Zip Line and Aerial Park Groundbreaking is a Who's Who on St. Patrick's Day

18/03/2016 15:15

OLDSMAR, Fla., March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On a beautiful St. Patrick's Day morning at Oldsmar's Bicentennial Park on the Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve, a variable who's who of Tampa Bay gathered to celebrate nature's greenery with a ceremonial groundbreaking for Empower Adventures Tampa Bay's (EATB) Zip Line and Aerial Park scheduled for a grand opening in mid-May 2016.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160318/345873

As the ribbon was flowing and participants sported branded hard hats and shiny shovels with brass plates, the most uncommon part of this traditional groundbreaking was the "who" part. Two rescued owls were featured VIP guests that attended the ceremony on behalf of the Florida Audubon Society with handlers Barbara Walker and Carol Slocum.
"Gonzo," a Great Horned Owl and "Winston Churchowl," a Barred Owl served as ambassadors at the ceremony reminding everyone of the natural beauty we all share with the preserve and the wonder of flight above that awaits the completion of this unique eco-friendly experience. With guests like Oldsmar Mayor Doug Bevis and his Council Members, Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice, Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce members, and representatives from Senators Rubio and Nelson's Office; the two owls made this traditional groundbreaking extraordinarily memorable for the entire group.

EATB Partner Dev Pathik said, "We are so pleased to be partnered with the City of Oldsmar to build a zip line and aerial adventure park on the pristine Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve. Our connection and respect for nature is a big part of partnering with organizations like the Florida Audubon Society and many others. Our course is unique and different from others, as it's not a large theme park-based course with hundreds of attendees per day. It's extremely eco-friendly and will blend naturally into the beautiful, quiet and graceful surroundings of upper Tampa Bay. And just like our birds of prey guests, our visitors will zip across aerial lines traversing water and literally flying at the level of our local osprey, eagles and owls taking in an exhilarating bird's eye view unlike any other in Tampa Bay."

According to EATB, the park will feature a 55-foot-tall start tower, five zip lines of varying lengths, a 100-foot suspension bridge as well as other adventure park elements such as log bridges, catwalk bridges, steps, tires, and poles. Professional guides will lead groups through the course, which will take approximately an hour and a half to complete and will run at varying times during the day.

EATB Founder and former Army Ranger Captain Joe DeRing said, "We build these experiences to allow people to see the natural environment in its undisturbed form; to give people a true 'bird's eye view' of the different habitats that exist in the preserve. We work hard to provide authentic eco experiences that families can share together. And our leadership classes help youth learn to bring their best self to school, athletics, the arts, church and in life."

EATB's mission is to empower teams and individuals to seek their highest potential. We achieve this mission by delivering powerful adventure experiences in beautiful settings that take people outside of their normal comfort zone.

For more information on Empower Adventures of Tampa Bay visit www.zipontampabay.com or call 1-855-ZIP-ONTB.