Taking out the Trash--with Panache!

Nicole and I spent a good three hours removing trash from the Hutchinson River estuary, I can't tell if I feel energized or exhausted from the experience. We took off from Rodman's Neck at 9:45 AM and paddled for about half an hour before reaching our designated cleanup site--a patch of reeds underneath Interstate 95 (seriously, who designs an Interstate Highway over a national wildlife refuge?). We made good progress filling bags for about an hour, but a rising tide forced us and the other volunteers to move on to a different side. We found another patch of reeds nearby. No sooner than when we landed on the reeds than we were greeted with the crackling sound of plastic bottles underneath our canoe.

Nicole is surrounded by plastic bottles.

We spend about another hour at this site filling our bags before a rising tide forced us again to leave for something resembling dry ground. We paddled onward towards another site, in the meantime soaking in the breathtaking views of swans, common terns, osprey, and cormorants around us.

An elegant Bronx Swan is undeterred by our presence as we paddle past him.

Our third and final trip of the day took us to an island between Pelham Bay Park and Co-Op City. On The island was safe from high tide, so we didn't have to worry about getting our feet wet anymore. Unfortunately, some Wasps also thought this dry ground was prime real estate and weren't altogether grateful of the good cleanup work we were doing. Some people got stung. Nicole was one of them. Ouch!

Transition lenses make me look cool in the canoe. I-95 is visible in the background.

On the one hand, it was exciting and energizing to see Common Terns, Swans, and an osprey in and around the Hutchinson River. We felt a sense of accomplishment after filling bag after bag of garbage that otherwise pollute such a pristine environment. We had the privilege of working with a friendly and talented team of like-minded individuals.

Nicole and I ferry some garbage and soak in the Hutchinson River views.

On the other hand, seeing all that litter in a national wildlife refuge--more than half which was recyclable plastic bottles--was pretty damn depressing. Also, Nicole got stung by a wasp, and she panicked as I paddled us back home against a rising tide. This was no leisure trip.

When it was over, I felt like I had gotten a great workout. I promptly showered and insisted I needed only to lie down for 15 minutes--which quickly turned into one hour. Oops!

An osprey stares at us as we paddle by. Co-op city lies in the background.

Ultimately, the experience was worth it, wasp stings an all. Some topical antihistamine was all Nicole needed for her stings, we felt fulfilled in our mission of garbage removal, and inspired by our winged companions.

This boat is nothing but a weird, watery mystery to me.

 Lastly, we got a relatively good look at this bizarre shipwreck near co-op city. Can anybody tell me what this is? I expect to see something like this in Maine, but the Bronx?