I first heard about the plight of Balkan rivers last November during a lecture given by Vera from Balkan River Defence. As I had visited this beautiful region the previous summer during a holiday, I was devastated to hear how the rapid construction of hydropower threatens the rich biodiversity of these ecosystems. I immediately felt inspired to help the cause by using the skills I have gained during my University studies. I was put in contact with Catherine Bohne, who runs the NGO TOKA which aims to conserve the Albanian Alps and is devoted to fighting hydropower development within Valbona National Park. “It’s a miracle what nature gave us, it […]
The banks of the Soča River in Slovenia became the playground (and classroom) of the first ever Students for Rivers Camp during the fourth annual Balkan Rivers Tour. Twenty-eight students and more than 20 speakers from 20 different nations gathered with one common motivation; to use their brains to protect the last remaining wild rivers of Europe. “I basically came here to learn how I can help my friend Aoos and its tributaries?” – Dimitris Papageorgiou, student from the Aoos River | Greece Students and presenters from many different disciplines were invited to look at the threat of hydropower development from a wide range of perspectives. Only by understanding the […]
As a kayaker and avid nature lover, I’ve always struggled with combining my kayaking life (whitewater) with my engineering life (mechanical engineer). Then, I heard this podcast about Conservation Technology and realized that there’s more to life than just working 9-5 for a big engineering firm (i.e. like saving rivers while also kayaking them? Sounds great!). What is Conservation Technology? The field of conservation technology is basically when technologists, engineers, and physical scientists cross over into the field of conservation (and most probably take a severe pay cut) and apply their technical knowledge and expertise to real-world environmental problems. There are several examples of technologists doing this type of work, […]