City of Water Day brings together communities throughout the NY/NJ Metro Region to raise awareness about the risk we all face from floods and rising seas, and champion climate resilient shorelines and waterfront communities.
Join Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA), the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse (NBCB), and visual and performing artist Marie Lorenz for a Creekside cleanup and exploration by boat of the forgotten reaches of our local superfund site: Newtown Creek!
From 11am – 2pm NCA will host a cleanup at a public access site and street-end along the Dutch Kills tributary of the Creek. Our goal is to improve environmental conditions at these sites, while also making them safer and more inviting as green public areas along the shore. NCA will provide gloves, tools, safety vests, and guidance on how to help care for the new urban meadows. We ask participants to bring a refillable bottle, sun block, and wear close-toed shoes.
Light snacks and water will be provided.
At the same time as the cleanup, NBCB will be supervising the public paddle event where attendees will launch canoes and follow NBCB volunteer guides to experience artwork by found-materials sculptor, photographer, and performance artist Marie Lorenz on the water, out of sight from the shore.
Attendees will be able to join for a shoreline cleanup of the Borden Ave Street End (a city-owned shoreline NCA has stewarded since 2019); a guided canoe trip of Dutch Kills (utilizing one of NBCB’s 29 foot 12 person canoes, captained by a certified trip leader); and engage with Lorenz’s on-water art work. No paddling experience is required for participants and an on-land safety training will be held before boating begins. The Dutch Kills tributary offers a safe haven for boating given the inaccessibility for commercial vessels and large boats.