Green Paddle Award For Waterway Conservation

Congratulations to Wild Science Explorers’ Nez Perce Natural History and Paddling Project as the recipient of this year’s Green Paddle for Waterway Conservation award. Based in McCall, Idaho, this program engaged low-income Nez Perce Native American teenage tribal members in a 5-day science and stewardship rafting education trip down the Lower Salmon River. This trip was conducted in part to develop awareness of Nez Perce natural history – and apply that to present day environmental issues in the Lower Salmon River corridor – which has been traditionally used by the Nez Perce for hundreds of years. 

The program was a step into Wild Science Explorers’ Guide in Training class. The teens who attended the 2024 rafting trip obtained not only guiding and conservation leadership skills—but have also had the great opportunity to meet tribal leaders and exchange stories about their culture and their heritage. 

Thank you, Wild Science Explorers, for your commitment to the multiple facets of waterway conservation—and for providing young paddlers with an avenue to recognize and engage with their history via the Lower Salmon River. 

Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers proudly presented “Hispanics for Our Environment,” a dynamic kayak river cleanup event that was held twice in 2023 along the scenic Hillsborough River, Tampa’s primary source of potable water. This unique initiative was thoughtfully crafted to engage and inspire the Hispanic community, combining environmental stewardship, paddlesports excitement, and cultural identification for an unforgettable experience.

In case you didn’t know, Tatiana Cox-Lopez is the driving force behind Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers and became involved with the ACA in part through the Leadership Exploration and Development Program (LEAD) facilitated by ACA’s DEI Coordinator, Lily Otu. After participating in the program in 2022,Tatiana has continued as a mentor for 2023 participants via the LEAD program hosted in Tampa, Florida last month. The “Hispanics for Our Environment” event was one of many impactful programs run by Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers this year. TBKA also hosted a program in collaboration with ACA & L.L. Bean’s CFC Grant Program: La Raza Explorers.

The Canoe and Scoop program, led by Jamison Holt and the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, has not only been productive in the cleaning of refuse in the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River in Baltimore City, but it has also provided volunteers of all ages with valuable opportunities to practice stewardship of the environment. Baltimore City Recreation and Parks recruited local businesses and organizations to help clean up the shoreline at Middle Branch Park in Baltimore, MD. In 2021, the program had over 21 groups, 330 participants, 313 trash bags collected, and over 5,000 pounds of garbage removed from the waterway. With the volume of trash collected on each of the outings of the Canoe and Scoop program, significant improvement is being made in the water health of Baltimore City Harbor. Congratulations to Jamison Holtz and the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks for your outstanding contribution to paddlesports by protecting your local waterway!

Carolina Canoe Club’s conservation efforts, led by longtime member Bob Brueckner, have been numerous and far reaching. This was accomplished by forging and continuing partnerships with sister organizations like the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, the Haw River Assembly, Friends of the Lower Haw River State Natural Area, Paddlers Hemlock Health Action Taskforce, Watershed Association of the Tuckaseegee River, Swain Clean, local schools, and other civic groups. Before the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions went into effect in North Carolina, several large group events were planned and executed. After that time, COVID-19 guidelines and event modifications were put into place so that solo and properly socially distanced small group efforts could continue throughout spring and summer of 2020. Those events have made a continuing positive impact on waterways.

2020 is Bob’s sixth and final year of service as the CCC Conservation Chair, and we are proud to honor his and CCC’s decades long commitment to waterway conservation and their overall love of paddlesports. Bob, once again – congratulations and we are proud to honor you and the Carolina Canoe Club with the Green Paddle for Waterway Conservation award!

The 2019 Green Paddle for Waterway Conservation recipient is the Canoe Cruisers Association! In May 2019, CCA made news around the world: After a two year legal battle, they were successful in compelling the U.S. Coast Guard to provide reliable, predictable, and continuous access to the Potomac River waterways around the privately-owned, members-only Trump National Golf Club. Whenever the president was present at the property, access to a highly popular section of the river was closed with little to no warning. Their lawsuit and victory were covered in the Washington Post, New York Times, AP, USA Today, Bloomberg, Stars and Stripes, Outside Magazine, Canoe & Kayak, and local papers in almost every state.

In addition to ongoing efforts to protect the Potomac and other local waterways, CCA members lead several river trips each week, conduct low-cost kayak and canoe classes, promote river safety training, and coordinate regular river cleanups and conservation events. It is also notable that CCA has hosted the annual Potomac Downriver Race since 1956, making it the nation’s second longest, continuously run river race.

