Canoe Project

Terence Cantarella launches on his four day Canoe Project exploration on Monday morning from near NE 69th St. and Biscayne Blvd. in Miami.

Sean Rowe was hired by Miami New Times in June 1990 by Jim Mullin.  Rowe was the first person we know of who circumnavigated Miami’s canals. We asked Mullin, who is now the publisher and editor of Biscayne Times, what it was like to be his editor on this project over two decades ago.

Q: How did you first learn about Sean’s plan and what was your initial reaction?

Terence Cantarella, the man behind the the Canoe Project here at WLRN, had a chat with The Miami Herald‘s Michael Alen this week about waking up at day break, not sleeping well, and other aspects of spending four days straight in a canoe.

The Canoe Project was an idea of Terence’s to shed some light on the unrecognized backdrop to our lives here in Miami-Dade: our city’s vast network of canals.

Earlier this week WLRN Miami Herald’s Dan Grech interviewed Terence Cantarella, an intrepid contributor to WLRN who had the idea of navigating his way around Miami through its canal system in a canoe.

His proposed four-day journey became the Canoe Project: an effort to shed some light on the unrecognized backdrop to our lives here in Miami-Dade: our city’s vast network of canals. These waterways completely surround us, yet, many of us don’t know where they go or why they are there.

Terence Cantarella, the man behind the Canoe Project, completed his four-day journey yesterday as he paddled into Scotty’s Landing in Coconut Grove.

The project was an effort to shed some light on the unrecognized backdrop to our lives here in Miami-Dade: our city’s vast network of canals. These waterways completely surround us, yet, many of us don’t know where they go or why they are there.

Be sure you continue to check out the site, though. We will report on our continued canal explorations– and Thursday, April 28, Under the Sun airs Terence’s reflections on the trip.

In an effort to add some perspective and history to WLRN’s Canoe Project, we’re also taking a look at books that add to our conversation about Miami-Dade’s canals.

The Canoe Project was a four-day long journey through Miami’s canals and waterways via canoe.

Part of the Canoe Project’s mission is to create a conversation, and ultimately some new understanding, of the nature of Miami-Dade’s vast network of waterways.

Contributing to this conversation today is Colin Foord, one of the brilliant marine biologists/artists behind Coral Morphologic, which is described as a “coral aquaculture laboratory and multi-media aquarium studio” here in Miami.

Here at WRLN, one of our intrepid contributors, Terence Cantarella, has embarked on a four day long excursion in a canoe through Miami’s network of canals. His mission: to travel around the county on its forgotten waterways.

We named this journey the Canoe Project– a concerted effort to shed some light on these canals that completely surround us here in Miami.

Terence Cantarella, the man who is currently navigating his way around Miami by canoeing through Miami-Dade’s  canals, is not the first person to attempt something similar.

In fact, according to The Miami Herald newspaper archives, this is something that has even been attempted a few times before.

Here is are some stories of other Floridians who have traveled via Miami Canals:

Terence Cantarella, the man behind WLRN’s Canoe Project, crossed multiple lanes of traffic yesterday– and Jose Iglesias of El Nuevo Herald got it all on video.

Listen to Terence Cantarella talk about what it is like to be canoeing through some of Miami’s canals by himself while also looking at some of the images he posted on Twitter earlier today.

Considering the amount of time we here at WLRN Miami Herald News have been talking about canals recently, due to our immersion into the Canoe Project, Arnold Markowitz, a listener, offered to us some information about an interesting characteristic of Miami canals: they have some pretty great fishing!

WLRN Miami Herald News reporter, Trina Sargalski, recently chatted with Arnold Markowitz, a local fishing expert here in Miami, about why he loves fishing in Miami’s canals.

Jose Iglesias of El Nuevo Herald has put together some great videos featuring Terence Cantarella, the man behind the Canoe Project.

In these videos Terence shows us his route on a map, what he packed for his trip and how he gets around dams.

Watch below:

Most South Florida residents don’t have the luxury of flying to the Amazon when they have an urge for adventure.  Some might go to Shark Valley or drive up north for some good old-fashioned hiking, but if you are stuck in the city where can you get your fix?

This Monday when WLRN announced that contributor Terence Cantarella will embark on a historic voyage next Monday to circumnavigate Miami’s canal systems via canoe, we got a flood of feedback from our audience. Mostly urban legends.  Oral tradition and fear of the unknown  have long informed some of us that creepy things are hiding in the murky waters.  For a city that prides itself on being on the water, it seems that water is limited to Miami Beach for some.