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

    Studying microplastics in the Adriatic sea

    For the second time this year, Watertrek, represented by its founder Séverine, joined the MED Scientific Expedition sailing boat, chartered by Bruno Dumontet in order to participate in a campaign on the study of microplastics in the Mediterranean. After the Genes region in 2016, it is between Pescara and Venice that Séverine has joined the […]

    A Plastic Bottle SUP at the Eau Vive festival

    Watertrek partnered with Le Grand Huit SUP Club last month for the first L’Eau Vive festival, celebrating stand up paddleboarding with races, clean-ups, recreational and educational activities on the water and land along the Marne River just outside Paris. The Watertrek crew came together from France, England and Belgium to join the festival revolving around […]

    Watertrek at Protect Blue Conference - Noli Green Surf Festival

    “In some ways my life won’t return to ‘normal’ after Noli as my mind is more focused on doing the right things.” How is that for an encouraging statement, coming from Paul - Starboard UK distributor - after he spent the weekend hanging with a bunch of inspiring people? It is proof of the commitments […]

    Mangrove replanting SUP expedition in Myanmar

    February 2017, our Ambassadors and Directors for Watertrek UK Mel & Paul travelled to Myanmar to explore the mangrove and see how Watertrek could get involved in protecting this fragile and indispensable ecosystem. The strange almost sculpture like trees of Myanmar’s Mangroves were once in abundance, but now, due to habitat destruction and natural forces […]
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