The organisation has set itself the goal of promoting the renaturation of streams and rivers and wants to inspire people for the basis of life "water". Now to the beginning:
Doing his laps on the stand-up paddle on the Starnberg, Pascal felt a very special relationship with water and he realised how important water is for him, for people, for life on earth. At the same moment, he made the decision to raise awareness of the importance of water and nature in society.
Inspired by Yvon Chouinard, an extreme sportsman, founder of the outdoor company Patagonia and co-founder of 1% FOR THE PLANET, who allowed his employees to take time off to go surfing, Pascal decided to launch a fundraising campaign that would benefit the planet and also align with his passion - surfing.
On 16 July 2016, the time had come: the 1st SUP Nature Project had its premiere. Pascal started in Munich and reached the Austrian capital of Vienna on 31 July 2016 after 505 river kilometres and 12 days. He raised a total of 8,500 euros in donations for local water protection projects. This incredible and directly tangible success and the unforgettable "flow" during the entire tour made him realise at the end of his paddle tour that this experience was just the beginning.
Pascal's second 2nd SUP nature project took him from Munich to the Black Sea. 2467 kilometres in 63 days. The film "2467km - A journey to the Black Sea" was made about his journey. The film premiered on 8 February 2018 in Munich and Pascal has been on tour with it ever since.
The 3rd SUP Nature Project started on 2 September 2018, with Pascal exploring the Salzach from its source to its mouth. The second film "The Soul of the Salzach" was made about this journey.
Parallel to the SUP nature projects, he and his team developed the Water Days. The idea came about when some teachers asked whether the films could also be shown in schools.
The concept was finalised in 2018 and premiered at two secondary schools with a total of 250 pupils. By 2019, there were already 14 schools with a total of 1,200 pupils and the short film was shot at Walchensee.
In 2023, four years later, over 5,000 pupils and teachers were reached on 101 water days, including pupils from three schools in the district of Schärding in Upper Austria. The young people were taught about the conscious use of the precious resource "water" and how sensible it is to reduce plastic waste.
Not only does the "Pure Water for Generations" initiative itself show that engaging with nature can be fun, but the shining eyes of the participants from the secondary schools in Esternberg and Münzkirchen as well as the Schärding grammar school are a great demonstration of this.
It is fantastic to be able to observe how positive thoughts, ideas and initiatives can spread and develop across continents. How awareness for a responsible approach to the foundations of life can be awakened without pressure.
The two youth coaches Verna Stinglmayr and Philipp Hofpointner from Sparkasse Oberösterreich are delighted with the committed participation of the kids and, above all, with the fact that the young people want to implement concrete resolutions in their everyday lives.
#schongenial - We make positive things visible - we make positive things conscious! already brilliant!