We are proud of you, CCA!

The Outside Foundation is a grassroots organization that focuses on preserving both the beach and the tidal salt marsh environment in Beaufort County, SC.  The Outside Foundation, and its executive director Jean Fruh, strive to inspire both locals and tourists to embrace and protect our local waterways. They employ many different methods to encourage as many people as possible to become involved with clean-up and conservancy efforts and have played a critical role in important environmental initiatives getting pushed through legislation. One of the most important initiatives they have employed this year is The Oyster Recycling and Reef Build Initiative (ORRBI), a community-based oyster shell recycling and bed restoration project. Many other examples of their efforts are included below.

• The Outside Foundation believes that children cannot invest in protecting that which they don’t know and understand. Since its inception in 2014, The Outside Foundation has introduced over 2000 local school children to our tidal ecosystem using kayaks and paddle boards as modes of transportation. This program, called Kids in Kayaks, addresses the future of conservancy by putting paddles in the hands of teachers and students and getting them out on the water to learn/explore.
• Organizes and hosts over 12 cleanups every year. Since 2014 we have organized 23 cleanups utilizing 745 volunteers and have removed over 3 tons of trash
• The Outside Foundation was part of the driving force that pushed through the plastic bag ban in Beaufort County and on Hilton Head Island. and the “Skip the Straw” initiative
• Created and has organized the “Keep The Broad Creek Clean Festival” for the past three years. One of the largest kayak clean-ups of Broad Creek kicks off the festival each year.

Jean Fruh and The Outside Foundation has, with ingenuity and passion, found a way to draw people into the outdoors and inspire them to get involved. By reaching out to our youth and enticing them to get outside and embrace their surroundings, The Outside Foundation is ensuring the future conservancy of our waterways.

Buffalo Niagara WATERKEEPER® is a community-based nonprofit organization that was established in 1989 for the purpose of protecting the quality and quantity of water, while connecting people to water within the Niagara River watershed.  They do this by cleaning up pollution from the waterways, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, and enhancing public access and connection through leading kayak eco-tours for youth and adults, coordinating large scale recreational paddling events and developing access points and greenways that expand parks and open space. The prime focus of the organization has been the Buffalo and Niagara rivers, both of which suffer from severely impaired water quality from years of abuse and neglect. The Buffalo River was actually declared “dead” in the 1960’s and was avoided by people and wildlife. Through the efforts of the BNW bringing together multiple partners, community leaders, and other non-profits, the Buffalo River has been revitalized to the point that within the last 5 years it has become a fast growing major urban paddling and recreation destination and has been recognized internationally as a model for community engagement in water restoration. BNW instituted canoe and kayak eco-tours and supports paddlesport recreation events, including Paddles Up Niagara! that introduce thousands of people annually to the paddling on the waters of the Niagara River watershed, of which the Buffalo River is a part. The entire watershed covers 1,440 square miles between eastern Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and contains 3,200 miles of waterways. Annually the BNW organizes a community volunteer waterway shoreline cleanup that targets over 40 spots and garners over 2,000 volunteers. Many Western New York paddlers owe their introduction to paddling to a BNW program or event. Nearly half of the staff of 25 are certified ACA instructors in canoe and/or kayak and many volunteers have gone through the skill and safety programs offered by the certified staff.

The Friends of the Pecatonica River Foundation (FPRF) was founded in 2009 to improve the quality of the Pecatonica River in Illinois and to acquire and develop access points for paddlers and conduct paddling instruction and events. The group has worked with county, state and Federal agencies to acquire land for non-motorized boat launch sites, picnic areas, and hauled tons of trash from the river. They also developed two postcard booklets showing historic pictures of the river and town to raise funds to continue their river restoration and access efforts!  FPRF are encouraging use of the river by providing free monthly canoeing and kayaking instruction and also holding an annual competitive event. The organization’s efforts have resulted in a significant increase in the use of the river during the last seven years. The National Park Service Department of the Interior, has recognized one of the developed access sites, called Atten’s Landing, as part of their Rivers and trails Program which was the only such project in Illinois.

The Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) manages the Maine Island Trail, which spans 375 miles and includes over 200 islands and is America’s oldest water trail. The members of MITA work together to maintain and improve facilities along the trail while working with the landowners (who include conservation organizations, federal, state, and municipal agencies, and private landowners) to balance low impact recreation with the rights and desires of the landowners. Additionally, MITA’s stewardship division organizes large cleanups, hosts and Adopt-an-Island program, and coordinates a “Monitor Skipper” program that recruits volunteers to serve as representatives of MITA. These Monitor Skippers are certified to operate MITA’s 18 ft. aluminum powerboats and assist by educating visitors, helping with cleanups days and island maintenance projects, and monitoring MITAs waters and islands.

MITA is an excellent candidate for the Green Paddle Award because MITA manages more than just a water trail; they essentially steward the entire coastline of Maine. They work closely with landowners and paddlers to protect the coast of Maine while encouraging responsible recreation.

Paddle Without Pollution’s (PWP) primary mission is to restore and protect the health of the rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands of Pennsylvania. PWP demonstrates its commitment to environmental excellence, leadership and accomplishment through hands-on stewardship and education. Using non-motorized boats exclusively (canoes and kayaks), PWP’s efforts have a tremendous positive impact on the environment through the removal of debris from our waterways with little or no negative impact to that environment. In 2013 alone, PWP removed more than 16 tons of litter and illegally dumped debris, including almost 500 tires, from rivers, creeks, and lakes. So far this year, Paddle Without Pollution has removed more than 6500 pounds of litter and dumped debris from Cross Creek Park Lake, Ten Mile Creek, Slippery Rock Creek, Moraine State Park, and the Kiski, Allegheny, and Mon Rivers. Since 2011, PWP’s hardworking Water Warriors have removed more than 33 tons of litter and illegally dumped debris from rivers, creeks, and lakes in Pennsylvania.

Tom is the Program Manager for the Illinois Water TrailKeepers (IL WTK) Program, which is jointly sponsored by Openlands and the Illinois Paddling Council. The program recruits and trains canoeists & kayakers to “adopt” a waterway for the purpose of cleaning it up (trash removal) and to report conditions to appropriate authorities regarding hazards to humans, log jams, portages, dump sites, & pollution sources. This information is also made available to the greater paddlesports community. As a coordinator of volunteers, Tom is also a volunteer. His efforts to build the IL WTK program have involved countless miles and hours, all of which he performs without any compensation, and with no expectation of reward or recognition. Tom is driven by his love for paddling and strong desire to protect the integrity of our waterways. Tom took over management of the IL WTK project about five years ago, and due to his efforts, the WTK program has expanded tremendously. At the beginning of his tenure, the program was active in only 4 rivers, in 3 counties around Chicago. Under Tom’s leadership, it has grown to include volunteers across Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Lake, Cook, DuPage, Kane, DeKalb, Will, Sangamon, and Christian counties, including water trails on the Sugar, Kishwaukee, Kishwaukee South Branch, Fox, Des Plaines, Chicago (North Branch), DuPage (East and West branches), Little Calumet, Salt Creek, and Sangamon Rivers, covering well over 250 miles of rivers. While the largest numbers of volunteers and adopted water trails are still located around the Chicago area, the program now has several volunteers in rural areas, as far south as Springfield, the state capitol. Beyond that, multiple partnerships have been created through his leadership efforts, with retailers, liveries, governments at the village, city, and county levels, as well as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the National Park Service.

This project began May 1st, 2011 when Eric Bersinger and Josh Woods went for a paddle on Durbin Creek and made the decision to “re-open” the “Historic Bartram Canoe Trail” of log-jams, fallen trees and get rid of illegally dumped materials around the Bartram Canoe Trail Park and launch area ………..in January 2012, we brought on our 3rd member, Chris Naff, a St. Johns County Firefighter and “Master of the Chainsaw” to round out our “Power Trio”…this is a story of 3 citizens making a difference…We are the Waterway Stewards of Durbin Creek……”The Durbin Creek Wilderness Society”….we create paddling trails…

Since 1993, Kentucky Waterways Alliance has been a leader in the fight against pollution in our waterways – winning stronger protections for over 90 percent of Kentucky’s rivers, lakes and streams. We work with communities on local watershed issues at the state and national levels advocating for the best regulations possible. With a mission to protect and restore Kentucky’s waterways, our work is making a difference in the quality of life for all Kentuckians one protected stream at a time.

L.A. River Expeditions is committed to being a leading force in the creation of a revitalized Los Angeles River — not 25-to-50 years in the future, but starting NOW! We are Angelenos who believe that boats such as canoes and kayaks are a positive and natural part of any river, and we understand the common-sense proposition that public river access is the central component to any successful river revitalization plan. We, as public citizens, want to renew our connectedness to and responsibility for our local waterway, the Los Angeles River — the historic heart and soul of the city.

