Downunder Kayaking

open Seasonally from Mother's Day weekend - September

SUMMER FUN ON THE FIVE MILE RIVER
Located in the Below Deck Surf Shop
...'below' the Rowayton Market

SAVE THE SOUND

Did you know that a glass bottles takes over 1 million years to biodegrade?

Kayak to Save the Sound

Sunday September 20th, 12-3pm

In a record breaking event, we had 39 people out cleaning up the sound last Sunday. 17 teachers with a Montesorri School came with canoes. 18 were a group of friends and family that got together to do something great for the environment, and 4 were regular clients, wanting to do their bit. We collected 200lbs of trash. Thank you to everyone that participated.

Kayakers cleanup the Fish Islands Darien CT 9/20/09

Photo by Judith Bacal

Jim Frank, Eric Bernstein, Mary & Dave Vernal, Chris Cryder (Save the Sound) and Vernal children Chris and Melanie

Press Release August 2009

Annually in September thousands of proactive citizens worldwide band together in an effort to clean up their beaches during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). The effort is spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy and coordinated in CT by Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment. Volunteers will collect, remove and record data on trash to be used in efforts to curb the ever increasing problem of marine debris.

Downunder Kayaking, a local sit-on-top rental business, is seeking volunteers for a cleanup effort on Sunday September 16th, 12-3pm – by kayak or boat. Participants may rent kayaks from Downunder, or bring their own. Boaters are welcome and asked to assist with returning trash to Downunder for disposal. Areas patrolled include Five Mile River, nearby Norwalk and Darien Beaches, and the Fish Islands. Kayakers will meet at Downunder Kayaking, 157 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton CT.

For the past five years Downunder Kayaking has been educating paddlers aged 4 years - 80+ on the marine environment, how fragile it is and the impact trash has on it – especially on marine wildlife. “Kayakers see the trash as they paddle the River and the Sound, which makes them aware of the problem. It’s especially bad following heavy rainfall, when land trash gets into storm drains which empty into our rivers and the ocean. Probably the greatest impact we have had is in the children’s program. They do ‘cleanups’ daily and learn how long it takes for trash to biodegrade. It becomes personal and they tell their parents and friends.” Commented Downunder Kayaking owner, Kim Beaumont.

“We paddle these areas every day, witnessing the impact of trash (primarily plastics, cigarette butts, and balloon ribbons) on the birds, and aesthetically on the shoreline. The wildlife mistake trash for food - they can’t differentiate between plankton and plastic pellets, waterlogged plastic bags and jelly fish. Most trash is lethal to birds and fish. Even our food can be toxic to birds and fish. Every little piece of trash that doesn’t make it to your garbage bin, will most likely wash away into the Sound, polluting streams and riverbeds along the way, and end up destroying the beauty or our shoreline, given that most trash takes millions of years to bio-degrade.” states Beaumont.

Downunder have been participating in other environmental efforts through Harborwatch, a division of Earthplace in Westport www.earthplace.org. They take weekly readings on the Five Mile River of H20, nitrogen, salinity and connectivity, bacteria and nutrients. Testing is done at the labs in Westport or Norwalk, and the information provided to the DEP. Harborwatch is very proactive in following up on concerns that are raised, and tracking contamination to the point of origin.

Volunteers for the beach clean-up may participate on foot at local beaches, by kayak/canoe or boat. Registration is necessary to participate. A full cleanup kit is provided by Save the Sound, a kit that makes collecting trash safe, fun and educational. Children are encouraged to participate. To make a reservation for kayaks call (203) 642-3660. To sign-up as a participant or boat captain, or for more information contact Kim Beaumont at (203) 247-4579. For more information on kayaking visit www.downunderkayaking.com.

To view a complete list of cleanups visit www.savethesound.org. For more information about the International Coastal Cleanup, or to coordinate your own cleanup with Save the Sound, please contact Kierran Broatch at (203) 787-0646 Ext. 113, or e-mail kbroatch@cfenv.org.

The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is the largest and most successful volunteer event of its kind. Since 1986 thousands of volunteers from around the globe have cleared over 100 million pounds of trash from 170,000 miles of shorelines, rivers, lakes, and wetlands!

Mark Hawkins brings trash back by sea kayak.

Earthplace, Harborwatch/Riverwatch Come to Rowayton

Join us for a delightful fundraiser on the Rowayton Market deck - kayaking, wine, cheese, great company - Earthplace and Harborwatch/Riverwatch

September 10th, 5:30-8:30pm, with free kayaking from 5:30-7:30

suggested $35 donation

INVITATION HERE

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Dead Fish and Jelly Fish in Rowayton Why? And what can you do about it?

August 2008 there was a major fish kill on the river and region in general - thousands of dead fish littering the waterways. At Downunder we were constantly removing them to keep the area clean and as hygienic as possible.

There are several reasons for this phenomen. Basically what it comes down to is a lack of oxygen – hypoxia. This is caused by waterways not flushing well, combine that with the bluefish running and forcing fish into oxygen depleted areas and you have thousands of dead fish.

Jellyfish? Well basically it’s the rise in water temperature, and unfortunately this will only increase. Their main enemy is the leatherback turtle however they’ve been dying from mistaking plastic bags for jellies. Reducing or eliminating your usage of plastic bags could make a difference here.

Harborwatch has been trying to do something about the water quality of our rivers and harbors for over 10 years. A harbor and river quality monitoring agency that operates out of Earthplace in Westport, Harborwatch monitors the water quality of shallow water harbors, local estuaries and watersheds in lower Fairfield County. Data collected is supplied to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) to aid in their study of hypoxic events in LIS. Such data is used to substantiate legislation to protect the waterways and restrict practices that cause its deterioration.

Now in Rowayton! Harborwatch is now responsible for monitoring the Five Mile River. Volunteers from Downunder took a 10 hour course held by Harborwatch to learn about the program, and test weekly for oxygen, connectivity, salinity, nutrients and bacteria.

For more information please call Dick Harris at 203-227-7253x121 or email r.harris@earthplace.org, www.earthplace.org.

save the sound