ThePADDLER 48
PORTAGING AROUND MONSTERS By paddling the whole section of the Sava in Slovenia , the kayakers got to feel the impact dams have on a river . Playful strokes through whitewater contrasted with pulling paddle blades through the flatwater of the reservoir in the lower Sava , where five large hydroelectric dams make kayaking a chore . Portaging around the concrete monsters was a task a task no one enjoyed .. But after they left the last dam behind them , the flow returned , and the paddlers were amazed by how quickly the river regained life .
Continually counting the number of individual birds seen , no one was surprised that the health of the water dictated the birds observed . Energetic dippers and kingfishers on the flowing sections replaced the ducks and swans of the reservoirs . And with the return of the flow came one last rapid , a final treat before the river flattens and widens into Pannonian flatlands . With blood pumping and spirits high , the crew was reminded of how resilient nature is and that if people keep their impact on rivers to a minimum , healthy humans and healthy rivers can coexist .
LIVING WITH NATURE When they pulled their boats on the shore just metres upstream of the Croatian border , their previous notions of humans and nature being separate entities were dissolved . Humans have learned – and in some parts maintained – the knowledge of how to live with nature , not separate from it – and watching this in action from the seat of a kayak made for a unique and colourful learning experience , research opportunity and storytelling occasion .