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WHAT'S HAP?

Freestyle advocates
for river access

Human Access Project (HAP) is a grassroots advocacy group catalyzing cultural change around how people feel about and interact with the Willamette River in Portland. HAP was conceived in 2010 by Executive Director/Ringleader Willie Levenson, who, in his own words, wanted to swim in the Willamette River and got a little carried away. Since then, HAP has worked to shift public perception of the river—from an unsafe water body to a beloved public space and natural treasure to be enjoyed and protected. Through advocacy, riverside development, and creative activations and programming, HAP helps people feel welcome, safe, and excited to “get into their river.”

 

MISSION Transform Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River.

 

VISION A city in love with its river.

 

PATH OF OBJECTIVES

1. Build it – create a human habitat and more accessibility points to the Willamette River in Portland.

2. Use it – inspire people to connect with the Willamette River and embrace it.

3. Love it – facilitate conservation, education, and stewardship of the Willamette River and Watershed.

4. Sustain it - as Jacques Cousteau said so well. "People protect what they love".

LADY NEPTUNE

The woman in our logo is Lady Neptune, our guiding spirit. As an Olympian god of seas and rivers, she is amphibious, able to communicate with all sea creatures, and carries an enchanted trident.

A DEBT BEING REPAID

Here’s an excerpt about the Willamette River from “PORTLAND A Historical Sketch and Guide” by Terence O’Donnell and Thomas Vaughan.

“In the 1920s, the river through downtown was lost. From the beginning, the city’s water playground had also been the city’s sewer. Boat clubs declined the use of the river as did swimmers, lovers, fishermen and boys in skiffs. Also, now the river steamers stopped plying to wharf towns, their wakes no longer fanning the surface, their place taken by other forms of transportation.

Finally, in 1929 the downtown wharves were demolished and a seawall was built. The Willamette became a ditch and almost entirely disappeared from the city’s consciousness. In the Old World, every river had its god and the people honored him and carved his image on bridges and banks. Perhaps we will someday repay in part the debt we owe the Willamette for the many years it has given Portland both pleasure and profit.”

The debt we owe the Willamette River is now being repaid. Old negative viewpoints that have plagued our river for years are changing. People are starting to love, respect, and cherish their river. Amen to that!



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