Detailed program with day-to-day plan for Week 2: Slovenia is now available. This is going to be the highlight of this years BRT. Parallel with it we will be hosting 30 students from all over Europe at Students for Rivers Camp. We are promising loads of kayaking, outdoor films, lectures, a hike, some workshops and cool direct action with flotilla, Beer Mile race and concert to wrap the week up in style! Since we are expecting quite a crowd we are getting organised (for the first time). This is why we kindly ask you to cooperate and make this transition from hippy style to spreadsheets easier for us by filling […]
BALKAN RIVERS TOUR 4 – WEEK 1 RECAP Wild Romanian Rivers As kayakers, we saw the rain as a good omen. A sign of a great week to come. So when we woke to a cold and rainy morning after a full day of packing, phone calls and last-minute emails while prepping for the first week of BRT4 in Romania, stoke levels began to rise with the river levels. Romania. A country unknown to the Balkan Rivers Tour team, but very alluring. We have heard stories of thick forests, rich culture and wild rivers. Using the strategy of completely filling the van until there isn’t space for one more piece […]
This year we are going to new locations to support even more grassroots battles for rivers and against greed. Detailed program with day-to-day plan for Romania is now available. It’s gonna be an action packed week with loads of kayaking, some fly fishing & hiking and a whole lot of hanging around with locals in order to find ways to expose the value of these still free flowing rivers. Save the date, pack your gear and tents and let us know you are coming with a short email to info@balkanriverdefence.org. See you! NEW INFO Updated coordinates: Vadu Oii, 127286, Romania https://maps.google.com?q=Vadu%20Oii%20127286,%20Romania&ftid=0x40b389c68a7a27e3:0x3bcb6b5069f61d51&hl=en-IT&gl=it
We aren’t hibernating through the winter. We are working on all the details to make another Balkan Rivers Tour happen and we are happy to announce the dates for BRT4!This time, the 4th time down the road, we are changing the basic concept. We won’t be heading on a 32-day long trip where we move to a new location every day. Instead, Balkan Rivers Tour 4 will happen in 3 separate weeks in 3 different countries – to Romania and Bulgaria for the first time and our home, Slovenia.Each week will have a basecamp location. From there, we will make mini day trips to rivers in the region in the […]
River IntellectualsThe idea of incorporating academics into the BRD network came up a year ago and has been gaining interest and momentum. The idea behind River Intellectuals (RI) is simple; to bridge the gap between academics and river conservationists. Research can prove the value of free flowing rivers but often does not reach the NGO’s that need this academic backup. Moreover, research is dependent on funding and the interest often lies elsewhere. Luckily, many students and an increasing amount of professors are eager to have an impact with their research and want to use their studies for a bigger cause. Information is a powerful tool and our RI network funnels […]
Naš celovečerni dokumentarec ‘The Undamaged’ ali po domače ‘Nepoškodovane’ prihaja v slovenske kinematografe in s tem do vas. Film sledi Balkan Rivers Tour-u 1 ter ob tem prikazuje boj vsakodnevnih ljudi iz Balkana (in ekipe kajakašev) za divje reke in s tem proti nepotrebnim pregradam hidroelektrarn. Balkan je zadnji košček Evrope, ki še gosti prosto tekoče reke in z njimi povezane bogate ekosisteme, običaje in skupnosti. Pohlep iz tujine in vladnih uradov, ki poganja 3.000 načrtovanih jezov, se na le-te ne ozira in v varnem medijskem mrku počne, česar ne bi počel na svojem domačem pragu. A ta nepravica s pisanimi kajaki in pestro mednarodno ekipo v njih postaja znana širom […]
On November 7th hydro investors from across the Balkans and around the world gathered in Budva, Montenegro for the 2nd International Summit and Exhibition Hydropower Balkans (aka #budvadirtyhydrosummit), to wheel and deal inside a fancy hotel, making corrupt plans to turn the flow of Balkan rivers into cash flow into their pockets. But outside, over 70 people from 8 countries gathered with banners, whistles, loud voices and lots of energy to remind decision makers, locals, investors and national media, that hydropower is not green, and that these rivers belong to everyone. The banners, whistles and megaphone to tell investors that hydro is dirty energy and investing in it is a terrible […]
Paddling into downtown Banja Luka. Dropping mini waterfalls on the Mrežnica. Flotillas on the Mura and Sava. Final protest in Ljubljana. A misty morning on the edge of the Vrbas River in Bosnia and Herzegovina turned into sunny day on the river where the crew got into some fun whitewater and lots of laughs. As the Balkan Rivers Tour Team floated into camp, a riverside press conference was waiting for them. The message we wanted to share was one from the locals along the river. That despite that fact that there are already 3-4 dams on the Vrbas, it’s still worth it to fight for this river. It’s surprisingly still […]
Brainstorming for river defence in Bukovica. Press Conference downtown Nikšić. Meetings in Sarajevo. Food, fun and film screening in Kruščica. When you turn off the main roads, that’s when you meet the real warriors of river conservation in the Balkans. The community of Bukovica have created an NGO to protect their river. Each community member donated 5-10 euro and that’s how them are fighting the private investors that want to dam their river. By the warmth of the wood stove in a smoky local pub we discussed strategies, created a press release and organized a press conference for the following day in the city of Nikšić. All this in 3 […]
A blockade in Valbona NP. Portaging through the city in Podgorica. Partying and paddling at Kayak Fest Tara. It was cold and dusty sitting on the ground, but the most painful part was the view of construction site. Just over a year ago the BRT 2 team were in Albania’s Valbona National Park and witnessed the start of the construction of the hydroelectric dam. Now, a wall has been built and the river is almost stopped. After a wild year of court cases, appeals, and all the twisted, corrupt acts you can imagine in a country where the prime minister owns shares in the hydro electric company destroying their wild […]