Step It Up Paddle, Rally, and Bike Ride

An intrepid crew of us launched from the Harlem River in the South Bronx to head South down the East River to join up with thousands of New Yorkers in Battery Park for the Step It Up action to darw attention to global climate change and demand action from Congress to reduce polluting emissions. With the founder of Forest Ethics we navigated the current in our favor past Hallet's Cove in Queens where we wanted to link up with our LIC bretheren, who were otherwise engaged. Zipping south with the wind at our back we chose to land at the Dumbo Park Beach in Brooklyn, though our eyes cast look to the Manhattan side shore under the Brooklyn Bridge, armed with the awareness of the Public Trust Doctrine that local paddler Rob Buchanan and others have shared with us, knowing we all must advocate ever more for waterfront access and landing and launching rights everywhere in New York City.

Bronx Environmental Activists Meet Bill Mc Kibben

April 14th, NYC Battery Park
Seaofpeople.org

After paddling from the South Bronx past Randall's Island, landing in
Brooklyn and biking to Battery Park with canoes in tow, local environmental
activists met with Bill Mc Kibben, lead organizer of Step It Up and the
author of "The End of Nature". The event was part of a nation-wide series of actions to demand Congressional action on climate change and highlight local impacts.

The campaign to preserve Randall's Island and stop the development of a 26
acre private beach club and amusement facility is gaining momentum and
powerful allies. Advocates are working with the legal team at NYC Environmental Law and Justice Project to stop this park land alienation, and are seeking supporters from schools, in softball leagues, fishing clubs and paddling groups. Also, activists have made it a priority to move forward the southern leg of the South Bronx Greenway to the island to ensure that the Port Morris, Mott Haven and Hunt's Point communities have access to this green resource.

For more information see: http://www.eastharlempreservation.org/docs/Randalls_Island.htm

pictured:
Harry J. Bubbins, Director friendsofbrookpark.org
Tzeporah Berman, Founder of forestethics.org
Bill Mc Kibben, lead organizer of Step It Up and the author of "The End of
Nature", professor Middlebury College




From Rob Jereski:
hi tzeporah,
thanks for a really lovely paddle. it was very fun;)
here below are stanley rogouski's pictures of us w/the man, bill mcK.
harry neglected to tell me that i had schmutz on my eye so just crop
me out of the version you print.

harry asked for each or one of us to write something up on our jaunt.
here are my notes.

i'll write to you in the next day or so about the indonesia project.
see you soon and thanks for all your excellent work.
peace,
rob

city-action-mob-flash paddle.
-reflections on a spring paddle in the harlem and east rivers, passed
randalls island, millers rock, through the roosevelt island/long
island passage and on to d.u.m.b.o.

sun, barges, industrial age overgrown by dominium under steel and
glass, sewage overflow.
trees first buds emerge.
and shopping carts rust at the high tide mark
as harry steers towards the swirls and whirlpool diablos of hells gate.

tzeporah, my wife's best friend growing up, skirts in her kayak like
a pilot fish across the eddies.
into the mountains, rippling canyons, swells we dig our oars,
cultivating human gifts, wisdom and grace.

dawning a sweater on the beach in queens in the shade of new life's
greeting,
the faces of friends who have died and those yet to be born are
carried by the wind
stirring the water's surface.