The Waterway Stewards are dedicated to bringing Waterways to a trash-free condition and keeping them there. This includes tremendous efforts by volunteers to pick up tons of trash. However, picking up trash alone is not enough. We must go to the source of the trash. People, of course, are the source. We try to increase awareness of littering, involve citizens in clean-up, and educate our young people. Our message is simple, if nobody litters, there won’t be trash to pick up. Please do your part!

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. We are a citizen-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving water quality, habitat, recreation, and public health throughout our patrol area, the Black Warrior River watershed. This vital river basin is entirely contained within Alabama, America’s #1 state for freshwater biodiversity. Patrolling waterways, educating the public, and holding polluters accountable has made us an important proponent of clean water throughout the basin. Our staff identifies pollution problems and works on fixing them while increasing public awareness. Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a proud member of Waterkeeper Alliance.

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) was formed in 1985 as a non-profit, grassroots conservation organization. We are citizens from all walks of life, whose common goal is to maintain the water quality and scenic beauty of the Rappahannock River and its tributaries. We work with a wide variety of stakeholders, from local governments to elementary students, to educate about the river and to advocate for actions and policies that will protect and restore the values that make the Rappahannock River so special. We promote environmentally responsible planning through active participation in the civic process. Our professional staff provide technical support to local governments, developers, and teachers in areas of special expertise, including Low Impact Development codes and ordinances, Watershed Planning, Water Quality Monitoring, Invasive Species Control, and Streambank Restoration. We believe that community education is an essential tool for promoting environmental awareness and protection. As a result, we lead a variety of public education programs which focus on understanding and protecting the river’s unique natural, scenic and historic resources.

TCWN empowers Tennesseans to exercise their right to clean water and healthy communities by fostering civic engagement, building partnerships and advancing and when necessary, enforcing water policy for a sustainable future.  Our Goals…Strong policies and programs that result in more effective protection of Tennessee waters. Increased rate of compliance with contemporary clean water policies. Meaningful and engaged public participation in the protection of our state’s waters. Water is the common thread that ties all life together. Maintaining clean water protects the health of our families and provides numerous recreational opportunities while sustaining plants, animals, and aquatic life. Tennessee’s waters are among our most precious natural resources. Since these resources continue to be polluted by toxins and other pollutants from some industry, sewage plants, runoff, potential threats from outside TN watersheds and other sources, critical aquatic ecosystems will continue to be lost or degraded, and the health of our residents and our ecosystems remain threatened. TCWN will work to protect the water resources of Tennessee.

Steve Harris of Pilar, NM, has been a student of the history and natural history of Southwestern Rivers since 1975. He is president of a river outfitting business, Far-Flung Adventures, and executive director of the basin-wide streamflow advocacy group, Rio Grande Restoration. A single father of three, Steve speaks and writes on water policy, ecological restoration, river and flood rescue/mitigation, eco-adventure travel, and other river issues. He has served on a number of public water resource programs, including the New Mexico Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Middle Rio Grande ESA Collaborative Program’s Water Acquisition and Management subcommittee.

The Bayou Preservation Association is a citizens’ group whose mission is to “protect and restore the richness and diversity of our waterways”. BPA facilitates collaborative projects and public awareness about the region’s streams and bayous in order to foster watershed management, conservation, and recreation along Houston’s defining natural resource. Houston calls itself the Bayou City. With over 2,500 miles of waterways, protecting and transforming the bayous into “beautiful ribbons of green” makes good sense. If properly managed, they can provide recreational opportunities close to neighborhoods, scenic views to offset the stress of city living, and reduce flooding by maintaining the water-absorbing qualities of the floodplain. Since the 1950s many of the natural streams of Harris County have been converted into single-purpose storm sewers. Many streams were “channelized” (sides dug out and uniformly sloped) and lined with concrete to increase the flow of water through them. Trees and habitats were destroyed to “improve” our naturally occurring drainage systems. Concrete bayous were constructed with no concern for aesthetics. Unfortunately, this is the image of a bayou that many Houstonians have. BPA advocates a “watershed management” approach to flood control, which controls flooding by managing the amount of water leaving a watershed and also balances the needs for storage, conveyance, habitat, recreation and aesthetics.From tree plantings to town meetings to policy review, BPA is working to effect responsible management of our bayous and put nature back into our stream corridors.

