The Bronx River Alliance- I am the Bronx

One afternoon late this spring I came upon the boy in this picture skipping rocks with his friends. I should say they were trying to skip rocks. In the Bronx you get the feeling that no matter how streetwise our urban youth may seem, they still have lots to learn out on the water.

Still this kid came right up to me and began to tell me all about his river. We were in Concrete Plant Park, a gorgeous community park developed by the Bronx River Alliance and apparently there were all kinds of cool things to see. He showed me where crabs live under the rocks. He told me about a few of the ducks and who was "with" who. He pointed to the massive scrap metals yards in the distance. I showed him how to skip a rock.

This was the highlight of the few days we spent in the Bronx putting together a video for the Bronx River Alliance. It was symbolic of how many treasures there are in a place that is notorious only for it's severe problems. What I loved was this teenager's unabashed interest in nature. In a place that I'm sure demands some toughness to get along, his gentleness reflected that of the river... an oasis in a busy borough. He reminded me that there are beautiful things everywhere. Especially in the Bronx.

Enjoy this video and get out to the Bronx River some time!