Today is a big day for Justin Riney.

After stand-up paddling for 165 miles, collecting nearly a thousand pounds of trash and debris, and sleeping in tents on barrier islands and parks, Justin Riney is completing his first of six conservation paddle excursions.

Riney’s ten-day Indian River Lagoon Conservation paddle began in Ponce Inlet on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 and will end around 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct., 20 in Jupiter Inlet.

This water-bound trip Riney has embarked on is dedicated toward raising awareness regarding the issues that threaten the lagoon and Florida’s waterways. Riney’s paddle board  is the vessel that will carry the importance of preservation to so many Floridians.

According to Cynthia Trone, owner of Jupiter Pointe Paddling and lead volunteer in the Jupiter area, Riley begins his journey at sunrise and sets camp at sunset. He is averaging 17 miles a day and as he’s made each one of his planned stops, he has collected a variety of refuse tossed hither and yon.

And with all his food and camp equipment on his board, and the relentless rain the eastern coastline has experienced these last few days, his adventure could not have been easy — but then again good adventures never are.

“Many of the recent days have been broken up with community cleanups and celebrations along the way,” says Trone of Riney’s voyage.

According to an article published by the Daytona Beach News Journal Online, Riney first stopped at Paddleboard New Smyrna on the North Causeway, which is one of the many paddle board shops partnering in the cleanup. With the help of approximately 20 volunteers, Riney and local residents collected about 150 pounds of waste, including golf balls, wood, Styrofoam and much more.

The remaining stops were Wassabo, Vero Beach, Hutchinson, Peck Lake and ultimately Jupiter Inlet.

Leading up to his arrival will be a major Intracoastal cleanup at Jupiter Pointe, where Surfrider, Lagoon Keepers, Loggerhead Marinelife Center and River Center will be collaborating in the cleanup, which begins at 9am.

“We look forward to a fun family day with lots of volunteer participation with the cleanup…and there will be plenty of kayaks and paddleboards available for discount rentals,” says Trone in an email. “We will have a flotilla of enthusiastic local paddlers joining him [Riney] on the final two miles to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse,” she says.

The paddle is one in a series of six paddles called the XF500 Conservation Paddles. It will highlight Florida waterways in preparation for Riney’s Expedition Florida 500 for Florida’s 500 birthday celebration’s next year: 2013.

Riney is the founder and chief executive officer of Mother Ocean – a nonprofit organization focused on fostering awareness to preserve and conserve the ocean and waterways.