Hi, I am interested to hear peoples views on Environmental education within paddle sport coaching?

Are there any coaches on here that talk about the environment and ways to preserve it when kayaking?

Has anyone expeierenced it when being coached?

Do you think more should be done as kayaking is increasing in population, the pressure on the water ways is increasing and the quality could decline if people are not aware of what they are doing.

All input would be appreciated

Thanks Andy

It is essential to keeping various headwaters open and navigable. Rivers are a resource that belongs to everyone in the area - upstream and downstream concerns matter to folks.
In Michigan many of the canoe racers train all year, cutting/removing dead fallen trees.
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People need to understand whatever is dropped on their driveways, yards and streets eventually finds its way into the watersheds. Runoff and sewage plant overflow is a huge concern as infrastructure is antiquated and simply can't handle the massive amounts of water that no longer seep/percolate into the ground. All the concrete, blacktop and subdivision development block the rain from ever making it into the ground.

I cover this topic a few different ways:

1. I teach with a club.

We look at ideas like reducing our impact in getting to the river. Car-pooling for example...whenever possible. I bought a cool little Aluma trailer with a big enclosed gear box and on top of it I can rack 6 boats. It has really improved my gas milage, makes it easier to car pool, I will have it for many years, and I can pull it with a smaller, more efficient car. I would really like to live in a good kayaking area and bike to the river. My wife and I also use bike/foot/or thumb shuttles at times.

We need to get the club more involved in looking after rivers and maintaining public access. Becoming more of an issue in Canada. It seams like individuals can add their names to e-mail petitions and write their members of government, but we are missing large organizing bodies like kayaking clubs or a body like the American Whitewater Association.

The 3rd is teaching minimal impact practices to our club members. Not everyone has been exposed to these ideas or is accepting of them (this makes me shake my head). It is hard to change the opinion of a dumb ass adult. I just keep trying:) I have written articles for our clubs news letters and had a link to Leave No Trace Canada put on the club website (www.mistayapaddlingclub.com).

I will cover all of these issues with our new club paddlers on the river this spring as well.

2. I teach junior high Environmental and Outdoor Education.

I first present outdoor pursuits as a way to explore and experience the world we live in. If people learn to love the areas they use and visit with their outdoor pursuits hopefully they will take care of them. This stewardship then grows to encompass all areas of their lives.

Kayaking is used to stimulate discussion about sustainability. Plastic boats, recycling boats, not having to have the latest and greatest (I love new boats though), and alternative building materials. I also use Seth Warren and Tyler Brandt's video "Oil and Water," to stimulate discussion about getting to the river or any pursuit. The pros and contras of bio-diesel. We discuss a company like Jackson's 1% for the planet. We look at Lisa Utronki's video "Magpie." We look at what is good and bad about eco-tourism. Discussion leads to "green power." Is damming a river a good thing? There are other examples. Videographers, please take the swears and drinking out of your videos so I can use them in class without editing, turning of the sound, or getting in trouble when I forget about someone saying, " I ran the ****! it was an ******* epic day in scratch*** creek! I would like to thank my sponsor (slurp/burp) Lucky Lager." I really like Lucky Lager, it is kick-ass beer, but my junior high students don't need to hear things like that. Some kids really want to talk about this stuff and love it. It empowers them and they want to make good choices regarding their planet (regardless of the fact that they are kayakers or not).

I also teach minimal impact practices and usually refer to Leave No Trace Canada material. I also refer to material like, "How to Shit in the Woods." A great book that totally makes my little rant about swearing and beer look hypocritical. Deal with it!

Good forum topic! Thanks

Perhaps useful to some teaching others about water, flow, debris, etc.

Need ""Adobe Media Player"" to view the educational videos listed below


Alternate shortened link
bit.ly/RocksWaterFlow

serc.carleton.edu/files/NAGTWorkshops/ge...hology_emf_06.v3.flv


serc.carleton.edu/details/files/19075.html


serc.carleton.edu/details/files/19076.html


Helps to show how a hole forms, and a bit of the hydraulics

Thanks for that guys, is really useful. Ive gathered some questions to gain peoples views aswell and am hoping to gather some interesting data.

Thanks again

Andy