Recently named River of the Year 2020 by American Rivers, the Delaware River will celebrate a completed art
— Provided photo
mural along Bordentown Beach by July 4th.
Not only are they celebrating the honor of being River of the Year 2020, but also D&R Greenway Land Trust is preparing for their upcoming Kayak Education Program on the banks of the Delaware River at Bordentown Beach, and so earlier this month they announced the first strokes of paint to the public art mural there.
So, D&R Greenway has partnered with the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Funds youth program, FUTURO, and the City of Bordentown in celebrating these diverse communities as the country celebrates June as American Rivers Month.
Bordentown Mayor Jim Lynch reflects on the importance of the Delaware River in his community and his personal life: “I literally grew up on the Delaware River,” he said.
“Whether it was fishing on Yapewi Aquatic Boat Club’s Docks at 3:00 a.m. with my uncle Babe or docking my first boat at Bordentown Yacht Club in 1971 under the tutelage of Past Comm. Bill Feaster, the River has a huge impact on my life,” Lynch said.
He mentioned that he lost his dad at 12-years-old, and that the River was an outlet for healing. He went on the say that after his classes at Bordentown Military Institute, he would go down to the River for water skiing adventures until dark.
The River has great family and community support and what “was once a river with many challenges of neglect and pollution has blossomed into this gem,” he said.
The Mayor thanks D&R Greenway and others for their efforts in achieving the well-deserved and long overdue award and honor of River of the Year 2020.
While the mural-in-progress takes place, the artists are inviting the public to enjoy watching its creation at Bordentown Beach, but to remember to maintain social distancing efforts.
The creators intend for the mural to be “a symbol of perseverance, dedication, and love,” said Strategic Community Conservation Fellow Nadeem Demian, who is partnering with D&R Greenway through Princeton University.
The art will decorate the 40-foot shipping container that will store the watercraft and equipment for D&R Greenway’s upcoming kayak program.