambrose Katherine Falwell Amber Smith Leah Putnal Breon Pacot Alexandra Hahn $0.00
11/15 - Sent text reminder to have waivers completed prior to arrival. -KCS
11/16 - I called to discuss/request waivers. Renter said she is going to follow up with her coworkers tomorrow and email the link to them to complete. She mentioned they may drop the rental down to 9 yaks b/c some people are going to be out of town. She will let us know by Tuesday or Thursday the final head count. -KCS
I TOLD ERIN WE MAY HAVE TO DUE ONE TANDEM AND SHE IS OK WITH THAT. SO INSTEAD OF 10 SINGLES IT WILL BE 8 SINGLES AND 1 TANDEM IF NEEDED. WE HAVE TWO GUIDES THAT NEED KAYAKS-GI
Open booking #321886899 Grady Smith (904) 460-8125 1 Tandem Kayak Not checked in Not yet checked in Checked in RETURNED No-show Set check-in per customer... 2 signed Grady Smith Ellie Lale $0.00 Friday · 5:19 PM Hi girls. Have you heard from Muneerah? Can I get her number? Gail Ingalls I have not. One minute Friday · 5:23 PM Muneerah Ayotte.vcf 172 B Oh no you have so much! She said it wasn't on her calendar She should get it on FH!! 5:25 PM Lauren Muneerah Ayotte .vcf 169 B Sorry missed your call! I think I can do this. Gail Ingalls Is she coming No. Unless I need it. Gail Ingalls Lauren sorry we were in a separate text. She said it wasn’t on her calendar Lauren That’s a lot of kayaks for just you!‼️ Lauren Oh Gail Ingalls Have her come late if you need her! Guest are arriving. One more load to go. I'll be fine Lauren 💪 you rock! Friday · 6:34 PM Gail Ingalls Amy, Jeff has 2 Bonafide fishing kayaks to get out by 9am tomorrow but if you leave room for him to do so and want to leave a few kayaks for him to clean and put up I’m sure he won’t mind. He is a good guy and he has some help tomorrow 👍 Gail Ingalls He said he doesn’t mind helping you out All good. Chill group. Plenty of bio and fish. Cleaning up now 2❤️ Friday · 9:21 PM All clean. Going home 👍 Lauren Thanks Amy! Have a great night ================================================
Amy's journal:
3:30 I stopped by NGO to ask about the dry bag and first aid kit mentioned in the Kayak Guide Handbook. Kara said she brought three dry bags to the container but all three had somehow been moved to the office, which was locked. She said she didn't think we should be using them because that makes us liable for losing or damaging the contents. I asked about a first aid kit. She said she hadn't seen one in a long time.
4:00 I arrived early and started hauling 13 kayaks two at a time. Jeff was coming in from fishing. He introduced himself as the fly fishing guide as of a couple months ago. I said I was there early to allow time to haul only two kayaks at a time. He said he is 74 years old, and two is his limit as well. He said he has a tour in the morning and I can leave two kayaks out for him to clean.
Muneerah didn't show.
5:20 I called Muneerah about 20 minutes before the tour. She said she didn't know she was scheduled. She offered to come, but I couldn't think of how to coordinate that in the moment. I told her don't worry about it, since I already had all the kayaks out. Lesson learned: always arrive early enough to work alone. 5:30 Guests arrived. I still had to:
- distribute parking passes
- put Muneerah's kayak back
- get more cups
- change my shoes
- close up the shed
I greeted them happily and checked that all had arrived. I apologized I wasn't fully ready for them yet because we we missing a guide. I assured them they'd have their full tour and we'd have a chill time. I distributed parking passes. Some of them had already paid for parking; Erin said the shop told her they had to pay.
I still had to run back to the shed. Last night, the guests were attacked by no-see-ums on the beach. They were not quite as bad tonight, but I didn't want this group to sit in that while I finished getting ready. I also didn't want to eat up any of their paid tour time if they were on a schedule. I suggested they go ahead and get in their kayaks and wait for me within earshot. I asked if anyone needed a kayak lesson before that. Erin said, "We'll figure it out. We're experiential learners."
When I got out there, everyone was paddling around in two feet of water. I waded in with them to hand out comb jelly cups, pulling my kayak with me. With my kayak floating behind me, I
- had them put on their life jackets
- walked a cup to each person and explained its purpose as an aquarium
- demonstrated paddle technique
- asked for questions
By the time I finished, my kayak had floated away. I told them to head toward the jutted out land on the east border of the lake. I said there was a nice cove on the other side of that, and I'd catch up with them.
My kayak had floated into waist-deep water, but the ground was so soft I was chest-deep by the time I reached it. I was still tired from hauling kayaks and it took me three tries to get onto it. I was glad I had hauled kayaks by two's instead of three's. Lesson learned: leave the kayak on shore if you're going to wade, or leash it.
The group was about 40 yards ahead of me, spread about 20 yards apart. I caught up with them and chatted a little as I made my way near the front of the procession. I hovered toward the front until everyone got into the cove.
When everyone was together, I asked people to share their experience with the reserve and bioluminescence. One girl had done bio in Indian River Lagoon. Another girl said she rides horses at GTM almost every Saturday.
I described my background and involvement with GTM. I gave my lesson about the reserve and bioluminescence. I talked them through catching comb jellies. They all had a good time with plenty of jellies.
