Those of us living in urban areas are faced with an enormous amount of daily stress. Every day we juggle work, jam-packed schedules, deadlines, financial and family pressures, and social responsibilities. Even young adults and school kids struggle to find the mythical work/life balance talked about so often but rarely achieved.
Amid the quotidian chaos of working, working out, and eating right, who has time for nature and the great outdoors?
Enter Resilience Paddle Sports, a small business launched in 2013 with the goal of getting people outside, active, and on the water.
It offers guided lessons in a number of human-powered water sports for adults and children at Pier 13 and the Hoboken Cove.
A wide variety of choices include kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding programs all on our beautiful Hudson River.
Guided paddling programs can be designed for fitness and wellness—kayaking and stand-up paddling provide an excellent full-body workout—or for progressive skill development for those who want to take up racing, touring, or solo paddling.
Classes and tours also promote boating safety and the pure joy of being on the river, without a motor. There’s nothing more peaceful and relaxing than getting out of the city and paddling on the open water on a hot day at the end of a hectic work week.
Paddling for the Planet
Resilience Paddle Sports is not only good for the body and the mind but also for the planet.
Its mission is to raise environmental awareness through educational programs focused on the Hudson River Estuary.
The organization believes that paddling on the river and in the harbor can lead to a better understanding and stronger commitment to the stewardship of the planet, particularly local ecosystems.
“Historically for people who live in urban areas, nature was thought of as being somewhere else, and conservation work took place outside cities,” said Noelle Thurlow of Resilience Paddle Sports. “Now people are realizing the robust ecosystems that are in urban areas and how incredibly important it is to take care of these natural areas within urban environments.”
The group hosts a variety of educational workshops throughout the year, including bioblitzes during which participants get up-close and personal with wildlife and the increasing number of marine species that now call the Hudson River home.
According to Thurlow, Hoboken Cove is a good location for finding various species because it’s part of the Hudson River Estuary. Despite its urban location, it has a rich and beautiful ecosystem.
Thurlow has documented much of the sea life in the area with local school children and college students.
Here you can find ribbed mussels, diamond-backed terrapins, eels, and sturgeon.
“The nature of the Hoboken Cove is that it is protected from stronger river currants,” Thurlow said. “So it is a protected cove that is the perfect spot for juvenile species like fin fish or other organisms such as birds which nest along the waterway. Even though it looks urban on the surface there is a robust ecosystem there.”
Resilience Paddle Sports also does its part to help protect the local environment. It hosts waterfront cleanup days to help pick up trash left behind by irresponsible visitors and conducts water tests to ensure the water is clean.
So get out from behind your computer screen, turn your phone on airplane mode, and get out on the river.
The Resilience Paddle Sports program operates in conjunction with the Shipyard Marina, The Hoboken Sailing Club, and Pier 13. Affiliates also include Classic Harbor Lines and the Hoboken Cove Boathouse.
For more information or to sign up for a class or event, visit https://resilienceadventures.org/ — 07030
