Project Management & Coordination

Benjamin Webb

I was working as an Environmental & Civil Engineer before deciding that Paddling with Purpose was a far better use of my time. I am an avid whitewater kayaker with a strong interest in conservation and sustainability. I started this project to figure out what I could do to help what I considered an incredibly under-rated issue. The project has grown rapidly; it seems like all that people need is an idea to rally around and a pathway to make it happen. The best things I can do do are continue to coordinate activities; find more dedicated people to join our cause and put in place measures which will allow our motivated team to use their skills and abilities to the fullest. Read more here.

Peruvian Advocacy Team – Remando Juntos

We are working together to create interest in this issue & educate Peru about the impacts of the hydroelectric projects on the Marañon. We also have numerous part time volunteers, partner organisations and advisors who we work with through the Conservamos por Naturaleza platform. This is our core team who will lead the campaign at least until 2016, and participate in our ‘Remando Juntos’  film & expedition. Follow the Remando Juntos social media campaign, officially launching April 19, 2015.

Ana Teresa Ruiz

I am a Forestry Engineer working  in projects which involve topics like Climate Change, conservation, social and environmental issues about dams, monitoring programs and Greenhouse Effects. Since I am working with nature and local communities I realized that I need to do more for them, something  to create awareness. Remando Juntos gives me the chance to help  as much as I can.  I am so excited to be part if it!! More about Ana Teresa

Adriana Troncoso Gomez

 Hi I am studying marine biology, I have always loved nature, I grew learning from it and sadly I have seen how we are destroying it in name of development. I wanted to participate on this project because it’s time to stop complaining and actually do something. The Marañon river is too important to let it die without fighting for it!

Alonso Sanchez Maltese

I’m 24 year old and since I left home for my first long trip on my own 6 years ago, and since then a increasing desire to explore has builded up on me. This lead me to realize how important was the world that was outside our cities, which gave me a craving to do something to help wherever it help was needed. When I saw the the call for remando, I knew it was the opportunity I was hoping to stumble on. So cheers for remando and lets make this happen!”

Jorge Jesus Chavez Ortiz

I’m from Cajamarca and studying Environmental Engineering at the National University of Cajamarca, I’m environmental and human rights activist, I like to photograph and travel anywhere in the world. I created a blog called “Mi Mina Corrupta” which I use to inform and write about the problematic mining in Cajamarca and elsewhere. I  also publish information which is normally difficult to access for the population. The best of life is to share experiences with others.

Lizbeth Nelva Diaz Redolfo

Lizbeth is lawyer from Lima, specialising in social & indigenous issues arising from development.

Luigi Marmanillo

I have been an adventure seeker since I have memory, I´ve traveled around Peru, the US, Europe and the UK during the last years searching for outdoor experiences. Mountain biker, climber but mainly kayaker, I’m in love with wilderness and multiday river expeditions. I studied Tourism Administration and run an adventure tour company based in Lima, ‘Vive Aventura‘. I´m trained in First Aid, CPR, and River Safety and Rescue. I´m very much motivated with this project because I´m convinced that tourism is the best alternative for Peruvian development, I want to do as much as I can to avoid losing a free flowing Marañón, by raising awareness in locals and foreigners about the wonders of this river.

Camote (Luis Herrera Masias)

I am Luis (Camote), I am photographer/videographer and one of my biggest passions is to travel, enjoy nature and share what my eyes see. I am very interested in this project because it not only defends the river and life, also makes people understand how important the free rivers are for everyone in the world.

Samuel Paucar Ochoa

I’m studying audiovisual communication. I’m interested on relating that side of my life with a more social/enviromental side. That’s why I got into this project: It’s the perfect opportunity to mix both things with adventure, adrenalin, which is something that I love too.

International Volunteers:

These volunteers are giving up their time & paying their own costs to come and make our expeditions on the Marañon possible as skilled river guides and safety kayakers. They are also putting huge amounts of energy into fundraising & spreading awareness through their own communities.

Remando Juntos Volunteers:

April Lyn McEwen (USA)

I am an environmental scientist who specializes in restoring rivers from dam impacts and improving fish migration past dams that block them from accessing critical habitat. I have seen firsthand that the most effective way to maintain river function and ecosystem benefits to people is to ensure river ecosystem integrity and thus long-term benefits to human society. My personal motivation for joining the PwP team is a result of the desire to share my experience and help prevent irrational, unsustainable development that hurts local and global ecosystems and people.

Adam Pedicini (Australia)

Im the sort of guy you want at your party and I’m the guy you want there in the morning to help clean and get the days adventure going! Free and fast I love good people, good vibes and I love the smell of happiness. This is the perfect trip to grow, share and feed my soul with a rich a rewarding experience.

Rob Coffey (Ireland)

“I’ve  almost 20 years experience working on rivers all over the world and feel like giving something back to help preserve the incredible environments I’ve been privileged to witness. All around the world rivers are being destroyed and I hope this project will at raise some awareness of the issue”

Luigi Marmanillo (Peru)

I have been an adventure seeker since I have memory, I´ve traveled around Peru, the US, Europe and the UK during the last years searching for outdoor experiences. Mountain biker, climber but mainly kayaker, I’m in love with wilderness and multiday river expeditions. I studied Tourism Administration and run an adventure tour company based in Lima, ‘Vive Aventura‘. I´m trained in First Aid, CPR, and River Safety and Rescue. I´m very much motivated with this project because I´m convinced that tourism is the best alternative for Peruvian development, I want to do as much as I can to avoid losing a free flowing Marañón, by raising awareness in locals and foreigners about the wonders of this river.