After their excitement died down, I explained the dinoflagellates. I told them to keep their eye on the water for sparkles. They used their paddles and nets and saw plenty of dinos.
Meanwhile, the fish were super active all around the kayaks. One fish bounced off the nose of a girl's kayak. She said she was thankful for that experience.
As the excitement died down again, I reminded them to keep an eye on the sky for shooting stars. I asked if anyone had any questions about the reserve. No one answered. I worried the rapport felt too serious for them because I was preoccupied with logistics.
I chatted with Erin about their company. It was a family wellness center that included mental health and ABA services. I asked if they worked with autism, and she said the ABA person does. We dicussed the potential for private educational tours for special-needs familes.
6:50
Erin's group started asking about the time. They had reservations somewhere. Erin suggested they start heading back to stay on schedule. I didn't want to rush the other two guests. I agreed we could "drift" back so we wouldn't have to work hard on the way. We paddled into a slight wind.
I stayed at the back of the procession with Erin. However, as we neared the dam, I worried people might not know to stay far left of it. I excused myself from Erin to get up there and make sure no one wandered over there. Lesson learned: explain the dam and return process right at the beginning of the tour.
7:15
Everyone was out of the water and discussing their evening agenda. I thanked them and said I enjoyed spending the evening with them. I said I'm going to start cleaning up, but I'm happy to answer questions. They thanked me. Grady tipped me $10. Erin said she used the gratuity system in the app. I thanked them both.
7:23
Confirmed sucessful tour with NGO.
Muneerah had texted for an update, but I didn't have time to answer her.
Hauled kayaks back two at a time.
Left two clean kayaks out for Jeff.
9:20
Finished closing up and updated NGO.
Stopped by Chase to deposit tips from tonight and last night.
Got home at 10:00
I answered Muneerah the next morning:
Friday · 5:34 PM Chat with Muneerah. Details Hello this is Muneerah! Any updates? 8:33 AM Hi Muneerah. Sorry I couldn't update you last night. I was super busy and exhausted. The tour was a little funky with my adaptations, but the night was beautiful and it worked out. I look forward to working with you sometime. 8:33 AM·
Sunday · 9:39 AM
Lauren
Morning! Are you still available today to lead a tour? I have a group wanting to do the Sunset Bio Tou
Tour*
Sure 🙂
Lauren
Awesome thank you! I’ll get it on FareHarbor shortly and add you :)
Sunday · 7:59 PM
Thank you for that wonderful little tour. Headed home
❤️
Gail Ingalls
Thank you!!! It’s great having you!
==============================================
FareHarbor
Sunday, November 23, 2025
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Sunset Bioluminescence Kayak Tour
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Manifest: North Guana Outpost
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Sunset Bioluminescence Kayak Tour
5:15 PM – 7:15 PM
Online closed
3 booked
7 available
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Amy Howard Lead Guide
Waiver Breakdown
#322383072 Tom Akin
(850) 225-2817
3 Single Kayaks
Not checked in
Not yet checked in
3 signed
Thomas AKIN
CECILIA AKIN
Daniel AKIN
$0.00
3 yaks are on a cart for this tour
Open booking
==============================================
Amy's journal
I was in the throws of a migraine and depression from the previous huge tour two days prior. I suspected the guests had conveyed negative feedback to NGO. I thought I would be ghosted.
Then Lauren offered me this tour. I accepted it even with the migraine. I wanted a chance to redeem myself from the previous tour. I hoped the physical movement would help my migrain.
I nearly OD'd on ibuprofen. I took a hot shower. I went two hours early. Kara was there cleaning up the last rental for the day. She had already pulled three kayaks for me. I helped her bring in two fishing kayaks. I told her I arrived early enough to haul one kayak at a time because my shoulders were still shot from the big tour two nights prior. She insisted on hauling the cart with three kayaks rather than let me unload and haul them one at a time. By the time we finished, my headache was totally gone.
I asked Kara if we should leave wet things out to dry. For example, the life jackets would grow mildew if stored wet. She held up a mildewed jacket and said, "Like this?" She said it just means the next person who works the shop has to put them away. She said, "Oh well, that sucks for them." I asked, "Doesn't everybody want the jackets to dry right?" She agreed it was a good idea, but said sometimes in the rainy season and winter the container was the drier place.
She was kind of down, as she has been lately. But we had a lovely chat. Then she left for the day. I still had time to relax at the dam before the guests arrived.
They arrived about 15 minutes early and we met up. It was a lovely couple from Pensacola and their teenage son. They drove a Subaru with a kayak rack on top. I said they look like a Subaru commercial, and supposed they were well-versed with kayaking. They were. We clicked immediately.
I started the tour by walking over to the dam and explaining Guana River and the research center. Then we crossed over to the lake side and talked about the fishing scene and fun species, such as red fish, sheepshead, sting rays, and scalloped hammerhead sharks.
As we looked at the glossy Guana Lake we were about to paddle, I said we still had to wear our life jackets for company policy. I said the only thing that I think would tip us is freaking out from a Hunstman spider. I suggested we pass the toy Huntsman around to get the jitters out. I said I truly love the Hunstmans, but I am still prone to capsizing if one runs up my arm. They asked about the species and why they would be there. I said the Huntsmans live in the woods, and so does the kayak yard. No matter how much we clean and check the kayaks, the Huntsmans still show up frequently.