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a 740 mile inland paddling trail tracing historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine. NFCT connects people to the Trail’s natural environment, human heritage, and contemporary communities by stewarding, promoting, and providing access to canoe and kayak experiences along this route. NFCT is internationally regarded as the preeminent water trail organization in North America, serving an international market of paddlers and recognized as a model for water trail development and management. NFCT provides trail access, meaningful trail experiences, trail mapping, trail construction and stewardship, but in addition, it differentiates itself by the depth of programs and involvement within the communities such as rural tourism development, and youth paddling programming.

The Wolf River Conservancy (WRC) was founded in 1985 when a group of volunteers came together to successfully oppose a new gravel mine along the Wolf River near Summer Avenue in Memphis. Afterwards, these volunteers chartered the Wolf River Conservancy as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement Wolf River lands for muscle-powered recreation and education. The founding members had a vision of the Wolf River as a future greenway and wildlife corridor through the city, protected from the kind of degradation suffered by waterways such as Nonconnah Creek in south Memphis. The Wolf River Conservancy is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the Wolf River corridor and watershed as a sustainable natural resource. What we are doing: Protecting habitat within the Wolf River watershed. Spearheading the Wolf River Greenway project along the urban Wolf. Connecting people of all ages to the Wolf River through education. Providing outstanding recreational opportunities for our community.

Today, water resources are declining in quality and quantity in virtually every part of the world: More than a billion people are living without access to safe drinking water; California faces the most serious water emergency in its history; Australia is in the midst of an epic, 12-year-long drought-the first industrialized nation to deal with water scarcity on this scale. Waterkeeper Alliance provides a way for communities to stand up for their right to clean water and for the wise and equitable use of water resources, both locally and globally. The vision of the Waterkeeper movement is for fishable, swimmable and drinkable waterways worldwide. Our belief is that the best way to achieve this vision is through the Waterkeeper method of grassroots advocacy. Waterkeeper Alliance aspires to protect every major watershed around the world. We also continue to reach out and collaborate with other leading national and international environmental and public health organizations to serve the needs of our global network. The growth of the Waterkeeper movement is a testament to the strength of our model. From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon to the Ganges, Waterkeeper Alliance has become a powerful voice for the world’s waters.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions. Mr. Kennedy was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” for his success helping Riverkeeper lead the fight to restore the Hudson River. The group’s achievement helped spawn over 190 Waterkeeper organizations across the globe. He has worked on environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several indigenous tribes in Latin America and Canada in successfully negotiating treaties protecting traditional homelands. He is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City’s water supply. The New York City watershed agreement, which he negotiated on behalf of environmentalists and New York City watershed consumers, is regarded as an international model in stakeholder consensus negotiations and sustainable development.

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we are proud to safeguard these nearly 400 places and to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. But our work doesn’t stop there. We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun. Taking care of the national parks and helping Americans take care of their communities is a job we love, and we need – and welcome – your help and support.

Mr. Rich Bowers is the Northwest Coordinator for the Hydropower Reform Coalition. Originally founded in 1992 as a loose association of conservation and recreation groups, the Hydropower Reform Coalition has grown into a broad consortium of more than 150 national, regional, and local organizations with a combined membership of over one million people. We represent stakeholders from canoeists to conservationists to lake homeowners. Together, our efforts have protected or restored thousands of river miles, thousands of acres of watershed land, and countless opportunities for boating, fishing, and other forms of recreation. All of our members can – at no cost – draw on this vast reservoir of collective knowledge and experience to improve conditions on dammed rivers in their own backyards.

Bill grew up in Florida and served in the U.S. Navy in the early 1960s (both of his children were born in the Philippines). Bill was one of the first staff hired by the new Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, created in 1965. He was one of the authors of the first Nationwide Outdoor Recreation Plan and a prime strategist for urban national parks. In 1988 he was instrumental in establishing the NPS’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, and was also a key player in strengthening the NPS National Trails System program. Bill was the principal inspiration in 1990 for Trails for All Americans, which laid out the vision of a trail within 15 minutes of every American home. Typically, the report was a joint Federal/state/local/private effort. Bill’s signature was collaboration and collegiality. Bill was also a key player in strengthening the whole National Trails System, building base budgets for most of the 17 established national scenic and historic trails. Bill was a unique blend of visionary and pragmatist. He believed in partnerships and grass-roots advocacy but scorned half-baked ideas that he sensed would never fly. His first rule was “only get involved with programs and projects that have strong public support.”