I am happy to announce that the Wilderness and Environment Society of South Africa has formally endorsed our 2015 TriWaters Tour when South African Franz Fuls, Australian Brett Merchant, and myself will paddle from the source of the Vaal River to the sea, a total distance of over 2,400km.
They have generously offered to provide support with financial management, marketing & media relations, and training on the MiniSAS kit which we will be distributing in communities along the way. They are also going to be providing assistance in the design of workshops to be offered in schools and communities we visit. Please drop in to their website to learn about any of the impressive number of initiatives they are involved in by clicking their logo below.
I am delighted to announce my involvement in the planned Source to Sea of the Vaal River in South Africa to begin January of 2015. South African Franz Fuls, Australian Brett Merchant, and myself will paddle from the source of the Vaal River in the Drakensberg Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, a total distance of over 2,400km. Along the way, we will be speaking about the importance of river health and conservation in schools and other community organizations, as well as delivering and training locals on the use of the MiniSAS kit. This kit will provide invaluable data of the health of river benthic organisms and in-so-doing act as an indicator of overall water quality.
The official website for the expedition is currently being completed and will be launched shortly. Once it is launched, you can read about the trip in much greater depth and learn what you can do to help us in this incredible initiative to promote the conservation efforts of rivers not only in South Africa, but in Canada and globally. I firmly believe in the power of adventure sports to inform and inspire much larger environmental and educational initiatives. Please stay tuned for the launch of our website and short film about the expedition as well as our recent training session on the lower Umzimkulu River this past December/January.
Below are a few photographs from my recent trip. Stay tuned for an article to be written about the trip along with more photographs!
The stone house where we were staying. A local farmer who’s family are avid kayaker’s maintain the house exclusively for paddlers!The area surrounding the stone house where we were staying.The drive into the Umzimkulu Gorge.The road along the Umzimkulu River next to the banana plantation. The narrow waterway pictured is part of the farmer’s local hydroelectric dam which powers the irrigation system.A panoramic view of the lower Umzimkulu River where we spent our days paddling.
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