We got in the kayaks about 7:20, just five minutes later than normal start time, but the sun had already fallen below the horizon. I apologized for using up their sunset time and photo op. They didn't mind at all. They had already decided to leave their phones in the car and forego pictures. They had enjoyed the visit to the dam.
We paddled out super slow to the cove, hugging the shoreline to admire the foliage. They asked questions about the terrain. I added tidbits about the history and archaeology. They shared their knowledge of the colonial history from Pensacola, and compared the east coast and west coast waterways.
When it got dark enough, we started catching comb jellies. They had a great time with that and were intrigued by the science of it. The son (Daniel) injected his recent biology and history knowledge from high school.
Then the fish swarmed us, and we enjoyed that for a while. They saw a couple of shooting stars. The breeze blew us toward the center of the lake. I got nervous that speeding boat would come through in the dark like it did my last two tours. I asked them to paddle back toward the shore to avoid that, and she thanked me for keeping that in mind.
They discussed the potential for sleeping out there on a kayak, given a bug sheild. Tom said he was sure to capsize if he slept. I said I would love to try it with a blanket. As we floated around doing nothing but talking, I suggested we dabble our paddles toward home so we wouldn't have to work to get there. They thought that was a good idea, and we kept chatting as we dribbled back to the dam.
They asked if they could do this with their own kayaks. I said the dam is open till 9:00pm, and I didn't know of any rule against being out on the water at night. I said I'd ask the ranger if we see him.
At the dam, the insisted on helping me put away the gear. I was unsure I could delegate properly, and I was uncomfortable with them working after they had paid for this tour. I allowed them to help me load two kayaks at a time on the cart, but I insisted on pulling the cart. As we walked along with the cart, they asked how to see a sunrise. I suggested they go to the gas station at the entrance to GTM, then at 8:00, go up and enjoy GTM's middle beach.
Ranger Nick walked by. I introduced him and asked, "Didn't we have a question for the ranger?" Cecelia remembered and asked if they could kayak at night with their own kayaks. He said that was fine. He added that he wasn't actually on duty, he was just there. I apologized for putting him to work off duty, and he said no problem.
Once all the kayaks were in the yard, we said goodbye with warm handshakes. Cecelia gave me $20, and thanked her.
I had a nice, quiet time cleaning and storing the kayaks and left a spotless yard. I texted Gail and Lauren a thank-you and goodnight.
NGO text conversation
Monday · 3:20 PM
Gail Ingalls
Need a sweeper tomorrow eve, who is available?
Hayden Coddington
I’m not unfortunately
Justin Reinholz
I’m available at about 5:15 in the afternoon. I could get there.
Gail Ingalls
Great! 5:15 should be ok. 👍
Justin Reinholz
Is it at the north or the south entrance?
Gail Ingalls
Everything is at south now, north is closed
Justin Reinholz
Muneerah Ayotte
I won’t be available tomorrow but I will be available Friday late afternoon
👍
Claire McGrath
Replied to a message:
Sorry for the delay! I have family in town all week, so I don’t have much availability. If you get stuck let me know though and I’ll see what I can do! Otherwise I’ll be more free next week.
Justin Reinholz
I’m available every day this week
👍
Gail Ingalls
Replied to a message:
Liked “Sorry for the delay! I have family in town all week, so I don’t have much availability. If you get stuck let me know though and I’ll see what I can do! Otherwise I’ll be more free next week.”
Monday · 5:59 PM
(307) 631-6424
I am available Friday- Sunday.
Muneerah Ayotte
I know I said Friday but I just realized my extended family is going to be in town so I will probably not be available to this week
===============================================
Tuesday · 3:40 PM
Chat with Justin. Details
Hi is this Justin?
This is Amy at NGO.
[Amy: He never responded.]
===============================================
Tuesday · 9:33 PM
Chat with Gail Ingalls, Lauren
I think the tour went well but it appears nobody tipped. That doesn't bother me but it bothered Justin. He was in a hurry and doing a rush job trying to tell me what to do and not interested in protocol. I said I'd take care of the breakdown so he could leave.
I left two kayaks unplugged to drain. Headed out now.
I had a really nice night all things considered.
5:59 AM
Gail Ingalls
Interesting. Sorry to hear that about Justin and I wonder why he was in such a hurry. I hope you didn’t have to put it all away by yourself! I have not spent anytime with Justin and I really don’t know him yet.
I’m glad you had a nice evening! Thank you!! Enjoy your day 🙂
===============================================
Chat with ranger Sarah
Tuesday · 9:11 PM
Hi Amy! Are you at the dam? I just wanted to make sure since the car that is here looks like yours
Yes
===============================================
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Amy Howard
North Guana Outpost
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
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Night Bioluminescence Kayak Tour
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Night Bioluminescence Kayak Tour
5:45 PM – 7:15 PM
Online closed
9 booked
3 available
0 blocks
2 crew
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Amy Howard Lead Guide
Justin Reinholz Sweeper
Waiver Breakdown
3 bookings
6 Single Kayaks
3 Tandem Kayaks
9 not checked in
Not yet checked in
11 signed $0.00
#322656176 AVERY CENTRELLA
(904) 562-0281
1 Single Kayak
1 Tandem Kayak
Not checked in
Not yet checked in
4 signed
joanne Centrella
Jason Centrella
JASON CENTRELLA
Avery Centrella
$0.00
Open booking
#321657542 Kristy Marcard
+46 70 777 09 09
2 Single Kayaks
Not checked in
Not yet checked in
2 signed
Zack Allred
Hailey Laws Allred
$0.00
828-729-3004 stephanie Propst Zack
ZACK AND HAILEY ALLRED WILL BE GOING, UNDER MOTHERS NAME
Open booking
#320249564 Sarah symons
371699926621012
3 Single Kayaks
2 Tandem Kayaks
Not checked in
Not yet checked in
5 signed
john berger
Maya Berger
Luke Berger
Helena Geng (guardian)
Amira Khan
Zaki Khan
Sarah Symons
$0.00
Open booking
Custom manifests
===============================================
Amy's journal
- 3:40 I tried to touch base with Justin. He didn't respond.
