4
PADDLEBOARDING FOR GOOD
Saving our Rivers
Photo : Jumpy James
Jo Moseley
Hello . My name is Jo Moseley , and I am the author of the bestselling 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 , mental wellbeing initiatives , and how we can make SUP more accessible . If you have a story , please email me at thejoyofsuppodcast @ gmail . com or message me on Instagram @ jomoseley .
I was honoured to be invited to the Paddle UK Engagement Day in Poole recently . I caught up with so many inspiring paddlers and learned more about Paddle UK ’ s commitment to SUP .
It was also great to see a panel of paddleboarders at the National Outdoor Expo at the NEC , including Red Paddle Co founder John Hibbard , David Haze , Caz Dawson , Sophie Witter , and Dave Chant from SUP It & Sea .
Photo : Jo Moseley
Photo : Tom Laws
I love how we , as a community , introduce each other to people who have a message to share . At the Kendal Mountain Film Festival last year , ocean advocate and founder of Seaful Charity Cal Major introduced me to Tom Laws , Campaign Manager of Save Our Rivers .
A community passionate about and dedicated to the preservation and protection of rivers began by raising awareness through social media and educational campaigns , lobbying for stricter environmental regulations and collaborating with scientists and policymakers to implement sustainable practices . Working globally , Save our Rivers is now a European NGO fighting for free-flowing rivers and against physical modifications to rivers such as dams , hard-engineered flood defences and hydroelectric schemes . They provide information and knowledge to communities on using existing legal structures to fight for places they love .
I asked Tom to share five ways we can make a difference : Get real We must face a harsh reality – our waterways are constantly threatened by man-made development . If we play in these places , we must protect them .
Get local As paddleboarders , we have a unique connection to these waterways . Often , we are the first to notice changes and threats in these places .
Get connected We are far stronger together . Connect with fellow paddlers , organisations , and charitable groups . Save Our Rivers and Patagonia Action Works are good starting points for learning about campaigns in your local area .
Get legal It ’ s not glamorous , but it is effective . In the UK , we have extensive protections and designations designed to protect freshwater systems , but in many cases , they are disregarded . Take the time to find out what protections should be in place and who should enforce them .
Act If paddleboarders can ’ t save wild rivers , who can ? We all have the power to make a difference every time we take to the water — by removing single-use pollution , reporting invasive species , or submitting a planning representation against a dam .
Mo re info : www . saveourrivers . org