The worlds’ crafters of wooden paddles and oars are disappearing. Aluminum and plastic is replacing native craftsmanship. Native cultures have used paddles for canoeing the worlds’ rivers and oceans for millennia. Every nation on earth has used wooden paddles on their rivers and seas. Native trees have been carefully selected to make the best paddles for their conditions. Paddling a birch bark canoe is certainly different than a one-ton dugout canoe and their paddle designs reflect this. However, the same basic premise of self-propulsion of the boat is the desire. This art is disappearing though. Perfectly straight, lightweight with molded grips, mass manufactured paddles are quickly replacing native paddles worldwide.

The art of the wooden canoe paddle will be lost. Before all these wooden paddles disappear forever the Wild Paddles Initiative will help preserve this craft by acquiring drastically different designs from many cultures. We will be logging all the vital statistics of each paddle such as length, width, blade width, weight and composition. We will also try to log the type of craft and statistics of the craft being paddled. High quality photos and HD video will be taken of natives using their paddles in their conditions.

Painted artwork depicting locals using paddles and oars will be acquired by directly buying or just digitizing the images with appropriate compensation. Schoolchildren will be pulled into the mix by holding art contests that contain a paddle in the picture. These kids will be able to give us another distinct perspective into the locals’ use and history of a paddle.

Whenever possible we will acquire handmade personal flotation devices (lifejackets). Many natives do not use any sort to PFD, but some know of their worth and make their own. We will trade new high technology PFD’s to these individuals. Someone who has taken the time to sew a net around Styrofoam blocks deserves something better.

To acquire the paddles we will be buying directly from the craftsmen as much as possible, but also trading American wooden and aluminum paddles to natives using their cultural paddle. Through purchasing paddles we expect that locals will seek craftsman to make a new one thereby helping the paddling economy. This trading will certainly lead to greater discussions about paddles and their uses. Many cultures see the paddle as the steering wheel to their glamorous car (coincidentally, I feel the same way). Just like finding opinions about cars at a hot rod rally, these men and women will have strong opinions about what makes the finest paddle.