- 4:00 I arrived.
- No one was at the shop.
- A cart already had three kayaks on it. I thought someone left it for me like Kara did on my last tour. One of the kayaks was different (tandem/metal seatbacks/blue/purple). The drain holes in the bottom were only about 1 inch deep. I thought it would take on water. But I took it anyway.
- I hauled all the kayaks for the manifest (6 single, 3 tandem). I positioned them on the beach. I was still skeptical about the odd one's drainage.
- I loaded two more kayaks for the guides.
- I piled the life jackets, paddles, and nets on the kayaks.
- 5:15 Justin arrived.
- He was eating a wrap and said he had to change into his suit.
- I checked the manifest to see if everyone had signed their waivers.
- 5:30 Justin joined me.
- He offered to pull the cart out. I agreed.
- As he closed the gate behind him, I asked him to fake-lock the padlock. Just make it look locked, but don't push it all the way in (Hayden taught me that). Justin questioned the security of that. I agreed, but explained that if he ever needed to run back to the shed before a tour, he'd regret having it locked. Sure enough, that proved true...
- As he hauled the cart, I asked him to drop the life jackets and paddles at the rock in the parking lot. I wanted to give orientation up there for my Guana River lesson and to avoid no-see-ums during orientation.
- I carried the nets to the launch and distributed them.
- I got started on the seatbacks, but stopped to get Justin's opinion on the odd kayak's drainage. He said it would take on water. I said I'm going to swap it out. I loaded it onto the cart and said I'd be right back. I also said I needed to change my shoes before we get in the water. He said he would finish the seatbacks.
- I asked him to also make sure everyone had a life jacket and paddle at the rock.
- 5:40 I returned with the new kayak and parked the cart.
- I asked Justin, "You got the seatbacks?" He held up the removable one and asked, "Is that what this is?" I said yes.
- Some guests were already waiting on the beach.
- I greeted them and explained we'd be starting up at the parking lot.
- We walked to the rock together, and a few other guests arrived.
- 5:45 Orientation started
- Everyone instinctively chose a life jacket and put it on.
- I introduced myself and Justin, and commended them on their life jackets. I said let's all get a paddle and go over proper paddle technique.
- Paddle confusion
- Every guest picked up a paddle. There weren't any left for me or Justin. I asked Justin where our paddles were. He said he took them back to the shop. He ran to get them.
- One of the guests handed me a paddle for demonstration.
- Justin returned as I turned my attention to the tour.
- I said, "I have been working with the research reserve for a couple of years, now, and I'm all about the ecosystem. I'd like to show you how Guana Lake gets its bioluminescent creatures."
- Parking pass delay
- Justin stopped me and said we needed two parking passes. I said the booking page instructs guests to pay for parking through their phone. Most of the guests agreed and said they did that already. I asked who didn't do that. Two people raised their hand. One of them was the young couple who had been booked by someone else.
- The last time I had a large group, it seemed a potential for distaste for guests who paid to park to then see other guests get it free due to some kind of insider information. I had decided to stick with NGO's public parking policy. Tonight, I started to show the unpaid guests the sign with the QR code to pay for parking. However, Justin said he also needed a parking pass. He was probably trained that way and would push back at me. I didn't want it to become a debate in front of the guests. I said alright, I'll be right back.
- The guests waited with Justin while I ran back to the shed and wrote out three parking passes. I ran back to the guests and handed out parking passes.
- Guana River intro
- While Justin and two others put parking passes in their car, I led the rest of the group over to the river side of the dam.
- I explained the ocean comes in twice a day to the intracoastal waterway at the St. Augustine inlet. I said about 2.5 miles that way (pointing), Guana River branches off of the ICW and comes up here. I said lots of ocean life comes in with the tide. I listed some species, including the bioluminescent creatures we will see tonight.
- Guana Dam intro
- I walked the group over to the lake side of the dam. I explained what great fishing it is there. I listed some interesting species that show up on people's fishing lines.
- As I led them toward the launch, Justin pointed out the floodlight at the dam. He told the group to head for that light when we are returning from our tour.
- I said I needed to add a caveat to that. I said we needed to stay clear of the dam structure because the current can pull us in. I told them we should look toward that light on our way back, but stear to the left of it. I pointed out the the point and told them we were going to a cove just past that. I asked them to stay away from the middle of the lake because sometimes a boat comes through there, even at night. Also, there's more wind in the middle.
- 6:00 Seat back delay
- I invited everyone to chose their kayak and hop in. The people closest to me asked how to set the seat up. I looked down the line and all the seats were stilled tightened down and would not just flip up for the guests. Justin was at the other end of the line chatting. I apologized and started opening all the seat backs. A couple of people watched and figured it out on their own.
