2019: So Fresh & So Clean

A new year always evokes reflections on the last 365 days and intention setting for the ones that lay ahead.

Neither of us set resolutions in January, but rather goals for how we want to live out the next year. To kick start 2018, we embarked on a 7 day plastic-free challenge, focusing on eliminating single-use plastics. It was a difficult but important way to be more cognizant of our footprint and it sparked some change in our daily habits throughout the year. We also received a ton of supportive feedback from those following along and we loved learning about eco-friendly products and receiving plastic-free tips and tricks from our followers. It felt like we engaged with people and challenged others along the way.

We struggled with how to recreate this challenge for 2019 and keep it fresh, fun, and interesting. Luckily for us (and unluckily for so many others), living in the epicenter of our nation’s political universe gave us an idea.

As everyone knows, we’re on day 14 of a government shutdown with no end in sight. 420,000 people are working without pay and another 380,000 federal employees on unpaid leave. Our National Parks are either closed or partially closed and unstaffed and unmaintained, leaving precious resources unprotected and leaving behind more trash and human waste. 

On the National Mall in DC, local government is filling in for the federal government on trash pickup, but those resources are limited and may soon end. Elsewhere, volunteers are stepping up to help.

And that’s what we want to do, too. The shutdown and its impact is happening across the country, including right here in our own backyard. We spend our summers at the C&O Canal Historical Park. We play in the rapids of Mather Gorge and teach classes in the Canal itself - in Widewater, part of the Potomac River's historic path. In a year, about 5 million people visit the Park, so maintenance and clean up is always critical in safeguarding the area and waterways. But right now, there's no National Park Service-provided visitor services, including trash collection. 

So, we're setting up a trash cleanup on Sunday, January 13. For a few hours, and whether or not we get anyone else to volunteer with us, we'll take to the tow path and open trails to pick up anything left behind by visitors. 

In addition to trash collection, we're asking volunteers to bring an optional $5 cash donation for the C&O Canal Trust, the official non-profit partner of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Historical Park. It raises funds to preserve the Park for future generations and to broaden support through programs that highlight the Park's historical, natural, and cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities. 

It's not at all a plastic-free challenge (and who knows, maybe it'll spur some new ideas for one later), but we think this is an important, timely duty and it's the least we and the greater paddling community can do to thank our park service for the waters we SUP in.

Visit our Facebook page for more details about the cleanup and to “sign up.”