Happy Stewardship Saturday!

Today, we're highlighting the great work of Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), a nonprofit conservation organization in Fredericksburg, VA. FOR was formed in 1985 by citizens concerned with the health of the Rappahannock River. Originally focused on the river where it flows through Fredericksburg, Virginia, FOR now works to conserve the entire watershed of the Rappahannock, from its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains to its terminus where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

As one of the ACA's 2015 Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Grant recipients, FOR is using its grant funding to work with the City of Fredericksburg, the local Girl Scout Troop, and community volunteers to install a proper “soft launch” for paddle craft at the campground at the confluence of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. The confluence is owned and managed by the City and protected by a conservation easement; it is also among the most popular stopping points for overnight paddle trips on both the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. The current area where paddlers put in and take out is nothing more than a mud slide. The new low-impact soft launch will eliminate erosion, provide a long lasting slide for paddlers, and expand public access to the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers. 



Please visit www.riverfriends.org to learn more about Friends of the Rappahannock and what you can do to help support their conservation efforts.

Through funds provided by L.L. Bean, the ACA's Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Program has provided nearly $130,000 to over 135 different stewardship initiatives since its inception thirteen years ago. 

Inspired to start your own local stewardship project? Apply for the CFS grant next year! Get more information here. Or just order yourself a Paddle Green Bag and take it with you the next time you hit the water. 

Stewardship Saturday is an ongoing theme of the ACA Water Blog where we we shine a spotlight on organizations and individuals who are working hard to make the world a better place to paddle. Want to be featured? Email ACA Communications Coordinator Catharine Lloyd at clloyd@americancanoe.org to tell her about the stewardship work you are doing in your local community.

The Paddling Life

This article by Cindy Scherrer of Shellback Paddle Experience was originally published in the May 2015 issue of Paddle. 

Steve and Cindy Scherrer

Steve and I have been paddling enthusiasts for more than 30 years. Paddling has also become our pursuit of a “career” and creating more paddling enthusiasts is our mission. We were self-taught whitewater kayakers in the early days simply because we didn’t know anyone and there wasn’t much information available. We understood our limits and recognized the skills we needed to learn to advance and stay safe. Through chance encounters on local rivers and a popular paddling club, we met people and paddled as much as we could get away with. As the sport grew so did our circle of friends and our skills.

Steve is a natural born teacher/thinker. He’s got to figure it out and then test it on whoever is around, usually me. We opened a kayaking shop close to our home which was on the Sandy River. It turned out to be a perfect place to teach people a few skills. The evolutionary process was set in motion. Store sold equipment, store owner gave lessons and (surprise) store owner got to spend time on the river guiding trips. 

Our business was growing at a healthy pace as was kayaking. We decided to pursue a more systematic approach to our instruction program. Steve had the opportunity to get certified as an American Canoe Association whitewater kayak instructor in 1992. This was the beginning of an ongoing relationship with the ACA and getting the opportunity to work with many gifted trainers and educators. It was just what we needed to create a sustainable culture promoting paddlesports education.

Over the next 23 years Steve continued the journey through the ACA Instructor certification process to earn upper level certifications in various disciplines. They include: Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer, Advanced WW Kayak (L/5) Instructor Trainer Educator, Advanced Open Water Kayak (L/5) Instructor Trainer Educator, Stand Up Paddleboard (L/2) Instructor Trainer Educator.

After we sold the store I became certified as an Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor. We had the opportunity to travel and teach in different areas of the country working for Confluence Watersports. This was a great opportunity to cross pollinate by experiencing regional differences in paddling which contributed to our ability to stay current with trends and styles. We taught at kayak symposiums, worked demo events, and consulted for boat design and equipment development. It was great to be able to continue working with our many friends we had made over the years in the industry.

When Steve tried SUP he was immediately hooked by the freedom to move around and the challenge of it. It took me longer to be swayed. I thought a sea kayak was a much more efficient and worthy vessel. Once he was certified as an instructor and I once again the guinea pig, using his guileful charm and superior teaching methods he won me over, hook, line and sinker! So much so that I also became an ACA L2 SUP Instructor Trainer.

