Watertrek

Watertrek’s mission is to raise awareness and alert general audiences about the need to protect aquatic ecosystems threatened by plastic pollution, global warming and toxic chemicals. Watertrek introduces expeditions combining sports (aquatic hikes by stand-up paddling as well as traditional hikes), citizen science and collaborative art, a three-tier approach combining motion, pedagogy, and creation. Furthermore, it offers water-themed content and reproductions of these adventures.

Schéma circulaire Watertrek : vivre, analyser, exposer : Raconter l'eau
The stand-up paddle or SUP is a derivative of the Hawaiian canoe, the ancestor of modern surfing, formerly used by Polynesian kings. It is practiced standing associated with a paddle.

AN INDIVIDUAL EPIPHANY, A UNIVERSAL ISSUE

Severine Vasselin founded the organization Watertrek in 2013 after having practiced stand-up paddling for the first time on the Côte Bleue near Marseille:

“This experience was a true revelation, a change of perspective both physically, socially and spiritually, a shift in my esthetic point of view of scenery. Physically standing up on the water while being far from dry land that requires balance, to me it seemed necessary to remind everyone of the living beauty of which we are all an integrated part.”

OUR EXPEDITIONS

Watertrek organizes long and short distance paddle expeditions. These initiatives have both a scientific and cartographic vocation - mostly in rivers - allowing to collect information about the quantity, the source and classification of waste and pollution present in water.

The projects led by Watertrek are in line with 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals as defined by the UN.

Sustainable Development Goals 06Sustainable Development Goals 13Sustainable Development Goals 14

THE PADDLE & PROTECT PROGRAM

Watertrek feeds citizen science platforms in collaboration with its partners (Surfrider Foundation Europe, Freshwater Watch in Oxford). The association is one of the actors of the Steering Committee on the Protection of Transfer Routes launched by the French Ministry for Energy Transition. It contributes to the identification and mapping of waste accumulation areas observed along banks with CEREMA.

AN ESTHETIC EXPERIENCE: PADDLE & CREATE

Our expeditions integrate both esthetic, artistic, and collaborative dimensions.

“The ecological crisis is above all a crisis of sensitivity”

Baptiste Morizot

Un œuvre d'art réalisée à partir de déchets ramassés

OUR RESTITUTIONS & CONTENTS

Watertrek is happy to share its experiences with you under various creative forms - films, podcasts, books, exhibitions - and use those as a starting point to talk about water preservation.
Couverture podcast Waterchat

OUR PARTNERS

Microsoft
Cifacom
Climate Reality
Break free from plastic
Carbone 4
Plastic Origins
Garn
Plastic Coalition
Redesa
France Nature
UNO Environement
Sup Norway
Le grand huit
Freshwater
Surfrider
Plastic free july
Ministère de la transition écologique
Lush
Ocean Viking
Restube
StarBoard
SupPassion
All our partners

You

  • To SUPPORT US financially :
  • Make a donation
  • To JOIN US as a volunteer or as an intern :
  • talent@watertrek.org
  • To ASK US as part of a scientific initiative :
  • paddleprotect@watertrek.org
  • To WELCOME US for an event or built a partnership :
  • contact@watertrek.org

    News

    A giant snake built out of trash during a paddle expedition throughout Belgium

    The stand-up paddle board expedition through Belgium launched by Belgium-born Wim Pyl has arrived safely, not without a fresh dip on the rough beach of Nieuwpoort. Wim and his friend Jan Moermans - authors of a similar expedition on that exact same route 5 years ealier - were this time accompanied by Wim's sister Tineke, […]

    Plastic Pollution Expedition on 3 Belgian rivers launched by our friend Plastic Monster

    Launched by the Belgian stand-up paddlers Wim Pyl, his sister Tineke and Jan Moermans, who already paddled that exact same route in 2017, a group of stand-up paddlers & Watertrekers will go for a long distance expedition of 250 km on 3 Belgian rivers at the end of April 2022 to observe the evolution of plastic waste present on the itinerary 5 years later.  The objective […]

    Watertrek joins the Plastic Pollution Coalition in Los Angeles

    Watertrek has joined Plastic Plastic Pollution Coalition, a global alliance of more than 1,200 organizations in 75 countries working toward a more equitable world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on waterways, oceans, and the environment. Séverine, our founder, also becomes a Notable Member of PPC, an honorary title shared by the likes […]

    Descent of the River AA between Remilly and Setques for Stéphane's northern crew

    3 stand-up paddle boards, 5 hours of paddling along the Aa river between Remilly Werquin and Setques in the north of France… that means 50 kg of waste collected. The objective of our Nordic crew was simple: to discover the river and collect as much waste as possible along those 9 kilometers. “We chose to go […]
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