What do the Vistula River in Poland, the Grand River in Michigan, the Genesee River in Rochester and the Zenpukuji River in Tokyo all have in common? They all want to learn from the Bronx River!
Our work to reclaim the Bronx River as an educational, recreational, and economic resource has become a national and international model for how to revitalize urban rivers. People want to learn from all we’ve accomplished on the Bronx River!
We go to great lengths to share our collective successes. Here are just a few examples from recent years:
- In 2016 we provided substantial research support to a Fulbright scholar from Warsaw, Poland studying the Bronx River model
- We traveled to Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2016 to present about the Bronx River success story at a forum intended to launch new efforts to reclaim Brazil’s neglected urban rivers
- We gave a tour to representatives from China’s State Ocean Administration in 2016 focusing on our efforts to control floatable trash in the Bronx River
- Gave a keynote address in Constanta, Romania at the European Association for American Studies annual conference
- In 2017 and 2018, we’ve met several times with a group forming to steward the Zenpukuji River in Tokyo
- Video conferenced with business and community leaders in Rochester about their efforts to restore the Genesee River and develop a greenway along its banks
- We presented to many audiences in Grand Rapids, MI (including the Mayor and County Executive) in late 2018 focusing on community engagement and leadership
- And just this January, we gave a tour to Politics and International Relations students from De Montfort University in Leicester, UK
Don’t get us wrong—we have a lot more to do achieve the vision we’ve developed together for our river: greenway links to complete, sewage discharges to eliminate, habitat to restore, young people to engage. But let us all be proud of all we’ve accomplished together. The world has taken note!
