Weekend idea: kayaking trip and cleaning Polish rivers!

No plans for the upcoming weekend? Combine pleasure with purpose and join one of several dozen events organized as part of the Poland goes kayaking initiative. Organizers are planning to remove trash from dozens of kilometers of the Vistula, Bystrzyca, Wieprz, and Bug rivers.

Poland goes kayaking

The cleanup campaign is organized by Operation Clean River in cooperation with local kayak companies and environmental associations. All events are scheduled for the weekend of September 27–28 and are tied to Sunday’s celebration of World Rivers Day.

Daniel Parol, who has been organizing spring cleanups of Polish rivers for 7 years, explains that the September holiday is a great opportunity to assess pollution levels along popular waterways after the summer. Kayaks allow access to places unreachable from land, where waste tends to accumulate. It’s an ecological and active way of caring for the environment, combining teamwork with real action for nature, he explains.

The aim of the initiative, besides restoring natural order along riverbanks, is to encourage local governments, associations, media, and businesses to engage in efforts for native nature. Over seven editions, Operation Clean River has already mobilized more than 95,000 volunteers, who together collected 2,000 tons of waste.

Where can you join the cleanup?

The Poland goes kayaking campaign will take place in eight provinces: Warmian-Masurian, Lublin, Lesser Poland, Świętokrzyskie, Opole, Masovian, Silesian, and Łódź. Organizers hope, however, to expand the initiative to more regions next year. But if you want to take action this weekend, you can join cleanups at:
• Pasłęka – from the campsite by Lake Pierzchalskie;
• Oxbow of the Liwa River and Elbląg Canal – starting at the market square in Miłomłyn;
• Marózka – on the stretch from Swaderki to Kurki;
• Bug – from Wyszków;
• Drzewiczka – near the kayak course;
• Bystrzyca and the shores of Lake Zemborzycki – meeting in Lublin;
• Wieprz – from the Kanukam Tarnogóra marina;
• Nida – gathering in Wymysłów;
• Vistula – from the Polish Yacht Club in Kraków;
• Warta – from Częstochowa Mirów;
• Widawa – around the islands in Namysłów.

Those interested in joining Poland goes kayaking should register with the organizers of specific events – the number of participants is limited. All information can be found at https://polskanakajaki.pl/. The organizers provide boats, garbage bags, and gloves.

Alternative? Clean your own river

If no cleanup is being organized in your province this year or registration is already closed, don’t postpone your good intentions until next year. World Rivers Day is a perfect occasion to clean a local stream – with your family or friends.

Each of us has some stream or river nearby, and the view along many of them can be disheartening. Some trash is carried by the current, some ends up in the water accidentally, and some is left behind after social gatherings on the banks. But you don’t need a kayak to make a difference – just collect what’s lying along the shore. It’s a simple way to support your local ecosystem and the entire watershed. Every such gesture truly matters.