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Thousands Drawn To The River In 2004 By Hugh M. Carola 
Most of them came for an Eco-Cruise, to relax, observe and learn about the marshes of the Meadowlands. Quite a few of them came to paddle canoes and kayaks, some leisurely, others at a workout pace. A decent amount of folks came by just to walk along marsh trails and view the New York skyline through the reeds. Perhaps the most committed of them came to work; they literally picked up tons of trash that marred the beauty of our riverbanks. Who were all these people? They were folks just like you who took part in Hackensack Riverkeeper’s 2004 Eco-Program season. This past year, nearly 6,000 people came out to recreate on and alongside the Hackensack River and to explore the marshes of the New Jersey Meadowlands between April (when the cleanups started and the Paddling Center opened) and November (when the last Eco-Walks came in from the field). They came on their own, with their schools and with their nature clubs. We did trips for church groups, garden clubs and Scouts. Whoever they were, every one of them got to see for themselves the vitality, the beauty and the uniqueness of our watershed. It may not be “pristine,” but that doesn’t detract from the wonder people feel when they see a Great blue heron rising up out of the marsh, a shoal of herring being pursued by hundreds of cormorants and gulls, or 5,000 Ruddy ducks roosting on the waters of Mehrhof Pond. ECO-CRUISES Once again, the vessels Robert H. Boyle and Edward Abbey hosted more than 3,000 people (3,324 to be exact) who participated in 208 Eco-Cruises this year. Out of those numbers, 1,190 students ranging in age from 2nd graders to graduate school students took part in 70 trips. We hosted fact-finding missions for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (including a special trip for Northeast Regional Director Marvin Moriarty), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Senators Corzine and Lautenberg, Rep. Steve Rothman, the NJ Department of Health, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Northern Valley Mayors Association. Eco-Cruises were also a cornerstone of the Passaic River Patrol, which we began this year with our colleagues at NY/NJ Baykeeper. A total of 17 trips were conducted for a wide range of stakeholder groups on the Passaic. THE PADDLING CENTER at LAUREL HILL COUNTY PARK
Hackensack Riverkeeper added a fleet of a dozen kayaks to the canoes we’ve had in service since 1999. Little did we know at the beginning of the season how popular they would be! By the time the Center closed, a record-breaking 1,551 people paddled with us either on guided tours or by renting boats for independent exploration. We also conducted several trips on the Passaic River this year, offering folks the opportunity to explore that much-maligned waterway. Ours is still the only small boat livery anywhere on the river but with new access points being created in Secaucus at Mill Creek Point and in Hackensack at Johnson Park, we may soon be adding more. ECO-WALKS 
The majority of Eco-Walkers were students and teachers who took part in our combination programs at Laurel Hill Park. In addition to nature walks, students are also offered activities such as water testing and working with the EnviroScape® model. Eco-Walks were also conducted at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus, DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry and the Celery Farm Natural Area in Allendale. On 48 separate occasions, 754 people participated in this program in 2004. For next season we plan to conduct most, if not all, stand-alone Eco-Walks as birdwatching trips. Make sure you all add new binoculars and field guides to your Holiday wish lists! (left): On 48 separate occasions, 754 people participated in Eco-Walks in 2004. RIVER CLEAN-UPS 
The success of this program and the sheer energy of those who volunteer never ceases to impress us. Since Lisa Ryan and Kathy Urffer began this program to bring active conservation to our watershed back in 2001, it has become one of our core activities and one of our most visible. This past year, a record 12 clean-ups were conducted including two at Laurel Hill Park and one each at the Oradell and Woodcliff Lake Reservoirs. Seventeen miles of river and streambanks were cleaned and 25 dumpster loads of trash were removed during nearly 1,100 hours of work by our dedicated corps of volunteers. United Water New Jersey and the River Edge Environmental Committee co-sponsored two cleanups apiece and we plan to work with them both again in 2005. How about you? (left):Seventeen miles of river and streambanks were cleaned and 25 dumpster loads of trash were removed during nearly 1,100 hours of work by our dedicated corps of volunteers. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE… In addition to our “traditional” outdoor programs, Hackensack Riverkeeper staffers engaged in a number of other outreach activities throughout the watershed in 2004, including:
A special thank you is in order to all the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (and their leaders) who came aboard with us this season. All told, 436 Scouts and Scout leaders from 23 troops supported Hackensack Riverkeeper through our programs this year. Way to go Scouts! Plans are already underway for our 2005 Eco-Program season. Some of the things we’re working on are: a more visible presence for the Passaic River Patrol, expanding our guided paddling trips and the aforementioned bird walks. Whatever we might add or do, we’ll still be offering plenty of guided paddles, Open Boat Eco-Cruises, Eco-Walks and Clean-ups for thousands of people to take part in. Just keep checking our website and upcoming issues of Hackensack Tidelines for scheduling and more info. See you at the river! |