- 6:05? On the water
- As we paddled out, I told the group it doesn't take long to get there, so just take their time paddling. People asked me questions and I expounded on them. One lady asked me how far it was to the point. I said that's a great question; I'll need to Google Map that.
- As we arrived at the cove, the fish were already jumping. I told them there are several species that jump and it is very possible one will land in their lap. I asked them to hold on and not tip. I said if they get uncomfortable with it, we'll try to paddle way from it..
- We gathered around and I asked if anyone had done this before. One lady said she had. I asked where, and she said here. I asked how it went, and she said it was wonderful.
- I explained the comb jellies to the group while they fished for them. I distributed cups for them, and Justin helped with that.
- While the guests enjoyed catching comb jellies, Justin asked if I didn't do it myself. I said I usually do, but more so I like to listen to how it's going with the guests.
- After a while, Justin pointed out to the group that we had drifted to the other side. We were actually in the middle of the lake. I thanked him and asked everyone to notice the breeze and counteract it with light paddling back toward the east shore. Throughout the tour, Justin and I both reminded them a couple more times.
- 6:30 time check
- The wind was also pushing us slightly north. I also asked the group a few times to combat that so we wouldn't have to work hard to get back at the end.
- Lesson: make this a memorable, fun part of the orientation so it does not sound bossy during the tour.
- The wind was also pushing us slightly north. I also asked the group a few times to combat that so we wouldn't have to work hard to get back at the end.
- 6:50 wind down
- The breeze was picking up.
- I asked the group to gently paddle toward the dam so we didn't end up having to work hard at the end. I said we're good on time. I asked if anyone had a schedule they had to get to after this. No one answered.
- As we gently paddled, the guests asked questions and we chatted. Justin chatted with a group at the back.
- The fish jumped around us the entire way. I explained the predator species they are running from, such as red drum and sea trout. I explained the fame and beauty of the red drum, and its streaming way of swimming and flip way of grabbing prey.
- I paddled backward much of the way so I could chat with guests. I explained the layout of the land, the name Tolomato, fishing at Guana, etc. They also asked:
- Are comb jellies the main diet of a sunfish?
- Do comb jellies have a decentralize nervous system, since they don't have a brain?
- Why was the lake created?
- Can you bring your own paddleboard at night?
- What is my background?
- 7:15 debarking
- A couple of boats reached shore before me. They pulled their kayaks in and asked what to do with their life jackets. I told them to leave them in the kayak.
- When everyone was on shore, I thanked the group and said it was nice spending the evening with them. I encouraged them to explore Guana dam some more before they leave, and reminded them it stays open till 9pm.
- Justin was chatting with the young couple who had been booked by someone else. He mentioned 'best honeymoon ever', and they said, 'yes!'
- Everyone said thank you and made their way to their cars.
- 7:20 packing up
- I started collecting the life jackets into one kayak.
- Justin brought the cart down and we loaded two kayaks. He said, "one more?" I had already hauled 11 kayaks and swapped one of those out. I said I only feel like hauling two at a time, but if he wants to do three, he can. He went ahead and started pulling the cart with two kayaks on it. I noticed they were nearly touching the grab bar. He said, "They need to be over the wheels, right?" But he was walking away as he said it and showed no interest in my guidance, so I left him to his own judgment.
- I collected all the nets and cups and put them in one kayak.
- I collected all the paddles and put them into one kayak.
- Justin returned with the cart.
- 7:30 no tips
- Justin said, "No tips?" I said, "Not yet." I was not surprised, after our bumpy start.
- Justin said something like, "I can't believe that." I said, "It happens." He said, "It's never happened to me." I said, "Coming from the tourism industry, I know not everybody tips." He said, "I always tip." Then he said, "The last trip I went on here, we got like $100 in tips." I said, "The booking page says you can tip by Venmo. If something comes in there, I'll let you know and split it with you." He said okay.
- 7:45 kayak storage
- At the shed, I took the other cart to get more kayaks. I loaded two kayaks on the cart and piled all the gear on them. Justin came back and loaded two more kayaks on his cart.
- When we reached the shed, Justin had a stack of four kayaks on the ground right where I usually wash them one at a time on the cart. I believe I picked up that habit from Hayden. It was solidified when Kara showed me how helpful the cart is to position the kayak at the storage rack. Now, there was no room to get a cart around the stack.
- I pulled my cart full of gear in and started hanging life jackets on their hangers. I stopped to re-think my game plan.
- Justin said, "You want to help me with these?" I asked, "Help you what?" He said, "Put them on the wash rack so we can put them away." I said, "I usually wash them on the cart and use it to load them on the rack. I'm trying to reconfigure here." He said, "They need to be washed on that rack, because you have to flip them over. That's how I was trained."
- I glanced at the pile and at the wash rack. I remembered having that exactly same conversation with Hayden, and he dismissed the wash rack, which I was now doing. Maybe he hadn't worked with Hayden or Kara yet.
- Justin declined training
- I asked Justin how long he'd been with NGO. He said, "This is my second time." I asked, "Second time as a sweeper?" He said, "Second time total." I asked, "You haven't been trained?" He said, "Yes, I was training on my first trip." I asked, "That's it?" I was thinking that Gail told me guides must be trained three times without pay before they can be a paid guide. I said, "So, I'm supposed to be training you?" He said, "No. I spoke with Lauren. She knows my experience. We've been to some of the same places. She said just jump in and I'll pick it up as I go." I said, "Do you want me to train you?" He said, "I don't need it. I have eyes!"
