As summer solstice approaches, the hot days get longer, the river gets warmer, and the boat ramps are bustling with trailers and people eager to launch and go play. The marina gets busier each night, boats dodging each other in the narrow channels between the docks. I see more trash in the river, as sunset cruises and day trips to the beach leave behind empty bottles and plastic bags; but summer camp starts and the kids’ voices ring across Haverstraw Bay as they jump between boats and docks and the cool Hudson water. For the next two days, I will be heading upriver with John Lipscomb and Carol Knudson on Fletcher, Riverkeeper’s patrol and water sampling boat. On Monday I start my 5th year working at the EAST Sailing Academy, teaching kids about sailing and the river. And so begins my summer of rambling the Hudson, exploring the twists and turns and discovering why exactly it is such an important place to preserve. As I begin this internship with Riverkeeper, I am eager to learn about water sampling and environmental advocacy. Starting the youth camp again, I can’t wait to share my love for sailing and the Hudson with these kids, so that they may also feel a responsibility to care for the river they live and play on. Beginnings are exciting, they hold both promise and uncertainty for what’s ahead, and I am ready to begin my summer.
Waterbased 