Stefanie Nicole Wessel (USA)

¡Hola campañeros! I’m Stef Wessel, a 7 season river guide hailing (most recently) from New Mexico, USA, and I’m so excited to be working with Paddling with Purpose to bring awareness to and help protect the Rio Amazon and its headwaters. The River is the truest home I’ve found on this earth, regardless of location, climate, season, or water level, and I want to invite everyone inside and experience why rivers everywhere are worth saving!

Daphnee Tuzlak (Canada)

I grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon where I learned how to paddle and raft guide — and  have been hooked ever since! I now live in Utah where I am doing a Masters in Geology studying how rivers carve landscapes. Free-flowing rivers are incredibly important for our environment and I hope that we can get the word out about protecting the Marañon.

Nicholas Gottlieb (USA)

I learned to kayak while at summer camp when I was eleven years old and have been doing everything I can to keep exploring new places through paddling since. I attended to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and paddled as much as possible while there. At this point, I’ve kayaked all over north and south America and I’m very excited to see the Grand Canyon of the Marañon and do everything I can to preserve it for future paddlers and other people to enjoy.

Krista DeMille (USA)

Hola! Rivers and storytelling are my passion. I’ve got 13 years of pro raft guiding under my throwbag and I’m thrilled to contribute my skills to keeping the Source of the Amazon free flowing and culturally preserved! When not on the river, I’m a NYC actress, singer and dancer, touring internationally; writing, directing, and producing theater and film with my company Eddy Out Productions. I love telling stories that inspire people to make the hard choices required for living peacefully and sustainably on spaceship earth. H2O Manifesto is my baby, a fictional play immersed in dance that I felt inspired to create as a community response when Nestle quietly attempted to build the largest water bottling plant in the world at the foot of Mt Shasta, CA – with almost no financial return to the community nor careful concern for the pristine volcanic aquifers. We received six grants to help us make the piece! Nestle eventually withdrew their plans after the community rose up against it! So, it’s possible… Vivo Rio Maranon!

Memo Ruiz (Mexico)

I have passed the last 21 years of my life taking people down rivers. Showing them the importance, the life and the fun….. to have a river…..I have seen a lot of happy faces; and also changed some lives. Thats the best thing of the world !!! NO A LAS PRESAS !!!! RIOS LIBRES !!!!

Jake Risch (USA)

I’ve been exploring and having adventures on rivers around the world for 18 years and have seen first hand the devastation of dams in Turkey, Nepal, and Indonesia. I’m one of the founding member of a paddler based Swift Water Rescue team in my home in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA.   I’m excited to be part of this mission and to get to explore and advocate for one of the worlds classics

Training Expedition Volunteers

William Hurley (Ireland)

Having been born and raised in Ireland, I’ve had few opportunities to leave the country to explore. Kayaking has always been a passion of mine and this trip is one step closer to discovering new rivers, exciting cultures, and working with the purpose of environment conservation. The thrill and rush of white-water motivates me to preserve the beautiful natural landscapes that exist in the corners of our world and I am very excited to be a part of this incredible project. My other passions include mountain biking, animals, marine science, climbing, outdoor adventures, my girlfriend in Canada, and cooking.

Elizabeth McGuirk (USA)

Hi all! My name’s Liz and this will be my sixth season as a professional river guide. I hope this trip down the Marañon in whatever small way inspires and empowers the people along the river to explore the possibilities of their own backyard.

Carlos Larson (USA)

I have had the blessing to grow up in a family that is very outdoor oriented. Growing up we were always headed to one place or another, almost always sleeping on the ground under the stars. As I got older I developed a love for sharing these experiences with others, and educating them on what great opportunities were in their back yard. On this trip I hope to share this sense of wonder and joy with the local people of the Marañon.

Lacey Anderson (USA)

I have had a lifetime passion for river running in many different river crafts and in many different locations (USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru) but I feel the  Marañon is a special river because it is the main stem source of the Amazon. In the USA and other countries we have dammed the majority of our rivers doing harm to the ecosystem and killing much of the wildlife. Can we not just leave the Amazon alone? I mean dang it! it is the Amazon! the lifeblood of our planet! The largest volume river in the world! Must we wreak havoc on it too? Can´t we leave this majestic river undammed! And in its natural state?
Lacey regularly writes for NRS Duct Tape Diaries, and runs the website nocoolers.com to educate people how to better cook in the backcourntry. She has completed the Marañon twice before and is organising more guided trips in 2015.

Matthew Primomo (USA)

In an age of rapid development and population increase around the globe, I feel it is becoming more and more important to promote environmental stewardship and protect our hydrologic systems. I make my living off of water in all forms; ice, water, and vapor. I teach avalanche safety courses, guide backcountry  skiing trips, and do avalanche safety and control work year round, rotating between the USA and Chile. Before my pursuit of endless winter I was a raft guide and mountain guide. Check out my blog here or have a read of a recent article in Ascent Backcountry Journal about ski explorations in the Central Chilean Andes: