Most often, a GREEN paddle means one that has me scouring the water and the beaches for plastic and litter. This paddle was not different. I found several plastic items, a bathing suit, some lids and a discarded beach towel. But for this paddle, the GREEN was not only my eco-efforts. It references the actual color – GREEN.

After several weeks of unhealthy air quality due to wildfires across the Pacific Northwest, this morning dawned clear, smoke free and about 30 degrees cooler than the average 90 of the past weeks. I arrived at my favorite put-in along the Deschutes River to find glassy calm, an almost “autumn-like” tinge to the air and no other paddlers. It was a day to cherish – and I did.

My usual paddles are all about the BLUE. Blue skies, blue water and my brilliant blue 12’6″ Starboard Zen construction paddle board. But with a hint of Fall in the air and the day being so exquisite, I could not help but appreciate the GREENS.

These greens will soon become the myriad of colors that beckon in Fall. A few months later, the browns and whites of winter will color my favorite river sections. So for today, I savored the green. I hope you enjoy it with me – and get out on the water every summer gorgeous day you can.

You know the kid who always has to jump in a puddle (even when wearing shows and socks) or the one who begs, “just a little while longer.” when it’s time to leave the beach? That kids is – and always has been – ME!

And weather doesn’t really matter – sunny or stormy, hot or cold. With the right clothes, equipment and attitude, all days on the water are great days.

A recent Sunday morning delivered a glassy river paddle and a sense of happy wonder. It was truly a zen-like experience. And I was paddling my Starboard Inflatable 12′ 6″ Touring board with ZEN construction.

A few days later I paddled upstream in wind and a strong, rippling current. That intense effort switched to the bumpy goodness of a down stream down-winder all the way back.

Lake time can be no less diverse. My favorite local lake is bordered by Elk Lake Resort and boasts a number of great beaches to launch from. Early morning can usually guarantee a calm 4.5 mile meander around the perimeter of the lake.

By mid afternoon the wind fills in, often sporadic or gusty. Early morning thermals drift like lazy bubbles on a hot, summer day. The air ahead of these thermal bubbles is light and variable. But most afternoons these thermals create gusts–called cat’s-paws–50% higher than the true wind speed. Cat’s-paws appear as rough, dark patches on the water.

Hold on for the quick acceleration and set your wing trim for a lift as the gust arrives. I am using my FreeWing AIR V2 (5M). It’s one of the toys that add to my wonderland of fun on the water. Check out the full array of Starboard wing options here!

It’s a fantastic feeling to purchase a product for a sport you love – and know that our Oceans and environment are better for it. That’s the commitment Starboard has lived up to.

For every board, Starboard plants 3 Mangroves, offsetting the board’s CO2 emissions more than 10X over.

Starboard has partnered with Worldview International Foundation to undertake the project. Why Mangroves?

From the Starboard Blue website Each of us generates an average of 4.7-tonne CO2 emissions per year, the major cause of our climate problems. Mangroves are some of the most efficient green machines to help counter this, as one tree absorbs 673 kg of VCS CO2 over 25 years. Further, each mature tree produces enough oxygen for four people.

Mangroves also protect coastal lives and properties from extreme weather and increase ocean life by 50%, as well as the area’s general biodiversity. Starboard’s initial aim is to plant 100 million mangrove trees together with WIF, absorbing 67,3 million tons of CO2. There is a potential to plant over one billion mangroves on available land in Myanmar.

From the Starboard Blue website (you can also click the image below for more) The 3 Mangroves draw down a total of 2019 kg CO2 (3 x 673 kg) over 25 years. Half of this (1008 kg) goes to offsetting the board’s emissions 10X over; an average emission of a Starboard is 100 kg CO2. The other half gets sold as carbon credits, where the proceeds go to supporting livelihoods in vulnerable coastal communities.

Additionally to the 3 Mangroves per board, Starboard calculates and report Starboard’s total carbon footprint annually across scopes 1, 2 and 3. They then offset these emissions 10X over, as well as the footprints of events they have supported, leaving Starboard to be 10X Climate Positive. Through the footprint calculations and offsetting, Starboard aims to be completely transparent about its impact on the planet, as well as to showcase a way of turning negatives into positives.

Summertime at the lake. I was born and raised an ocean girl, 52 years living in South Florida playing in the Atlantic. The first few decades I resided in Oregon had me exploring mountain trails in a land-based plethora of fun. Then in 2006 I had the chance to paddle on a stand up paddleboard – tentative at first but HOOKED!

Over the next years there was barely a pocket of water – lake, river, stream or creek – that I didn’t paddle. My favorite spots were even more wonderful when the wind was light and the water glassy. The next eye-opener for fun was a wild 20-30+ mph downwind run on the Columbia River. Wind was suddenly my paddling friend! From there it wasn’t long before wind, waves and the North Shore of Maui beckoned me to explore the run from Maliko Gorge to Kanaha Beach Park, a gnarly 8 mile downwind adventure.

But there were still those exquisitely glassy paddles when clear alpine lake water or early morning dawn patrol paddles to love. In fact, when I would get to my favorite lakes and discover that the wind was already gusting, swirled by the mountains’ impact on air currents I would not be so thrilled. Then last summer I got the “golden ticket!” For my 73rd birthday in June 2022 I was thrilled to get the Starboard 4-in-1 10’4″ inflatable and a quiver of three Starboard AirRush V2 FreeWings. YES! I began to seek out the afternoon winds!

Over the winter exploring Tampa Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and other Florida waterways I had an exhilarating great time! My new routine is to head to the water with my 12’6″ Starboard Zen Inflatable Touring board while the wind has not yet picked up. Little by little as the day wears on – the wind usually becomes wonderful. Winging has given me ….. well, WINGS!!!!!

