What’s in the Hudson, Passaic, Hackensack and other local waterways that has people increasingly using them for recreation — or maybe the better question is what isn’t in the water. Boaters and kayakers enjoying these rivers some might be afraid of due to pollution or other fears aren’t exactly new, but this story of some local school kids building their own canoes and paddling down the Passaic caught my eye today, and caps off a few weeks of hearing or reading about the local rivers.
N.J. students in environment-education program ride self-built canoes on Passaic River [The Star-Ledger]
About three dozen students from four schools in the city took wooden canoes they crafted from blank pieces of wood, and caste them on the murky waters of the Passaic River this weekend as the culmination of a program that taught them math, history, environmental science and carpentry skills.
A nonprofit, environmental education group, Project USE — which stands for Urban Suburban Environments — contracted with Newark schools for the past three years to provide the materials and instruction for the program that has taught about 100 sixth- through ninth-graders to build boats.
Not pristine, not yet.
There is still work to raise the health of all the local rivers and tributaries and there are a few environmental and other river organizations on the task.
WNYC covered Newtown Creek Cleanup
With Earth Day last month the Leonard Lopate Show focused its Cityscapes project and a few other segments the cleanup of Newtown Creek, including a nature walk / meetup. Some audio here: Underreported Update: Newtown Creek
Working Harbor Committee’s Hidden Harbor Tours
If you’re feeling nostalgic for the old industrial feeling of the area [hah!] and learning about the working Harbor is more your thing, Flickr user Pat [check out his wonderful NYC skyline shots] posted word of a series of guided tours around NYC’s waterways. This 2 hour tour leaves from South Street Seaport and goes through the NY Harbor, the Kill Van Kull and in and around Port Newark and Port Elizabeth.
For More Check Out:
- The Hackensack Riverkeepers who offer tours and other activities out of Laurel Hill Park. [2009 programming]
- The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Meadowlands Blog with information on local wildlife and additional “Eco-Cruises”.
