Drift & Clean: Giving Back to the Mondego River
The Mondego gives us a lot. Quiet days on the water. Beautiful landscapes. Hidden beaches. Wildlife. The chance to slow down and simply be outside. Living so close to nature makes you appreciate these things in a different way. It also makes it harder to ignore what happens when people leave things behind. At some of the places where we launch and finish our paddles, we see lots of litter left along the river. And honestly, it hurts to see. That's one of the reasons we started Drift & Clean.
A different kind of paddle
Drift & Clean is our way of giving something back to the river that gives us so much.
A few times a year, we get together, take the kayaks onto the Mondego and spend some time collecting litter along the way. There is no price to join. No experience is needed. Teenagers are welcome too.
It's simply a few hours on the river, doing something useful together. This time, we're focusing on kayaking, meeting in Tábua before heading to the river. Everyone who wants to join needs to register with us so we know who's coming and can share the details.
Why do we do it?
We live very close to nature, and that connection is a big part of why we created Just Drift in the first place. We want people to experience the Mondego slowly. To notice the trees along the banks, the birds, the changing landscape and the little places you might otherwise pass by.
But enjoying nature also comes with a responsibility to look after it. We're not going to pretend that one clean-up will solve the problem. It won't. But we believe small actions matter. One piece of litter picked up is one less piece of litter in the river. One bag collected is one bag that won't be left behind. And bringing people together to care for a place can sometimes inspire bigger changes too.
Getting on the water and giving back
There is something quite fitting about cleaning the river from a kayak. You're already moving slowly enough to notice things you might miss from the shore. You can reach little stretches of the riverbank that aren't easy to access on foot, and you start seeing the river from a completely different perspective.
And hopefully, while we're collecting litter, we're also reminding ourselves why this place is worth protecting. The Mondego isn't just somewhere we paddle. It's part of the landscape we call home.
The Mondego gives us unforgettable days on the water. Drift & Clean is our way of giving something back.
What will we find?
We don't know yet. Our next Drift & Clean is happening this Friday, and we're curious - and perhaps a little apprehensive - to see what we will find along the river.
We'll share what we discover afterwards, including some photos from the day and, where possible, how much litter we managed to collect. We're hoping for a beautiful day on the water. We're also hoping that, little by little, there will be less to collect.
Want to join?
Our Drift & Clean this Friday is fully booked, but we'd love to have you join us next time. We organise Drift & Clean at least twice a year, and it's free to join. No previous kayaking experience is needed, and teenagers are welcome too.
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