MAYRA'S IMPRESSIONS OF THE GOWANUS CANAL

ON MAY 3, 2005, WE WENT ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE GOWANUS CANAL. WE WORKED WITH AN ORGANIZATION OF
VOLUNTEER SCIENTIFIC DIVERS, WATERWAY STEWARDS, AND CITIZEN MONITORS, CALLED THE URBAN DIVERS. THEIR
WORK IS TO PROTECT, RESTORE, CONSERVE AND HELP OUR RIVERS, OCEANS, AND THE MARINE WILDLIFE THAT
LIVES IN THE NEW YORK HARBOR ESTUARY AND OTHER WATERWAYS. THEY ALSO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE
AND INFORM THE COMMUNITIES OF WHAT GOES ON THAT AFFECTS THE GOWANUS CANAL. MY IMMPRESSIONS OF THE GOWANUS CANAL COMPARED TO THE OTHER BODIES OF WATER THAT WE VISITED BEFORE , WAS DIFFERENT.THE OTHER WATERWAYS THAT WE WENT TO BEFORE WAS THE HUDSON RIVER , EAST RIVER, NEWTOWN CREEK, AND DEAD HORSE BAY. BUT THE GOWANUS CANAL WAS ALOT DIRTIER. IT HAD MORE OIL SLICKS AND ALOT OF FLOATABLE DEBRIS , AND ALOT OF TRASH AND LANDFILLS ALONG THE GOWANUS CANAL. BUT IT IS ALSO ALOT
BETTER THAN NEWTOWN CREEK BECAUSE THE NEWTOWN CREEK HAD ALOT OF OIL SPILLS AND NOT ALOT OF LIFE GOING ON. WE WENT ROWING DOWN THE GOWANUS CANAL AND WERE ABLE TO CATCH A SMALL FISH AND A JELLYFISH. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO SEE ALOT OF BIRDS PASSING BY, WHICH WERE BIRDS SUCH AS THE GREAT EGRET THAT LIVES IN MARSHES, TIDAL FLATS,AND ESTUARIES IN THE NEW YORK AREA.WE ALSO SAW CANADIAN GOOSE THAT ARE MIGRATORY BIRDS THAT MIGRATE THROUGH NEW YORK. LASTLY, WE ALSO SAW RED- WINGED BLACKBIRDS. THIS ARE ALL GOOD SIGNS THAT THE GOWANUS CANAL IS IMPROVING. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU CAN LEARN
SOMETHING FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.

BY:M.L. J