I think one of the most important themes highlighted in the Hudson River Estuary Program’s report is the effectiveness of collaborative effort. In the introduction of the text, the Estuary Program emphasizes that the effort and contribution by “[g]overnment and non-government partners have been critical to the Estuary Program’s success during its first 25 years and will be crucial during the next 25” (3). Throughout the Estuary Program’s report, there are many examples of this collaborative effort. For example, the Estuary Program partnered with the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Hudson River Foundation, the National Estuarine Research Reserve, and several other organizations to create HRECOS, allowing the Estuary Program to monitor data of the Hudson River including temperature, tides, and weather conditions and respond to changes more effectively (5). In another example, the Estuary Program worked with the NYC Department of City Planning to research how to maximize coastal resiliency to sea-level rise and storms (8). The focus on collaboration between organizations with similar agendas is great. Even a quick skim through the report reveals that most of the goals achieved so far by the Estuary Program was due to partnering with other organizations. The idea that “[n]o one organization or agency can fund all the science, education, and conservation initiatives needed to protect and restore the Hudson and its watershed” is definitely something I agree with and creates a great model on how we need to approach the environment (3). On a global perspective, the Hudson River Estuary is just one area out of many that needs the attention of environmental organizations and communities. To help ecosystems throughout the Earth, a single organization or even a few organizations can not achieve this.
Another theme of the Estuary Program’s report that I enjoy is the focus on community benefit outside of economical terms. In our recent readings on air pollution and solar thermal energy in New York City, there was a large emphasis on the economic benefits that were achieved or could be achieved from the programs. In contrast to those reports, the Estuary Program focuses on community benefits outside of economics. For example, the improvement in clean water quality of the Hudson allows local communities to enjoy recreational activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing (5). In a second example, the efforts made towards helping the ecosystem around the Hudson River Estuary has led to the revitalization of the bald eagle population which benefits bird watches (9). The focus on these benefits is important because generating interest in the environment through fun activities allows people, especially future generations, to feel connected to the environment and be aware of problems that they could solve.
