HOW IT STARTED...
It was one of those beautiful sunny days. We were reading by the Brussels Canal when we suddenly saw a big amount of trash float by. It was not a pretty sight, not the idyllic place we had in mind. It didn’t make us proud of our city. Instead of looking away, we bought a kayak and decided to do something about it by picking up all the floating trash. But it soon became clear that our efforts were in vain, there was simply far too much garbage. That’s when our idea changed. If we could not clean the waterways alone, we could make people care. We began inviting a new person to join us every time we went out on the kayak. One person became two, two became many, and conversations turned into awareness. That is how Canal it Up was born.
Since then, we have grown. We changed our name, expanded our team, and widened our mission. Today, as much as 7438 people have joined us on the canal, paddling together to remove floating trash by kayak. And with City to Ocean, our mission has grown far beyond what floats on the surface. We work toward waterways that are cleaner, greener, and full of life. We want to be proud of our city and we want waterways buzzing with life!
Civil engineer with a deep love for Brussels, passionately committed to City to Ocean since 2020.
Scientist and sailor, dedicated to protecting aquatic biodiversity and creating positive change in a collaborative and playful way.
And fortunately, we can often count on interns who come to gain experience in the workings of an environmental organization and support us in the meantime with their very valuable skills. Among them were Clémence from Belgium, Florian also from Belgium, Gabriela from Mexico, Alicja from Poland-Luxembourg, Philippine from Belgium, Hugo and Elise from France.
City to Ocean would also not exist without the amazing group of volunteers who guide the canal trips and contribute to many of the projects. It is thanks to their dedication that City to Ocean can continue working towards clean and green waterways!