4
PADDLEBOARDING FOR GOOD
The big Windermere survey – you can help too !
Photo : Jumpy James
Jo Moseley
Hello . My name is Jo Moseley , and I am the author of the ‘ Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in England , Scotland , and Wales ’ and the newly published ‘ Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District – Beautiful Places to Paddleboard in Cumbria ’. I am also the host of ‘ The Joy of SUP – The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast ’ and a proud ambassador for the Seaful Charity .
In this column , I share inspiring stories of environmental projects and mental wellbeing initiatives and how we can make SUP more accessible . If you have a story , please email me at thejoyofsuppodcast @ gmail . com or on Instagram @ jomoseley .
I was honoured to be invited to paddle through Standedge Tunnel with the Canal and River Trust earlier this summer . Look out for SUP trips next year !
It was also great to write for Outdoor Swimmer magazine about how SUP can enhance your swimming .
Photo : Canal and River Trust
Photos : Freshwater Biological Association
As paddleboarders , we are keenly aware of the health of our lakes and rivers . You may have seen campaigning around Windermere , England ’ s largest lake , which I write about in my new book Stand Up Paddleboarding in the Lake District .
It is important that we know what is happening to protect the lake , and I was delighted to be a citizen scientist in the Freshwater Biological Association ’ s ( FBA ) recent Big Windermere Survey . They have another coming soon , which you can be part of , too !
The FBA is a non-governmental organisation and charitable trust dedicated to understanding and conserving freshwater worldwide . For almost 100 years , it has been shaping science to inform sustainable management of fresh waters . As custodians of internationally important scientific collections and historical datasets , it provides vital information to scientists worldwide .
Working with Lancaster University , the FBA jointly launched the Big Windermere Survey to recruit a team of volunteer citizen scientists to help assess the environmental health of Windermere . They have completed eight rounds of surveys , representing two full years ’ worth of data . Water samples are collected from 100 locations on the lake and in the rivers and lakes that flow into it . The samples are analysed for nutrient and bacterial concentrations at independent laboratories , producing the largest one-day snapshot of conditions in Windermere . This work contributes to the scientific understanding of the lake ' s water quality and will support future initiatives to improve the conditions for animals and humans . Going out on my paddleboard to collect water samples was fun and an honour to be part of the research .
To support their work , go to www . fba . org . uk