Environmentalism is an inherent part of the PaddleFish philosophy. Everyday, we introduce guests to spectacular places across America. Our guides show people why these resources are worth protecting, how they impact our lives and what we can all do to protect them for future generations. Many of these places have been protected through state legislation, the National Park Service, environmental non-profits, land trusts, eco-friendly corporations and environmentalists, but protection is only the beginning. It takes staff, volunteers and funding to manage protected places. To aid in the effort, PaddleFish supports the communities and people who help protect and fund America’s Most Treasured Places.
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| International |
One Percent for the Planet
Since 2002, 1% For The Planet has inspired members of the business community to contribute 1% of sales to environmental groups around the world. In return, this growing alliance of companies is given the opportunity not only to see their self-worth rise, but their net worth climb as well.
| South Carolina |
Coastal Conservation Association
Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is an organization of strong state chapters comprised of avid recreational fishermen who have banded together to address conservation issues nationally and within their respective states.
The outdoor sports enthusiasts and conservationists who make up the organization recognize that only a concerted, on-going effort of major proportions will save the natural resources of our coastal waters from certain depletion or destruction. They are dedicated to preventing that from happening through programs of education, legislation and restoration.
| North Carolina |
Friends of the Smokys
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and public awareness, and by providing volunteers for needed projects.
Wherever you go in the Smokies, you can see the results of our collective efforts, but we still have a lot more work to do. Please help us help the Smokies.
Learn More About Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
| Florida Keys |
Friends of the Everglades
Friends of the Everglades is a grass roots volunteer organization with close to 4,000 members who strive to protect and restore the Greater Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades Ecosystem. Our primary tools are education, outreach and advocacy.
Stretching south from the vast 700 square mile Lake Okeechobee, nourished by the rain soaked Kissimmee River Basin, the Everglades is a wide slow moving river of marsh and sawgrass covering some 4,500 square miles, flowing quietly, peacefully, towards the mangrove estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico.
Only half of the Everglades is left, 50% has been drained. Of the nesting wading birds that existed in the 1930's, 94% are gone. The Everglades is the sole source of drinking water for more than 6 million people in Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.
The Everglades is undergoing the largest environmental repair job in human history. The Army Corps of Engineers is re-plumbing the system to save it. At stake is the only wetland of its kind in the world.
| Do No Harm |
Limiting our impact on the places we love.
We pratice Leave No Trace ethics, catch and release fishing practices, and park preservation techniques on all of our excursions. By taking the time to limit our impact on the places we explore, we aid in the effort to preserve these treasured places for future generations.
LEAVE NO TRACE ETHICS: Leave No Trace was incorporated as a 501-c-3, nonprofit organization in 1994, though the Leave No Trace concept is over 40 years old. Leave No Trace was formally conceived of by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service in the 1960’s. However, as public land use expanded and land managers witnessed the biophysical effects of this use, the Forest Service along with the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management developed early wilderness ethics practices.
By the mid-1980’s, the Forest Service had a formal “No-Trace” program emphasizing the cultivation of new wilderness ethics and sustainable no-trace travel and camping practices. The success of this program lead to cooperation among the Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management’s authorship of a pamphlet entitled “Leave No Trace Land Ethics.” In the early 1990s, the Forest Service worked with the National Outdoor Leadership School to develop hands-on, science-based minimum impact education training for non-motorized recreational activities.
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NATIONAL PARK PRESERVATION: Most people know that the National Park Service cares for national parks, a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. The treasures in this system – the first of its kind in the world –have been set aside by the American people to preserve, protect, and share, the legacies of this land.
The American system of national parks was the first of its kind in the world, and provides a living model for other nations wishing to establish and manage their own protected areas. The park service actively consults with these Nations, sharing what we've learned, and gaining knowledge from the experience of others.
Beyond national parks, the National Park Service helps communities across America preserve and enhance important local heritage and close-to-home recreational opportunities. Grants and assistance are offered to register, record and save historic places; create community parks and local recreation facilities; conserve rivers and streams, and develop trails and greenways.
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CATCH & RELEASE PRACTICES: By adopting just a few simple habits, recreational anglers can greatly increase the chances that the fish they catch and release will survive. Practicing catch and release helps anglers to preserve marine fisheries while enjoying their outdoor fishing experiences.