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ACA INTERNATIONAL PADDLESPORTS AMBASSADOR
Dave Burden T
he Tigris River Flotilla is an ambitious project launched by
Nature Iraq and Waterkeeper Alliance for the purpose of bringing the people of Iraq and Turkey together in appreciation of the vital importance of the health of the Tigris River. By illuminating the interdependence of riverside communities along the entire length of the Tigris, Dr. Azzam Alwash and his team hope to inspire conversations about water quality and sustainable management. Early in the evolution of the Flotilla, I expressed interest as a fellow
Waterkeeper, in contributing to the expedition. In the months since those first discussions, I was offered the opportunity to join the ACA as their International Paddlesports Ambassador. It was immediately clear that the Tigris Flotilla not only interested me as a clean water advocate, but that it was a perfect fit for the mission of the ACA. The Flotilla is a celebration of the history of traditional paddle craft
in the cradle of civilization. Keeping with the overall vision of looking forward while respecting the deep history of the river, the Flotilla is being undertaken with a variety of boats whose designs span the breadth of human history on the water. The guffa is a small bowl-shaped boat that is paddled by one or two
people. The kalak is a square raft reminiscent of those you’d imagine floating down the mighty Mississippi. And the tarada is an elegant boat designed to ply the marshes of the Tigris River Delta. In addition to these beautifully crafted traditional boats, the Flotilla uses rafts, kayaks and even SUPs. While this small armada is enough to peak the interest of most
paddlers, the stewardship, environmental justice and access aspects of the Flotilla create an even stronger connection with the ACA’s mission—to make the world a better place to paddle. These themes will be a recurring focus of numerous press and outreach events throughout the length of the expedition. As an ACA certified instructor, I was honored to work with these
bold adventurers to be sure that they are safe and confident on the river and have the skills they need to demonstrate that the Tigris River can be used safely and enjoyably for recreational paddling. As someone who loves rivers, I was humbled to be a part of such an important mission. And as a fellow resident of this planet I will continue to wish these paddlers well on their mission, and hope for all of our sakes that they are successful in reaching their goals. If you would like to learn more about the Tigris River Flotilla,
please visit the ACA webpage and check out the Middle East page,
www.americancanoe.org/MiddleEast. Dave Burden is the International Paddlesports Ambassador for the
ACA and has spent time training and paddling with the organizers of the Tigris River Flotilla in order to ensure that the expedition participants are safe on the river and able to effectively teach basic paddling skills to the regional residents they meet along their journey.
198 PADDLING BUYER’S GUIDE
Stream to Sea Initiative
T
he Stream to Sea Initiative collects data through the ACA’s online form, Track Trash Data Collection (TTDC).
TTDC helps individuals, groups, clean-up crews, waterway
organizations and paddlers document the marine debris they remove. To be viable for TTDC, marine debris must be removed within 100 meters of a waterway or within waterway environments. Once the information is submitted via the online TTDC form, the Stewardship Department compiles this data to create an annual report of marine debris. Organizations that submit data are recognized in annual reports which are published through social media, the Stewardship e-newsletter, and in Rapid Media magazines. Annual clean-ups help establish baselines of data across the U.S.
Through this data, the ACA will discover key answers to these questions: • What specific types of marine debris are in specific areas? • How many people volunteer at paddling clean-up events? • Which states have a marine debris problem? • How many states or organizations remove marine debris from their waterways?
• Where does most marine debris originate? • Which organizations are initiating these clean-ups and how much debris is being mitigated?
• What type of waterway environments (streams, lakes, coasts, and ocean) are being cleaned-up?
• What specific types of marine debris are collected (metal, glass, rubber, fabric, Styrofoam, plastic)?
• What large and unique items are collected out of waterways? • How much weight and volume is collected at each clean-up? • What type of reusable bags or single-use bags are used?
The ACA also collects photographic documentation of marine debris and volunteers. Since 2002, the ACA has worked with outfitters, businesses and
other like-minded organizations to eliminate debris from inland and coastal environments. These local and regional paddlers undertake stewardship projects and provide a valuable service to their communities. The purpose of this data collection is to encourage paddlers to take an active role in protecting and improving the nation’s rivers, lakes and coastlines.
Many of the stewardship needs of our nation’s waters are best
addressed at the local and regional level. Paddlers are in an ideal position to lead these efforts. They are often willing to volunteer their time and assist with local stewardship clean-ups and data collecting. That is why the ACA has taken the initiative to collect data and
share it with fellow paddlers. Eliminating debris in our waterways protects one of our most valued natural resources, water, and our favorite recreation activity, paddling.
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