Summer is short here in Central Oregon. Every available opportunity to get on the water bare foot and warm is treasured. And now, wind or no wind, I am an extremely happy water woman.

We took a quick trip to the Oregon coast early this week and were greeted by waves and views that instilled wonder. From the protected cove sheltered by Seal Rock to the dunes at Agate Beach we hiked the beaches and exclaimed over the beauty.

It wasn’t until the last walk in the evening as we trekked up and down the rolling dunes that I noticed something besides rocks and sun-bleached shells crumbled in the sand. If you click on the photo of the massive beach log and look closely at the sand in front of it – it’s all microplastics!

Once I really SAW the microplastics, I couldn’t un-see them. They were truly everywhere. It would take a team of hundreds sifting the sand to clean even the amount in the relatively small are where we had walked. How did I miss seeing that earlier – after all, plastic debris is always on my radar.

Animals can mistake small, often colorful microplastics for food. This can lead to the introduction of toxic chemicals to the animal and has been known to lead to digestive blockage in fish, seabirds and turtles. . A Seaside (Oregon) based conservation group Sea Turtles Forever wants to make a difference.

They clean the sand using a unique screen filtration system. Developed by Sea Turtles Forever founder Marc W. Ward, the systems look like a cross between a medical stretcher and a flour sifter. Dirty sand is piled on a sheet of fine mesh stretched between two long poles, and the mesh catches plastic and other foreign material while allowing the sand to fall through. According to Ward, a static charge in the mesh can catch plastic particles as small as 100 micrometers across.

The result? An area of silky, pure sand free of plastic litter — especially the tiny bits that pose a threat to wildlife. You can watch the group in action here.

Besides making your own personal choice to bring re-usable food and drink containers when visiting the beach, picking up what you see, or maybe even making on of may types of sand sifters – you can learn about local groups you can assist in their larger strategies against microplastics.

Because we paddle and surf, it’s great to know that the brand we purchase can make a huge environmental difference. One example is Starboard Blue. As a producer of plastic-based products, Starboard introduced plastic footprint reporting after pioneering work with the Ocean Recovery Alliance. In 2017 the world’s first Plastic Offset Program was launched. Starboard offset parts of their plastic footprint through their POP initiative. Every day their own team collects beach/ ocean plastic litter. They have collected more than 657 578 kg over the past years and are continuing to expand and improve the program by sourcing recycling sites to process the collected waste. Starboard is working with VERRA to become one of the first projects certified under the Plastic Waste Standard.

Are the beautiful dunes of the Oregon coast doomed? Not if we add to the momentum of advocacy, sustainability and action.

I live about 45 minutes from Elk Lake in Oregon. It’s a real gem that’s perched 4900 feet above sea level and surrounded by snow capped mountains even throughout the summer.

I always plan to arrive relatively early in the day so I can meander around the shoreline and in and out of the many bays. Later, when the breeze picks up I love to grab a session with my Starboard V3 FreeWing. In addition, I always bring a reusable bag so if I spot plastic floating in the lake I can retrieve it.

Two things happened today that surprised me. First of all it was a busy summer Saturday almost two weeks since school’s been out. The lake has seen plenty of traffic both on the beaches and on the water. During my 5 mile paddle on my Starboard 12’6″ Zen Touring board in a range of 1-15 feet of pristinely clear water, this is all the debris I spotted: one worn tennis ball, a cigarette lighter, one child’s flipflop and one plastic lid. IN ALL OF THAT AREA I spotted juts 4 things!

This made me so happy and so proud of all the visitors to this lake who obviously want to keep it beautiful by being careful with their plastic, their belongings and maybe even with their careful cleanup before heading home.

The second thing that surprised me was a sudden wall of purple thunderheads that brought in rain – and a promise of lightning. So, I did not get to fly my wing – but I’d call the day a success just the same.

Over the decades, from my time teaching middle school science in the 1970s, to the publication of The Quest for Blue Planet Super Heroes and the Blue Life Journal, I have been inspired by the massively good work of so many. Most recently, participating in a terrific project fueled by a social media currency, I am enjoying regular invitations to actively make a difference for the environment while having fun. Since World Ocean Day was this week, it seemed like a great time to share.

How easy is it to bring along a re-usable bag during a paddle and gather up the plastic you see in the water or on the beach? Best of all, having a habit like this is a visible reminder to those around you – not only to collect plastic but also to “refuse, re-use and recycle” their own plastic and trash.

Fortunately, here in Deschutes County we have the beautiful Deschutes River meandering throughout. Keeping our river healthy is dependent on the stewardship of the next generation. As a former Board member of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council I am thrilled to share the amazing work they have done this past spring.

The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council has worked with hundreds of students throughout Central Oregon this spring! With our education program, The Upstream Project, they provided hands-on stewardship experiences designed to educate and inspire students of all ages to participate in streamside science, stewardship projects, creative writing, music, and art projects.

UDWC’s education program is largely dependent on support from private donors and community members, and our ability to do this work and to become lifelong caretakers for our natural spaces!

Having a team, a social media project and community groups to join is a great way to keep our personal motivation high while making a difference. Engaging young people with your efforts is crucial – they are our FUTURE FIGHTERS.

But wait! There’s more! By picking up trash or planting trees, going paddling you could win a ZEN ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME. Join Starboard in a journey towards a sustainable future and make a positive impact on the planet. By showcasing your passion for sustainability, you have the chance to be crowned as the Ultimate Future Fighter! The contest is powered by CORA CORA MALDIVES AND BLUE TIKI