SEBASTIAN — Justin Riney paddled into Sebastian, arriving at Riverview Park Wednesday afternoon, to complete yet another leg of his stand up paddleboarding journey around the peninsula that is the state of Florida.
Riney, who calls Vero Beach home when he’s not on his paddleboard skirting the edges of the state, is working to raise awareness of water quality, conservation and preservation, not just of the Indian River Lagoon, but of all Florida’s waters.
He expects his stand up paddleboarding expedition to take a full year. He launched from Pensacola, Fla., on Jan. 1.
“We’re really trying to fire up the younger generation,” Riney told the assembled crowd at the park. Among those in the audience were several children who participated in a lagoon cleanup earlier in the day.
Twelve-year-old Lilly Tougas said she picked up a lot of plastic trash, nothing out of the ordinary, though.
Tougas is one of countless children following Riney’s adventure and inspired to do their part to protect the earth.
“If we don’t protect it and don’t treat it wisely and take it too much for granted, we won’t have it,” Tougas said, adding that she envisions a world similar to that imagined in Disney’s Wall-E movie where Earth’s humans were evacuated to Space until such a time the planet could again sustain life.
Riney said adults need to lead by example and take care of the resources they use. Looking out toward the Indian River Lagoon, Riney reminded the crowd that the lagoon is the most biodiverse estuary in the country.
“We’ve done a horrible job taking care of it,” he said.
Trash collected on just one spoil island serves as evidence.
Kristen Beck, of the non-profit group A Florida Outdoor Center, displayed just a few pieces of just a few pieces of junk collected – a barnacled tire and a piece of metal sheeting to name a couple. She said there was a skiff full of trash taken from one island.
“Every little bit that you do, helps,” Beck told the crowd.
Visitors to the spoil islands were reminded to haul out the trash they generate – pack it in, pack it out.
Riney will be continuing his journey north up the Indian River Lagoon. How Tropical Storm Andrea might affect his progress remains to be seen.
His expedition can be tracked and followed by going to Facebook.com/xf500.
