Blog: April 2019

Refuge
April 18, 2019

It’s a sunny afternoon at Pyne Poynt right here in Camden, NJ. It’s low tide so the Stream Stewards walk down the boat launch and make a left onto the dry riverbed. We see a nice flat rock to put our water testing supplies on and get to work. The sky is blue with few clouds and we see geese, ducks, and then a hawk flying by. We remark how the air smells like spring and that we feel energized as winter slips away.

Two Stream Stewards throw our bucket on a rope into the river to take a water sample, then take turns testing temperature, pH, turbidity, nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved oxygen. As we carefully test our water sample and record our results, we discuss school days, work days, tell jokes, and admire the beautiful weather and take in the start of a new season. We chat about things to look forward to during the remainder of the school year and beyond, and simply enjoy the moment.

Stream Stewards may be a space to learn about what is happening below the surface of our waterways, but it is also a space to consider ourselves in the context of our environment. It is a space to step away from our phones and laptops, school books, and busy schedules to really connect with the river in our backyard. It is a space to connect with each other when the chaos of the day has finally taken a break. We come to complete a task, but we gain much more. This particular spring afternoon, I think about the fact that this space is a sort of refuge that we can return to week after week.

On the short ride back to UrbanPromise’s campus we enjoy each other’s company, eat snacks, and talk about our plans for our next Stream Stewards’ meeting. Until next week and until our next refuge!

Rachel Abbott, Environmental Education Program Director

 

 

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