- Justin had the hose and was spraying the pile of kayaks. I decided to wash the gear. I tried to fire up the pressure washer, but the noise made me think I was doing it wrong. I turned it off and put it back in storage.
- Justin took the hose and gave a cursory shot at the paddles, which were not all facing the same direction like I had learned from Hayden, which makes the rinse path more reliable and makes them store more compact. I hung the nets and cups and started aligning the paddles.
- Meanwhile, Justin hung all the life jackets. He sprayed the back of the back one and asked, "We have to rinse these, too?" I said yes. He ran the hose over the top of them, then returned to kayak pile. I wanted wanted the hose so I could finish rinsing the paddes. Also, the life jackets needed to be rinsed inside and out because they often fall in the sand. Most of them were now inside out on their hangers and not clipped at the top, as Hayden had taught me so they don't slip off the hanger.
- Justin said, "You want to give me a hand with this?" He was holding one end of a kayak. I doubted the kayak was fully rinsed, and I was not interested in finishing my night being pressured by someone else to do things fast and sloppy. Before I could respond, Justin said, "You want me to do this by myself? Is that how this works. Okay." I said, "I have a system." He said, "Oh, you have a system. Well, this is how I was trained." He carried a kayak to the lower rack and shoved it in on top of the tandem I had left face up with the seats open. Then he shoved another kayak in on top of that [see photo].
- Justin excused
- Justin said, "I don't have all night. I have somewhere to be." He went out to the yard and said, something bossy like, "Why don't you do that while I wash these?"
- I was over the rushed, bossy, sloppy scene. I said, "No, I'm up for that." He said, "You're not up for tag-teaming." I shook my head and said, "No. I'll take care of it. You go ahead and go. If any tips come in, I'll let you know and split it with you." He said, "You sure?" I said yes, it's fine. He said alright. He got his keys and left.
- After he was gone, I had a lovely, peaceful time, arranging the paddles and rinsing them properly, inverting the life jackets, clipping them, and rinsing them properly, rinsing the kayaks one at a time on the cart and loading them onto their racks.
- I went to the dam and found two singles and a tandem out there. I hauled them in and washed and stored them.
- There wasn't enough room on a lower rack for the last tandem. The front lower rack was full from two face-up tandems with their seats open, with two singles piled on top of those by Justin. I pulled the two singles out. Both of the singles still had their seats opened up, which prevented them from sliding in sideways without the seat getting caught. I pulled them back down and tightened down the seats, then pushed them back up on the rack.
- One of the kayaks had a broken rear bungee handle. It had been pulled out of its hole at the back of the kayak and was dangling loose. [photo]
- Two of the kayaks sloshed with water. I opened their drains and propped them to angle toward the drain [photos]. I mentioned it in my text to Gail and Lauren.
- 9:33 check in with NGO
- I texted Gail and Lauren that I had excused Justin and was just finished cleaning up.
- 9:35 check in with ranger
- I noticed ranger Sarah's text and answered her. She was in the ranger truck by the hose. I rinsed my legs and shoes, then chatted with her. I asked why she was here past 9:00, and hoped it wasn't because of me. She said they were supposed to stay till 9:30 to see if anyone tried to come in after hours. They're supposed to text Dodd if it happens. She said Nick and Jim don't always do it. I said there were trucks outside the gate two nights in a row recently. She said it was scary for me to be out there alone. I said I should be scared, but so far, I love it. I said it helps to know that Josie and Dodd are right there. Plus, a night heron often hangs out with me at the kayak launch.
===============================================
My claims about Justin
No protocol:
- Seat backs
- For guests: He said (and thought?) they were open, but they were still locked down.
- For storage: He put away two kayaks with seatbacks propped open.
- Paddles
- Stacked them mixed ways and did not rinse both sides.
- Life jackets
- Hung them mixed ways
- Did not snap the top buckle
- Did not wash inside and out
- Kayaks
- Shoved two kayaks face-up on top of the open seat backs of two tandems.
- Dam light
- Steered guests toward the light but not away from the dam structure.
- Lead guide leads
- Parking passes: He should have deferred to my lead as lead guide; instead, he challenged it in front of guests.
- Workload
- In loading the kayaks afterward, he demanded help without acknowledging that I had hauled them all out there before he arrived.
- When I offered to finish the job without him, he happily accepted.
- Bossy
- Rather than let me do things my way, He said, "You want to give me a hand here?"
- Loading kayaks after tour
- I helped him load, but he started walking away when I eyed the position of them.
- Loading kayaks on wash rack
- When I said I prefer to wash them on the cart and then roll them to the rack, he disagreed with no interest in my insight.
- He said that's how he was trained, with no thought that I had been trained even more.
- Loading kayaks on storage rack
- I wanted to check the kayaks for sand and seat position, but he we was already past that point.
- No respect for my system as lead:
- Dump kayaks on ground
- I said I had a system and needed to re-think. He disregarded that and argued his own logic.
- Later, he said sarcastically, rhetorically, "Oh, you have a system?"
- Dump kayaks on ground
I asked Hayden if I could shadow him tonight to get the logistics internalized.
