By Andrea Milano, River Hugger
I began swimming with the River Huggers in the Summer of 2015, soon after I had begun a new job. That job came with a commute that would take me alongside and over the river five days a week. For 16 years, I’d only ever seen the river at random times as I crossed back and forth for various reasons. This new perspective, day in and day out was significant. Similarly, with the ...   read more

 
LAUGH MORE, LIVE LONGER
T-Bone Vandel, First Mate, Human Access Project      
 
We all have gut instincts (some better than others). What we do with them is what matters. At HAP, our gut instinct is to try and laugh during trying times. Humor is vital to our health. Research has shown that laughing is good for you. Infants and kids laugh multiple times a day, but as we age ...   read more

Recently, a Bostonian named Steve Hendrickson visited Portland and took a walk to Poet’s Beach. He was so inspired by the poems written by children that are engraved in stones there that he wrote a short essay and then recorded a music video of one of the poems (by Jordan, 4th grader).
 
Here’s the essay he wrote followed by Jordan’s poem and the music video Steve created.
 
I HEARD A ...   read more

by Tom Vandel, HAP First Mate
 
God knows there’s a lot to be blue about these days. But it’s a fact my friend, blue space can drive away the blues.   
If anybody knows a good blues lick, here are some lyrics:  When blues get me down, I get down to the river, night or day, come what may, I get down to the river, down to the blue space, and let them blues flow away.  In Portland, we ...   read more

 
by Madalynn Abraham
 
The water as beautiful as gold
Riffling the bright sunlight
When I touch the cold sparkly water I feel a sense of relaxation
As I walk upstream I see more and more of the world's natural beauty
But while I walk upstream the natural beauty turns into a different world
A new world,
An untouched world
Where everything is greener,
the birds are singing a beautiful tune that lasted ...   read more

by Abigail Rogson

Rippling slowly, 

moving through the forset.

I wonder what it's like to be water,

in a stream, moving through a forest.

It was at that moment

I realized

There is peace and good in all of us.

by Aidan Pratt
I see the tourists, taking a pictures,
Always coming ever closer,
Seeing my current go ever quicker,
They come near seeking closure,
Sometimes there’s boats, exploring the water,
Sometimes there's divers, diving deep,  
Sometimes on the edge, I can see walkers,     
Peaceful I can be, beware however the drop off may be steep.
All of my Positives, and all of danger, 
All ...   read more

River in a Canyon

By Ethan Berkson-Klaur

Lightning striking the ground

A storm rolling in

Plant dying forever

A path going to heaven

Big craters in the ground

Shadows of the clouds

One string of life among the world

A blank landscape filled with beauty

Darkness overwhelming

LISTENING TO A STREAM OF WATER IN THE FOREST
By Abigail Rogson

 
Rippling slowly,
moving through the forest.
I wonder what it's like to be water
in a stream, moving through the forest.
It was at that very moment
I realize
There is peace and goodness in all of us.
 
The poem and artwork were originally submitted to Honoring Our Rivers: ...   read more

From the 2016 Honoring Our Rivers Anthology:

Free Water

By Alex Rawls, grade 3

Water is flowing freely,

Water chooses its own path,

separate from the rest.

Bubbling, bouncing,

carving canyons,

falling in silence.