Environment

We care about the rivers, oceans and lakes we paddle on. Our mission is to empower the NSW paddling community to care for and improve our environment. As a state organisation, PaddleNSW is bringing together paddlers and environmental organisations to achieve environmental outcomes for our waterways.

What are we doing?

–  Coordinating and supporting river and ocean clean-ups – see here for clean-up opportunities
–  Reducing the amount of single-use plastics at paddle events
–  Establishing environmental responsibility across all our clubs through our Environmental Code
–  Promoting and involved in Bushcare kayaking (weed removal on rivers, by kayak)
–  Promoting and involved in citizen science paddling projects – see here for volunteer opportunities
–  Sampling for microplastics in the environment – part of the AUSMAP project
–  Running eco-paddle tours – raising awareness about the environmental challenges and management of our waterways
–  Promoting minimal impact paddling
–  Running webinars on environmental topics of interest to paddlers
–  Creating ‘pick up while you paddle’ and ‘paddle against plastic’ merchandise: t-shirts, cotton bags and bamboo keep cups now available!

We organise clean-up paddle events across the state twice a year: for Clean Up Australia Day (March) and SUPtember (September). SUP stands for Single-Use Plastics, and SUPtember is a month of campaigning by environmental organisations to reduce the amount of plastics being produced and ending up as waste in our environment. This includes increasing the recycling of plastics and ensuring the state government implements the NSW Plastic Plan.

As paddlers, our contribution to the campaign is cleaning up rivers, oceans and lakes, and reducing single-use plastics at our events.

Check out our activities for SUPtember 2021.

Some clubs also hold clean-up paddles throughout the year.

Keen to help out with a science project or help the environment and go paddling? We’ve put together a database of Citizen Science paddling opportunities!

We also have a range of Merchandise – currently available are ‘Pick up while you paddle’ keep cups made from bamboo (including the lid) with a silicone sleeve to protect hands from hot liquids. Regular size cups. $25 each including postage, or 2 for $35 including postage. Discounts available for clubs ordering several cups. Email bron@paddlensw.org.au.

Environment Committee Aims

1. PaddleNSW is the lead organisation for paddling and the environment
2. Empower and enable paddlers to get involved in environmental projects or start their own
3. Increase awareness and campaigning in the paddling community around environmental issues that impact on paddlers
4. Encourage and enable paddlers to be environmentally responsible, minimal eco-footprint paddlers
5. Get more people into paddling through being relevant and engaging to people who want to care for the environment

Some of our Partners

The Mullets run monthly paddle clean-ups on the Cooks River
Boomerang Alliance bring environmental organisations together to campaign against single-use plastics
Bushcare Kayaking 

Committee Values

–  Inclusive
–  Supportive
–  Collaborative
–  Empowering

What is your group of paddlers doing for the environment? Let us know! We would love to share ideas and inspiration and build on your fabulous work! Or get involved in our PaddleNSW Environment Committee! Email bron@paddlensw.org.au

We’ll also post our activities to the PaddleNSW facebook page, so follow along! And if you would like to be involved, please email bron@paddlensw.org.au or admin@paddlensw.org.au (Peter Tate).

Here’s to a healthy, clean paddling environment!