On the river we are guests. The water is home to many animals, and a good part of Poland's trails run through national parks, reserves and Natura 2000 sites. The kayak itself is quiet and gives off no fumes, but people leave a mark: through litter, noise, a trampled bank or a species carried over from another river. Below are a handful of habits that will help you leave the river as you found it – so there's somewhere worth coming back to.
Why does eco-friendly paddling matter?
A single apple core or a booming speaker seems like a trifle – and it is, as long as we're talking about one person. But hundreds of kayaks pass along a popular stretch on a sunny weekend, and then the trifles turn into a real burden: litter in the reeds, birds flushed in the breeding season, banks churned up at the put-ins. That is why the "leave no trace" principle has a hard justification: what each of us does is multiplied by thousands of trips over the season.
What to do with your rubbish on the water?
The simplest rule, and the most important: no piece of rubbish stays on the bank or in the water. This applies to seemingly "natural" things too – peel and cores take a long time to break down and don't belong in this landscape. Bring a rubbish bag and carry everything out to where there's a bin. While you're at it: the less single-use plastic you pack, the less can go overboard.
Why does quiet matter on the water?
Loud music scares off animals and spoils the trip for others. Especially in spring and early summer, during the breeding season, keep your distance from reedbeds, islands and bird colonies; don't paddle up to nests. You'll see the most anyway when you're quiet.
Where can you camp and light a fire by the river?
Get out and spend the night in places meant for it – at campsites, landings and water stations. Wild camping sounds romantic, but in a forest it is forbidden except in places designated by the forest owner or the forest district manager, and in a national park or reserve – except in places designated by the park director or the regional director for environmental protection. The legal route in state forests is Zanocuj w lesie ("Sleep in the forest") – a programme that opens up specific areas for overnight stays: without any notification you may sleep in a group of up to nine people and for no more than two nights in a row. With fire the rules are stricter still. In a forest, in mid-forest areas and within a hundred-metre belt from the forest edge, you may not light a fire except in designated places, nor use an open flame – and that includes a camping stove, not just a campfire.
Soap and toilet – away from the water
Even "eco" soap and toothpaste put a load on the river, so wash yourself and your dishes away from the bank, pouring the water onto the ground rather than into the current. Answer the call of nature away from the water and the trail – outside protected areas a small trowel and burying your traces helps. In a forest, a national park and a reserve, though, digging the ground is forbidden – there the only options are to carry everything out with you or to use a toilet outside the protected area. These are small things that, with hundreds of paddlers over the season, make a real difference to the cleanliness of the water.
How to avoid moving alien species between rivers?
A kayak and gear can carry from one body of water to another things that weren't there before: mussels, algae and plant seeds, including invasive species. That is why it is worth rinsing and thoroughly drying the boat and your shoes between trips on different rivers. Take care, too, not to spread the burning Sosnowsky's hogweed, which grows by some rivers (including the lower Łyna).
Why leave the river as it is?
Fallen trees, meanders and backwaters are rich habitats – this is exactly where the most life lives. Don't "tidy up" the channel by force and don't cut the corner through protected reeds. The greatest value of wild rivers, such as the Biebrza, is that they have stayed wild.
How to leave the bank cleaner than you found it?
If you come across someone else's litter along the way and have somewhere to stow it – take it with you. Small habits that cost nothing decide whether our rivers stay clean, varied and full of life. You'll find more practical tips in the other guides.