Reduce, reuse, recycle…row? Of all the ways to help the environment, paddling along in a kayak might not be the first that springs to mind. But it turns out that watersports and planetary health go hand in hand – with the help of an organization called GreenKayak. The idea is that you get to rent a two-seater canoe free of charge in return for doing a good deed: picking litter out of the water as you row. This win-win idea originated in Denmark in 2017 as a way to clean up Copenhagen’s canals and has since fished out around 100 tons of refuse from rivers, lakes and harbors. Now the initiative has expanded into Berlin, teaming up with local boat hire operators Fisch-Borke (Müggelsee), Mellowpark (Spree) and Backstagetourism (Spree) to tidy up the city’s waterways. You can reserve a two-hour kayak trip for up to four people directly on the website, picking from one of the three hire locations. Everything you need is included: just turn up, jump in, roll up your sleeves and get ready to help heal the Earth.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Emma Bahnee, GreenKayak, Jere Viinikainen
GreenKayak
@greenkayak.ngo