Wednesday · 2:13 PM
Hi Hayden. Can I help you tonight for no pay and no tips? I want to get more grounded, and I really like your logistics. I'll just help with setup and breakdown and pretend to be a guest during the tour. May I?
Yes of course! You’re always more than welcome on my tours!!
🙂 Thanks! See you soon.
❤️
2:14 PM
Would you have any interest in working as a golf cart night of lights guide? Even if you just wanted to do two or three nights a week. We’re looking to get rid of a guy working six nights a week. I’m working Sundays but looking for additional people to fill his nights. It’s $20 an hour and the tips are great.
Sure 🙂
John Charlotte City Tours.vcf
171 B
Wednesday · 5:11 PM
In route now. Got caught up at the shop handling stuff from picture weekend. If you want to start getting some things pulled that would be awesome. I’ll be there in 15.
👍
=============================================
Amy's journal
- Setup
- I pulled all kayaks and gear, and asked him to assess my work.
- He thanked me and checked. Said everything looked great, but he would not have hung the life jackets on the fence. He would have tucked them into the kayaks.
- Greeting
- A woman arrived with her family, approached at the pavilion, and told Hayden she had a great tour with him in the past. He chatted with her until he was able to remember them, and they continued their chat all night.
- Another couple arrived, and he greeted them on the way to the launch.
- Hayden and his guests went directly to the launch.
- The launch was swarming with no-see-ums. There was no breeze. But Hayden conducted his orientation there anyway, promising to keep it brief.
- Parking
- Hayden never mentioned it
- Life jackets
- Hayden wore a life jacket, but told the guests they didn't have to.
- He said he wore one so people could tell who the guide is and he would look more professional.
- He said the lake is 3' deep. If you tip, just stand up.
- Paddle technique
- Hayden never mentioned it
- My presence
- Hayden told the group I was a newer guide and there to get some reps in. He apologized for the sports reference and said he was a football coach. He asked the guests to ignore me. I chuckled.
- Launch
- Hayden said we will pull the guests out, and we did
- Paddle out
- Hayden said we will mosey that way and try to get away from the no-see-ums.
- On the way, he chatted with the other couple, asked where they were from, etc.
- Everyone listed to the chat, which was mostly a story of his uber-serious father buying weed
- On location
- He didn't go all the way to the cove.
- He went to the middle of the lake at the point.
- Orientation about the geography of the Guana Reserve
- ICW, inlet, length of the estuary
- What is an estuary?
- Why is it important?
- marsh buffers storm surge
- Included his childhood experiences there
- He explained how to find the bio
- said you can hold them in your hand and squeeze them a little
- During bio fishing
- While the guests played with the bio on their own
- Hayden visited each group and made personal connections
- He went to school at Bolles on a needs-based scholarship
- Grew up in St. Johns, couldn't afford the prices around Bolles or Guana
- After bio fishing
- Hayden explained the comb jellies and bioluminescence
- What percentage of marine life is bioluminescent?
- Repeat guest remembered 80%
- There's even biolum dolphin due to biolum in its diet, like flamingos
- Comb jellies
- Asked for prior knowledge
- Couple said they saw it at Naples while swimming in the ocean at night
- Keystone species as a major food source
- What is a keystone species? Discussion, referencing his own learning paths
- Joked he has a dream of going skinny dipping with them
- The couple said they may or may not have been skinny dipping at Naples
- Asked for prior knowledge
- Return paddle
- Prepped by saying it takes 20 minutes to paddle back
- Not on a timeline
- We'll just mosey that way
- Don't reach the launch before he does
- Goodbye speech
- Guests arrived at the launch before Hayden but honored his request to wait for him.
- He paddled to the front and turned around, forming another circle.
- He said a five-minute thank you for taking the tour. Their patronage:
- Allows him to spend time in this place he loves so much
- He grew up 30 minutes that way and now lives 20 minutes that way
- Honors this special place
- We work mostly for tips
- We accept cash and Venmo
- Their patronage affords him to share his passion with others
- Supports NGO
- small company
- mother-daughter owned
- Allows him to spend time in this place he loves so much
- Disembarking
- Hayden told the guests we will pull them in, which we did
- He chatted with each group and they tipped him
- He encouraged people to stick around and explore the dam
- I collected all the materials into one kayak
- Breaking down
- Hayden said they tipped well and gave me a $20 bill. I refused and said absolutely not. He let it fall to the ground. We disputedit for quite a while. I said I would not want to share my tips if I was in his position - it was his tour. I said I wanted to be able to shadow him without taking up his time AND his money. He said he had thought about it on the way there and decided on a threshold where he would share, and he hit the threshhold.
- At the shed, he wished he had a headlamp. He said he needed to get one. I asked if I could give him one of mine because it came with two. That would make me feel better about him tipping me. He accepted it.
- Question about Justin
- Hayden asked how it went with Justin the other night. I didn't answer, then said "I'll take the 5th."
- He said he'd never met him but was already getting a weird feeling about him.
Lessons learned
- Forget formalities
- parking
- paddle technique
- life jackets
- Trade education for relationship
- Save education for stationary at the site
- circle around for the discussion
- Split topics
- Describe the reserve geography
- Play with bios before explaining
- Explain bios after it gets old
- No cups
- Let people hold them in their hand
Re: North Guana Outpost kayak tour
From: sharvari gujja
To: amy@amyjohoward.com
Date: 2025-12-24 14:58
Thank you so much!
