The Holiday Season is upon us. It is time to share in our goodwill and donate to our favorite causes. And thus like every other non-profit out there, we’re giving you the generous opportunity to save money when April comes around. 🙂
During the past year, I have dedicated myself to co-founding and growing an amazing new non-profit, Rivers for Change. It started with a vision, an ambitious idea to paddle 12 rivers in 2012 from source to sea, an inquiry into how to marry adventure with conservation, and the desire to make a difference. We are driven towards creating a world where people and communities are active stewards of river systems with a holistic understanding of their interconnectedness and interdependence.
Our mission is to connect people to rivers through river journeys, activities and adventures; engage in collaboration within and between river communities; and promote stewardship through river-based education. We were founded in the fall of 2011, and had a successful first year accomplishing many of our goals:
- ~ The RFC Team paddled down 9 rivers and over 1,600 miles from Source to Sea. (We have less than 250 miles yet to paddle on 3 partially completed rivers, and are just waiting for flows or legal clearance to finish them).
- ~ We engaged individuals, paddlers, and communities across the state through paddle days and events.
- ~ We presented environmental issues to elementary classrooms and engaged people in conversations about rivers.
- ~ We collected algae samples for scientific researchers monitoring global climate change.
- ~ We assisted the Native Plant Society in discovering populations of six rare plant species in the San Francisco Bay Delta,
- ~ We gained the support of and partnered with 12 other nonprofit organizations focused on preserving and improving the health of our rivers and building community collaboration.
Our work in 2012 was done on a shoestring budget, and most expenses were out of the pockets of the dedicated Rivers for Change team. We hope you can help us fund our ambitious 2013 programs with a donation. These include:
- ~ A focused in depth source to sea trip on an emblem river of CA, the Sacramento. We will start with a climb up Mount Shasta and finish by paddling under the Golden Gate Bridge. We will invite communities, along the way, to join us both on and off the water for special events and educational presentations.
- ~ We are creating California’s first 100-mile paddle race on the Sacramento River, attracting paddlers from around the country.
- ~ We will host the Cow Patty Pageant, a fun 11-mile paddle race on the Estero Americano in Sonoma County.
- ~ We will hold events with the Native Plant Society, local communities, and organizations throughout the state.
Since we’re a new nonprofit, we are just getting our paddles under us and we could really use your support! A donation of $15, $30,$60, $100, or more enables us to move our vision forward. For more information,or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: https://www.riversforchange.org/action-2/ or visit us on Facebook.
Thank you, Happy Holidays, and I hope to be on the water soon with you!
In gratitude,
Danielle
~and the Rivers for Change team
