NEW YORK—Thanks to Urban Connections funding, Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile made a special three-day stop in New York City and introduced almost 500 youth to canoeing and the USDA Forest Service. 

Canoemobile is a “floating classroom” that brings students out on local waterways in 24-foot Voyageur canoes to learn about science, history, geography and culture. The first stop on this adventure was in the Bronx by the Harlem River. 

Prior to taking a trip on the water, participants were able to take part in a “Stewardship Storytelling” exercise with Forest Service researchers Lindsey Campbell and Michelle Johnson from the Urban Field Station in New York City. Youth shared the connection they have with various outdoor places in their own communities. The exercise was developed to help people understand the concept of stewardship and see the ways in which they, too, are a steward of the local environment. It accompanies STEW-MAP and our broader stewardship science effort designed to answer the question, “Who takes care of the environment in your region?” 

Afterwards, organizers welcomed Meisha Porter, chancellor of the NYC Department of Education, who paddled the Harlem River alongside 200+ youth from the Bronx. 

Fortuitously, Canoemobile was in the area in time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. Joining the celebration included members of the Harlem/Bronx congressional delegation, Representatives Espaillat and Torres. Programming focused on highlighting the potential of connecting Bronx kids—and kids across the country—to opportunities to learn and explore waterways close to home. Researchers with the NYC Urban Field Station have long been involved with the Urban Waters Federal Partnership on the Bronx and Harlem Rivers. 

Throughout the fall, Wilderness Inquiry and the Forest Service partnered to provide Canoemobile programming in communities throughout the country, such as Minneapolis/St. Paul and northwestern Indiana, reaching a total of 3,000 kids. We look forward to future opportunities to partner and connect kids to the vast immersive opportunities in the outdoors, from their backyard to their national forest.

The Forest Service’s Urban Connections program partners with community leaders and organizations in urban areas to present opportunities to underrepresented and diverse audiences to visit National Forests and wilderness areas.

Wilderness Inquiry’s on-water experiences are often enriched with land-based learning activities developed and facilitated by hundreds of government agencies and nonprofits, including the Forest Service. Canoemobile brings classroom learning outside, engaging youth to improve school performance, cultivate a stewardship ethic and create pathways to pursue educational and career opportunities in the outdoors.