June 25, 2016—Delaware Water Gap, PA
Our transportation to the Delaware Water Gap from Ellis High School was planned to be a Zero Emissions Bus provided by BYD to educate students about electric vehicles and would have decreased emissions for our trip by 188,000g. Unfortunately, the electric bus had technical difficulties before arriving to New York, so we were graciously provided with another treat—a limousine bus (the only bus available) in order for our trip to continue! So the Ellis High School students, teachers, CatRock and ICO volunteers piled into a limousine bus instead, adorned with blue neon lights and comfy seating lining the sides of the bus. A first for most of us!
The Delaware River was slow-moving that day, which provided for lots of teamwork and entertainment. As we paddled down the river, songs of Row, Row, Row Your Boat could be heard. Of course, many of the students from other countries caught on to the lyrics and joined in too! Steering a raft with 5-7 people in it was a first for most students and proved challenging for some, with zig-zagging movements and spins around. But there was laughter all around and many students took turns steering, learning the skill as they went.
We stopped our vigorous paddling to enjoy lunch on the river. The students, who are always generous with what they’ve brought, shared packs of Oreos or treats from their native countries while others offered some of their home-cooked meal to fellow rowers. After lunch each raft geared up again for the challenge of rowing straight down the river. On the way, we did in fact see some of these fish we had learned about floating in the water. One raft in particular actually caught a fish or two to tease his fellow rowers! p>
Another fun aspect of the trip was the water fights. We were supplied with bail buckets that served very well as splash buckets too! Volunteers and students laughed and had fun getting totally drenched. Many also went swimming in the shallow waters of the river. In fact, a few students were learning to swim for the first time aided by volunteers and fellow students. It was truly a beautiful experience!
With fatigued arms but happy spirits, all the rafts finally pulled into our final destination about 7 miles down the river. In our closing circle, the overwhelming sentiment was the appreciation for the teamwork that it took to get all the rafts down the river, as well as the good attitude and laughs we had as we worked together. Another successful trip filled with many first experiences!