The Delaware River is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi and a waterway of breathtaking majesty that has called to countless hearts, soothed many a ravaged spirit and nourished innumerable life forms. Its East and West branches merge near Hancock, NY and it courses toward New Jersey and Delaware, stitching together a string of towns along its New York and Pennsylvania borders. The river is the lifeblood of the region. Those who journey here may encounter beautiful and interesting animals and plants like the shadowed hemlock groves lining the ridges, the doe and fawn sipping at water’s edge, the black bear peering from a forested fringe, a great blue heron feeding in the shallows, bald eagles soaring over the open channel, even eels and lamprey—each living their lives in or near the river’s flow. The Delaware River enlivens one’s senses and has stirred stewardship, awakened activism, divided and brought together individuals and communities over issues that, like the waterway itself, change over time. But always the river flows, invites reflection and rewards us with the gifts of its endless riches.