History buff Powell dies

A BELOVED Bronx history buff and environmentalist was found dead in Brooklyn on Thursday, his grieving friends said.

Morgan Powell, 41, was highly regarded for his encyclopedic knowledge of history, nature and the borough he called home.

Details surrounding his death were unclear Friday. His passing, first reported by the Bronx Chronicle, came as a surprise to many.

“It’s a shock and it’s a total loss to the Bronx community,” said Angel Hernandez of the Bronx County Historical Society. “He had a lot of passion in his blood.”

The outgoing Powell (pictured) was known for his informative walking tours, talks and blogs detailing the relationship between the Bronx River and the Afr rican-American communities surrounding the waterway.

“His tours and l lectures became among the most sought-after events publicizing black history in the Bronx,” said Mark Naison, a Fordham University professor who worked with Powell on several projects.

“But what was so amazing is how he did this incredible research without grants and offered his tours free of charge,” he said.

Powell worked at the Chelsea Garden Center in Manhattan for the past six years.

He also founded Bronx River Sankofa, an effort to archive Bronx African American history, in 2011.

“It is hard to think of another person who gave so much to our communities with such brilliance and generosity of spirit,” Naison said.