A slow “swoosh” breaks the silence of morning. As the sun starts to peek over the horizon, wildlife awakens. The Tennessee River has the appearance of glass that only the paddles of those around me on the water break.
Beating the heat of what will be a long summer day, early risers convene at the water’s edge to breathe in the brisk morning air, gather their thoughts for the day and playfully “race” each other to the river’s edge. It’s the start of the flow of my day – a way to escape the hustle and bustle that will follow for the next eight hours.
“Ohana” is a Hawaiian word that people sometimes use to refer to blood relatives. More often, “ohana” describes an adoptive family or close friends. From growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan, I’ve always loved the water – that provider of nourishment for my body and soul. It is in Chattanooga, however, that I’ve found a people, or an “ohana,” from all backgrounds who share a passion for helping others explore our beautiful backyard.
You can see it almost every day from spring to fall in the Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers (facebook.com/groups/chattanoogaopenwaterswimmers), the student row teams and the visitors who rent kayaks on the Northshore. Organizations like Outdoor Chattanooga, with its Paddle Smart classes (outdoorchattanooga.com/programs/paddle-smart), and H2O Life (www.theh2o.life), with its Women on Water program, are always expanding their reach and inviting even more people to become comfortable with the river and discovering the enjoyment of playing on its waters.
The Tennessee River is approachable to a local paddler and is a strong economic driver for our city. Thousands from across the world gather each year to participate in events like Ironman, Chattajack and Head of the Hooch. While here, they stay at our hotels and eat at our restaurants – providing revenue to those businesses, contributing to our tax base and creating employment opportunities across the hospitality industry.
Speak to locals who have attended the events and you’ll likely find someone who came to participate one time, fell in love with the city and ultimately moved here.
But as we saw from last year’s cancellation of the swim portion of the Ironman event, natural disasters like Helene can impact our river. The accessibility of our waterway is tremendously unique, but it takes multiple organizations working together to protect and repair one of our most important assets.
The biodiversity found within the footprint of the Tennessee River is unmatched in other cities. We all know of the incredible work the Tennessee Aquarium and its conservation institute (tnaqua.org/conserve) are doing, but there are also many others who are rallying hundreds of volunteers annually to protect our river.
We continue to see spaces being recaptured and restored to native habitats like Maclellan Island, which the Audubon Society (chattanoogaaudubon.org) now manages. Tennessee River Rescue (facebook.com/TennesseeRiverRescue) removes thousands of pounds of trash and pollution annually from our river, but it’s the daily work of organizations like WaterWays (mywaterways.org) and Green Steps (greenstepschatt.com) that are focused on public education and reducing the waste going into our river systems.
The Conservation Kid (theconservationkid.com) from right here in Chattanooga is inspiring an entire generation to also do their part and implementing projects that have won national awards.
The most wonderful thing about an “ohana” is that it can continue to grow. Whether you want to give back to the community by volunteering or donating to one of the many causes supporting our river system, or need a source of play and relaxation that can provide considerable mental health benefits, I guarantee that any one of the groups above would be more than happy to have you join their family.
“My Favorite Thing” is a regular feature in which Chattanoogans from all walks of life write about the one thing they enjoy the most in the Scenic City. Installments unearth hidden gems, offer fresh perspectives of local mainstays and reveal the rich diversity of Chattanooga.
Dawn Hjelseth is the vice president of marketing and communication at River City Company. Off the clock, she’s an avid local paddler, pickleball player and hiker with her husband, Jason, and their two dogs, Huli Canoe and Loopy. You can also find her attending Chattanooga Breakfast Rotary Club meetings and serving on the board of the Lookout Chapter of the Public Relations Society and Preserve Chattanooga’s committee for Wine over Water.