Canoe Group Paddle Testimonial

Looking over my shoulder and watching a nearly full moon rise over the East River was one of many special moments I experienced when myself and nine other friends from The Indypendent newspaper went on a late-Saturday afternoon canoe ride. It was also a great experience for us collectively as well-- being able to step out of our normal newspaper producing drive and share the beauty and the camaraderie of the canoe ride. Kudos again to Friends of Brook Park for making this all possible. I would recommend it to anybody with the slightest interest in the outdoors

John Tarleton, NYC Indymedia
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Seeing the city from the East River was a trip. It's so easy to forget
we're surrounded by water in this city. FoBP managed to get our motley
crew to work together to make this great adventure happen. How many
people can say they've wheeled a canoe through the Bronx? Riding back
on the glassy water at dusk, a freight train on the tracks next to us,
and a sunset view of the city was a sight I never thought I'd see. I'm
always amazed how resourceful and creative New Yorkers can be, and this
just clinched it. It was a blast, and I kept thinking, this is really
special, all the while with a big grin on my face. Thanks FoBP!

Ryan

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