There is a lot we can learn from rivers, lakes, streams, oceans … any and all waterways on this planet.
Everything is connected. A river may be at the heart of a community, but it knows no boundaries – it continues to flow. The flow carries it into the next community, and another, before it eventually reaches the ocean. And that ocean? It merges with another ocean.
We may try to manipulate these water bodies or even take ownership of them and give them names and boundary lines, but at the end of the day, we know we can never truly possess them – only care and respect for them. A love unconditional.
What makes me feel connected to the river is the fact that we are all linked to it. We live along it, we enjoy its beauty, we make memories. The same river can have millions of memories clustered on its shores – each memory as unique as the rest.
These memories are bookmarked in our minds. We remember how the sun glinted off the waves, or how the air was lightly fragranced with the smell of salt, or how, whether it be skyscrapers or the mountains looming over the water, a majestic feeling is released from the heart.
These beautiful memories come with the privilege of having clean and safe water bodies to live near. Nothing is memorable or unique about pollution and abuse of our waterways.
When we disrespect and neglect our waterways, we are disrespecting and neglecting ourselves as well as each other. We are all connected through these living waters, and initiatives such as Riverkeeper Sweep serve as helpful and important reminders that we are responsible for keeping these connections flowing.
We must hold each other accountable and take steps toward learning to become better stewards of our environments. Because if we act locally, we are making changes globally. We are influencing others to join us in learning, growing, and taking better care.
Seeing firsthand all of the amazing and hard work that goes into organizing the Riverkeeper Sweep is both humbling and empowering. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and supportive, encouraging involvement from volunteers throughout the Hudson Valley. You meet others who are interested in educating themselves and taking the necessary steps toward making positive changes.
Riverkeeper Sweep is the essential reminder that we are united through these bodies – water bodies – and it is up to us to take action and keep these connections flowing.
By Erin Provenzano, Eco Hero and a Membership Manager at Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson.
This beautiful repost is an ode to Riverkeeper Sweep, originally published on October 8, 2020 in Riverkeeper.org. Riverkeeper Sweep is an annual day for our waterways, involving dozens of shoreline cleanups and planting projects. The 9th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep is this Saturday, October 17, 2020 and Erin will lead the Tuckahoe: Bronx River Cleanup at Parkway Oval Park in Westchester, NY. Check out the many local clean ups on our calendar, including Greenpoint’s WNYC Transmitter Park Cleanup, Greenpoint/Williamsburg’s Bushwick Inlet Park Cleanup and Long Island City’s Dutch Kills Cleanup with Newtown Creek. Visit Riverkeeper.org/sweep for the full list. As a cute aside, Greenpoint’s BK Lucky Cub Scouts Pack 7 is planning an impromptu clean-up at Newtown Creek Nature Walk this Saturday during their weekly meeting.