On Wed, Dec 24, 2025 at 2:31PM amy@amyjohoward.com wrote:
Hi Asharvari.
Here are the photos I took of you and the girls Sunday night. I sent them to this phone number that
night but didn't hear back from you:
617-699-3430
Please let me know if you received them this way.
I really enjoyed your girls, by the way.
Amy Howard
North Guana Outpost
6 attachments
2025-12-21 kayak tour-1.jpg (315 KB)
2025-12-21 kayak tour-2.jpg (1 MB)
2025-12-21 kayak tour-3.jpg (1 MB)
2025-12-21 kayak tour-4.jpg (1 MB)
2025-12-21 kayak tour-5.jpg (1013 KB)
2025-12-21 kayak tour-6.jpg (139 KB)
Re: Guana kayak pics
From: DJ Murphy
To: Amy Howard
Date: 2025-12-30 17:13
Thank you so much for a great outing, we really lucked out! And thanks for the pictures!
Dan Murphy
On Mon, Dec 29, 2025 at 8:56PM Amy Howard wrote:
Hi Daniel.
I still can't get over that weather. The wind picked up right after you left and the temperature dropped before I got
home.
Attached are the pictures I took. I found that when I text pictures these days, they are reduced to a very small size. I
figured email was the safer option.
Have a safe trip home.
Amy Howard
North Guana Outpost
2/23/26, 9:29 PM Re: Guana kayak pics
https://mail.hostinger.com/v2/mailboxes/INBOX/1008 1/1
I really wrote this on 11/26/2025. I just dated it today because that's when I sent it to Gail.
I am often asked by guests what is my background. Also, Hayden and Gail wanted a short bio for the NGO website.
Bio published
Amy grew up roaming the forests and springs of central Florida. She gradually migrated toward the coast, and graduated from Flagler College in 2007. In St. Augustine, she dove into history and education, writing for tourism publications and teaching in various capacities. In 2023, she joined the team at the GTM Research Reserve to learn and teach the native ecosystem of the Guana estuary. She continues to enjoy, learn, and share our local nature every chance she gets.
Details
- Grew up in Florida
- Graduated Flagler College - English
- Wrote literature for the tourism industry, mostly history.
- Worked with the St. Augustine historical society and gave tours.
- Raised two children
- Taught Chemistry 4 years
- Back to writing now
- Frequenting the Guana Reserve since 2002
- Working with GTM Research Reserve since 2023
- education programs
- research monitoring tasks.
- Kayak tours since October 2025
Re: NGO Eco Tour 2/20
From: Julia Mendenhall
To: amy@amyjohoward.com
Date: 2026-02-22 19:55
Hi Amy, thank you for sending these. I do think they are a little clearer! I totally get it about the digital space issues. I have
the same problem thus the 2 phones I have, one of which only works on wifi lol. Thank you for putting in a good word for
me. Too bad the weather looks so yucky this week! Julia
On Sun, Feb 22, 2026 at 12:54PM amy@amyjohoward.com wrote:
Hi Julia.
Attached are those pictures I texted you. I don't know if these will reflect the size difference as much because I
already compressed them and deleted the originals. I am a digital hoarder and getting warnings from all
angles that my storage is full. That caused me to forget I promised you full size pics :(
Anyway, you were a great partner, and I told NGO you were a natural.
Amy
2/23/26, 9:56 AM Re: NGO Eco Tour 2/20
https://mail.hostinger.com/v2/mailboxes/INBOX/1387 1/1
- Flip open sign
- IPad login 4415
- Clock in
- Open Shopify
- Register icon
- Start new session
- Cash in drawer starts at 200. Check it
- Or you can use the scanner on item. Hold it behind the iPad or use the wand. Hold power button down until it beeps.
- Bait thread do not have barcodes so find them in Shopify
- Stickers are not individual in inventory
- For a kayak rental, go to bookings and ask the customer if they have booked with us before and search for them before entering all their information again.
- Verify their contract information
- Select the item under calendar for the booking
- Any previous rentals will appear in the new booking. Be sure to adjust if it's different
- Wednesday 1/2 off of SUP, single, and double kayaks. Not advertised. Pricing drop-down has half off. This will still be set from the last half-off for that customer
- Cc machine disconnects all the time. Usually have to type in cc#
- Customers can split the payment. Enter partial.
- ALL CUSTOMERS MUST HAVE CARD ON FILE, even if they pay cash
- Must get a cc and driver license on file for call-aheads and also cash pay if they take equipment off property (24-hr rental)
- Bona fide fishing check the kayaks: 2 anchors, cupholder, reel holder, mesh seat, their choice of one bag of bait, paddle, life jacket. Store the plastic parts and the seat but you can leave the anchors on.
- Fishing SUP also gets a cooler... Doesn't matter which one. WARN PEOPLE NOT TO USE THE TACKLE RACK FOR SUPPORT IF THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO FALL BECAUSE IT WILL CRACK THE BOARD AND THEY WILL BE BUYING A NEW SUP.
- Never send SUPs on the river bc oyster
- Bike tires always deflate between rentals
- One bike requires an allen key to adjust the seat. The Allen key is in the toolbox in the shop
- Helmets are optional
- Waiver mandatory for every rental. Generate QR code on transaction
- press Checked in, then RETURNED in FH
- Keep phone on you when you go outside
- Always burn the ends of bungees
- Flip closed sign