Last year we decided it was time for a change and we left our positions with Confluence and decided to keep spreading the ACA instructional message. Through Shellback Paddle Experience we plan to travel around the country specializing in ACA SUP teaching and training. We’ll see old friends and meet new ones, still chasing that paddling lifestyle career!

Visit www.shellbackpe.com and click on their Calendar to see where Steve and Cindy are teaching near you!

Timelapse Video of Whitewater Park Cleanup

On the weekend of May 16th and 17th, a total of 83 volunteers turned out to clean up the Wausau Whitewater Park in Wausau, Wisconsin. The event was sponsored by the ACA affiliate Wausau Kayak/Canoe Corp, who offered a free recreational release for volunteers who helped clean the course. 

Check out the time-lapse video of the event below. 

While the volunteers at the Wausau Whitewater Park were able to make a 2 hour cleanup look like 20 seconds, there are still a lot of rivers out there that need some tender love and care! Gather a crew and your Paddle Green Bag, tackle some trash on your favorite waterway, and tell us about it by sending your #stewardship stories to our Stewardship Coordinator at zhavens@americancanoe.org!

For more information on how to paddle green, visit: www.americancanoe.org/StreamtoSea

ACA Member Paddling 1000+ Miles to Raise Awareness for Ocean Health

By Zane Havens, ACA Stewardship Coordinator

When we heard that a member of the ACA was proposing an outrigger canoe journey of over 1000 miles, we were intrigued. Long distance paddling can be both exhilarating and stressful; with exposure to the elements, long periods of exhausting activity, and extreme psychological strain all working against the paddler, it is certainly no simple feat. However, when Margo Pellegrino, wife and mother of two, told us she was attempting this paddle in order to bring attention to the environmental issues currently affecting our waters, we really paid attention.

And this is exactly what Margo Pellegrino wants. This journey is just the first part of her Big Apple 2 the Big Easy project, an expedition by outrigger from New York, NY to New Orleans, LA along inland waterways. During this project, Margo will be traveling with her documentarian, who will record their experiences and their encounters with those who are directly impacted by river and ocean health during their voyage, bringing a voice to watersheds around the country.

Margo was kind enough to answer some of our questions about her project and provide insight into what she hopes to accomplish with her effort. 

ACA: The goal of Paddle4Blue is to bring attention to the environmental issues that impact our world’s watersheds. In our country alone, there is a surfeit of different threats to our waterways; which of these issues are you going to focus on for your Big Apple 2 The Big Easy journey?

MP: I’ll be focusing on run-off issues (like last year’s toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie), the issue of plastics and other contaminants in our waterways, and the need to protect our waterways with the creation of new Clean Water Rules and by individuals taking responsibility and action.

ACA: As you make your way across the country, do you plan on stopping in cities and towns along the way to speak and educate people about your message? Are there any places in particular that you are excited about stopping in? Is there a place where you are announcing your “tour schedule”?

MP: I’ll be announcing my tour schedule online via my website, and on social media. Our folks in Blue Frontier’s DC office (as well as the logistics manager traveling with me and partnering organizations such as Earth Justice and local organizations) will also do media outreach. I’m excited about the whole journey, but I’m especially excited about being in new waterways and seeing the mighty Hudson up close and personal beyond NYC. Plus, the big city aspect is thrilling—Chicago and especially Detroit. Talk about water issues—Detroit is loaded with them!

ACA: This isn’t the first time that you have paddled a long distance for an environmental cause. What is the hardest part of the journey? What makes it all worthwhile?

MP: What makes it worthwhile is when even one person comes up to me and says, “Wow, I never really thought about that before.” Also, when I get to meet folks who have been “in the trenches” working on their local issues for years; I LOVE being able to share their stories with others. Their stories become part of my presentations later on. The hardest part without a doubt is leaving my family.

ACA: You are doing all of this on a very limited budget. How do you house and feed yourself during the journey?

