Fund-Racing for a Cleaner Ocean

I have lived most of my life around the Rhine, or rivers ending in the Rhine River. Born in a small village in the East of the Netherlands, I used to play after school in the river beds of the Ijssel, a distributary of the river Rhine that flows northwards. In my early career, I lived in Dusseldorf and Frankurt am Main, in both cases close to the river and I am now based in Amsterdam, where I spend a lot of free time cycling along the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, the world’s most frequented artificial waterway. In the past years though, I have witnessed how the climate crisis has impacted the Rhine River.

Floods have become less predictable as they have grown worse and stronger. More frequent droughts and shifting precipitation patterns have lowered water levels, leaving less water to dilute pollutants. Higher temperatures have also had an impact on algal blooms and reduced dissolved oxygen levels, both of which can cause fish kills and significant harm to ecosystems. Whilst the Rhine always had to combat pollution, microplastics are now forming the biggest threat to the river, the oceans and ultimately to the entire ecosystem.

By cycling from Heidelberg to Amsterdam, most of the route along the Rhine, I want to create awareness for the polluted river and plastic ending up in the Ocean.

The funds will be donated to Ocean Generation, on a mission TO EMPOWER AN INCLUSIVE GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO TACKLE OCEAN THREATS THROUGH SCIENCE AND STORYTELLING.

Please help me supporting Ocean Generation with their important work!

Many, many thanks!