From a Kindergarten Teacher

I have been a kindergarten teacher at Mott Haven Village School for the past seven years. We are so lucky to have Brook Park in our back yard and have enjoyed so many wonderful events there over the years. Festivals and campfires and gardening and tree climbing and welcoming a shipment of lady bugs into the garden are just a few of the exciting happenings that have enriched our student's lives in this paradise of a space. A space that is transformed by Tepees, flowers, trees, farmers' markets, mural painting, composting and so much more.

As our students are more and more alienated from nature and bombarded by media such a place as Brook Park has a very therapeutic and healing effect on them and their teacher. I am so grateful to the Friends of Brook Park staff for the magic they have created and for the work they do.

Thank you,
Monica Alexandra

A Day In Brook Park: by the Green Team teens

Today in Brook Park I helped clean the Park. I helped clean up th park by holding the garbage bag while Tevin and Sandy put the trash in. I also broke up some wood with a sledge hammer and an axe. i was breaking up wood for the campfire. After that the little kids came and I showed them why we were picking up wood chips. So that is how my day went at Brook Park. We were picking up the woochips so we can cover the weeds and they can't grow.
--Terron

Today we planted. We planted peppers, etc. We pulled out the weeds. We then made holes for the plants. Fill them with water. Open up the roots and planted the plants. then my back started to hurt so I stopped. Plus I have been getting bad news so I am in no mood to work.
--Sandy

FoBP Wins National Photo Contest

May 2007

South Bronx Group Wins 2007 American Rivers National Photo Contest

Best People & Rivers Photo features NYC Kayaker On East River
Grand Prize category winner!

Contact:
Friends of Brook Park, Harry J. Bubbins, information@friendsofbrookpark.org, 646-206-5288

With over 3.5 million miles of rivers in the United States, American Rivers invited photographers to enter their favorite river image(s) in their first-ever digital photography competition. They looked for beautiful river photography representing Healthy Rivers, Healthy Communities.

American Rivers helped make history on the Colorado River when, for the first time, operators of the Glen Canyon Dam agreed in 1996 to release millions of gallons of water for the sole purpose of reviving riverside habitat.

Selected form over 600 entries, he Best River Photo category winner's image will be featured on American Rivers’ website and mailed to our 60,000+ members in the 2008 Spring issue of our newsletter.

American Rivers is the only national organization standing up for healthy rivers so our communities can thrive. Through national advocacy, innovative solutions and our growing network of strategic partners, we protect and promote our rivers as valuable assets that are vital to our health, safety and quality of life.

Founded in 1973, American Rivers has more than 65,000 members and supporters nationwide, with offices in Washington, DC and the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast, California and Northwest regions.

The winning photo is of Harry J. Bubbins paddling in the East River around Randall's Island as part of a triathlon to raise money and awareness was made by Joel Kupferman, Esq.. Harry and Joel have been working to ensure that local rivers are clean and protected from inappropriate development, in this case a 26 acre corporate theme park on sensitive wetlands proposed by Aquatic Development Group of New York.

There is a sticker on the kayak Harry obtained while at the River Network conference in Keystone, Colorado, highlighting the national linkages of river stewards, watchers and caretakers across the country.



Winning photo can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=405366612&size=l

Or http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/405366612_80a228be3b_b.jpg

Photo Contest website at: http://www.americanrivers.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AR7_Contests

For more info on the photo contest:
American Rivers, Phone: 202-347-7550, outreach@americanrivers.org

Beltane Paddle Testimonial

Friday May 4th

Beltane Paddle

Celebrate Spring with an excursion on the Harlem River
and to draw attention to ways to help protect Mother Earth...

Friday May 4th

Meet 9 am Sharp
Brook Park
141st Street and Brook Avenue

Launch 9:45 am

Linger in the slack tide &
Eco Action 11 am

Turn 12 noonish

Land 1:15 PM

Finished 2 PM

The times are loose except for the meeting time. Beginner paddler's
welcome, but able to swim, dress appropriately.
Bring water/juice, food to share for lunch al agua.

Volunteers needed before for prep.

Bike riders and pedestrians welcomed to meet at us Eco Action site.

RSVP Space limited.

“Absolutely dazzling…wouldn’t have missed it for the world…saw ostrich-size birds, watched an egret soar, explored a forbidden island, paddled though challenging crosscurrents that would have felled many a lesser sailor, ran up banners to focus the world’s attention on the plight of Randall’s Island, about to be privatized for the exclusive use of the filthy rich rabble.

Beautiful day, soft breezes, sun-dappled Harlem River. So enchanted that at one point I burst out, ‘Harry, I am so happy you are in this universe to make such things possible.’

Can’t wait to do it again, and again, and again, and a thousand times after that.”

—Marilyn Horan

Since we were a team in the canoe, we felt we should write our blog entry as a team. Friday was the perfect sunny day for canoeing in the Harlem River. Although we were surrounded by one of the most densley populated areas of the country, the water was almost completely empty. We set out on our low impact adventure with a mission to save randall's Island (and have fun). We first learned about the purposes of a prayer stick as Rob placed one on Randall's Island in hopes of protecting the island from the potential development of a water park before setting off to Mill Rock Park Island for a delicious and picturesque lunch on the island. After lunch we paddled back to shore and walked our canoes eight blocks through the South Bronx streets to Brook Park, (not named after Brooke L.), where we helped community members set up a Tipi for an indigenous culture ceremony. All in all it was a fun day and we returned downtown exhausted but with great tans.
--Bill & Erika

Flowers and berries

Some beautiful flowers from Brook Park. And Raymond planting another blueberry bush! He has already contributed raspberiies and blackberries we have been enjoying over the years!