MP: I’ve been doing some fundraising to cover expenses, but I’m not fancy, so the budget is minimal (a good thing, as I’m a lousy fundraiser). Of course, this journey would not be possible without the help of volunteers willing to host me and my logistics manager. It’s also a great way to share stories and information; it really is the best way for us to understand what makes an area so special, and my hosts become part of the stories I share with others. We are even happy to just camp in a yard, never mind have a bed! 

ACA: If you could choose one overarching goal of your journey, what would it be? What would you like to accomplish? 

MP: Ha! I don’t have simple goals—I want the whole kit and caboodle! I would love for folks to see the value in their waterways and why we need to keep them clean. Part of the value is that our waterways and ocean are amazing playgrounds, no matter your fitness level or what you paddle. I think that when people value a resource, they are more naturally inclined to protect it. Part of the problem (and why I’m doing what I’m doing) is that folks don’t know how degraded our waterways are; they don’t even recognize that the problems are out there to begin with! Once they understand, they really do start to care. Who doesn’t want clean water to drink and paddle/play in?

If you are interested in helping Margo Pellegrino by hosting her during this incredible journey, or if you'd like to see where she is paddling now, please reach out to her by visiting https://paddle4blue.wordpress.com/ 

You've Never Seen Canoeing Like This Before

The ACA is excited to announce that Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock River will be the site of the 2015 ACA Canoe Poling National Championships. The competition will have slalom and wildwater events in classes from beginner to advanced. Competitors will travel from as far away as Maine, New York, Missouri and Texas to attend the event.

The Virginia Outdoor Center, located on Fall Hill Road, is the primary event sponsor.

The races will be held Saturday June 6th with practice and free skills clinics occurring on Friday afternoon, June 5th.

Canoe poling, which was recognized as a competitive sport by the ACA in 1965, has a long and colorful history. Early man used saplings to propel dugouts up and down streams long before the paddle was invented, and voyageurs used wooden poles to help them navigate wilderness rivers before there were any roads. This paddlesport discipline combines both the history of the sport with highly skilled competitors.

This year, the Canoe Poling Nationals are part of the inaugural Rock the River FXBG event. This all-day, stewardship-focused festival features environmental educational programs from local conservation organizations, on-water paddling instruction, river clean-ups, a running race, ultimate Frisbee, and a riverfront beer and blues festival.

The ACA National Office, located in downtown Fredericksburg, is proud to bring this unique event back to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

www.americancanoe.org/CanoePoling  

  

Memorial Day - Office Closed

The ACA National Office will be closed today in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26th at 9am EST.

If you're getting out on the water this long weekend, have fun and be safe. 

Happy Stewardship Saturday

Welcome to the long weekend! This Stewardship Saturday, we're highlighting the great work of the Colorado River Alliance. As one of the ACA's 2015 Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Grant recipients, Colorado River Alliance is planning to use its grant money to form a new volunteer group to assist with their annual cleanup that draws an average of 800 volunteers each year. 

The Lake Travis Cleanup is the largest and oldest water-based cleanup in Texas. This 20 year-old event has removed over 105 tons of trash from 10 shoreline and 10 underwater sites in Lake Travis, which is part of the Texas Colorado River. For the 21st Annual Lake Travis Cleanup, the Colorado River Alliance will enhance the effectiveness of its environmental and social impact by engaging the paddling community in the Austin area to form a new volunteer group: The Lake Travis Cleanup Paddling Pioneers. 

With the support of event Partners, this volunteer group will muster approximately 100 canoes and kayaks (with 1-2 persons per vessel) to remove litter from the shoreline and shallow water areas within ten parks. 

Through funds provided by L.L. Bean, the ACA's Club Fostered Stewardship (CFS) Program has provided nearly $130,000 to over 135 different stewardship initiatives since its inception thirteen years ago. 

Inspired to start your own local stewardship project? Apply for the CFS grant next year! Get more information here. Or just order yourself a Paddle Green Bag and take it with you the next time you hit the water. 

Stewardship Saturday is an ongoing theme of the ACA Water Blog where we we shine a spotlight on organizations and individuals who are working hard to make the world a better place to paddle. Want to be featured? Email ACA Communications Coordinator Catharine Lloyd at clloyd@americancanoe.org and tell her all about the stewardship work you are doing in your local community.