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Exchange 3, the Netherlands

Exchange in Zeeland

Three days where the Scheldt meets the sea: games, river rights and kayaks on the Veerse Meer.

When
10 to 12 October 2025
Where
Map of the Scheldt from its source in France to the sea, with Zeeland marked
Kanoa outdoor centre, Wolphaartsdijk, the Netherlands
Who
13 participants, hosted by HZ University of Applied Sciences
Cost
No fee; travel, a place to sleep and meals arranged
Theme
Water games, Rights for the Scheldt and kayaking
Four participants posing under the wooden KANOA sign at the outdoor activity centre, two of them with their arms in the air

What we did

Our third exchange went downstream, with our biggest and most international group so far.

We played a lot:

  • a photo treasure hunt to explore the area
  • Go with the flow, the water board game you can download for free
  • the Scheldt game: you are the decision-maker, weighing up the interests of farmers, industry, nature and more. It gets heated.

The session most of us remember was on Rights for the Scheldt. What if a river had legal rights of its own, like a person or a company? Take that seriously and every discussion about the river changes.

On Saturday we kayaked through the wetlands of the Veerse Meer: the fastest way to understand a water system from the inside.

In our first real evaluation, most participants were satisfied or very satisfied. They asked for more depth on the Scheldt itself and on pollutants such as PFAS. We planned Ghent around that feedback.

Such occasions are incredibly important to ignite the necessary fire for change. We must give young people a stage in such a way that it inspires others to do similar things. They are our future, and by creating a habitat for change, we empower them to shape it.

Ad Faassekeynote speaker

In pictures

A participant takes a playful selfie with her tongue out from a yellow kayak on the lake, while her paddling partner pulls a face behind her
Participants playing the board game Go with the flow around a long wooden picnic table under a canopy
Participants eating together at a long table in a greenhouse

Want to make waves?

  • Be heard
  • Make friends
  • Learn by doing
  • Have a good time
Join us

For anyone aged 16 to 26 living in France, Belgium or the Netherlands