Capital to Capitol by Canoe

Feb 24

NBCB is excited to announce our second Expedition Series of 2024:

Capital to Capitol by Canoe

In 2012, a group of Canadians headed out from their Nation's Capital, Ottawa, Ontario, in a 32-foot, voyageur style canoe. Bound for the capital city of their southern neighbor, Washington D.C., the trip was in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Published in 1972 by the US Federal Government, the Clean Water Act regulates water quality standards, implements pollution control programs, and develops national water quality criteria.

As fate would have it, the paddlers’ route brought them to New York City where they spent a night at the NBCB site, under the Pulaski Bridge. The group also picked up one of NBCB's canoe trip leaders, Willis Elkins, who joined them on the second leg of their trip to Washington D.C.

Over the next two weeks, the group travelled over a variety of urban waterways on the East Coast, including the Raritan and Delaware Rivers, Chesapeake Bay, and eventually landing in the Potomac River.

Willis will detail his journey; the sights seen, the lessons learned, and the joys/anxieties of trying to get from NYC to Washington, DC in a 32-foot canoe.

Please join us for a great night of storytelling, history, paddling and nature.

Willis Elkins is the Executive Director at Newtown Creek Alliance, as well as a founding member and canoe trip leader at North Brooklyn Community Boathouse.