Spring 2017 Summary
Water Ecology & Engineering Field Trips
NYC H2O wrapped up our spring season of free Water Ecology & Engineering Field Trips for New York school children on June 23. From March thru June, we provided 90 field trips reaching 2,600 students.
We achieved a milestone this semester. Since 2014, NYC H2O has served 10,000 students citywide at 142 schools.
Our STEM education programs continue to provide a scientific and historical understanding of New York City’s water cycle and infrastructure. We engage students at eight inspiring water infrastructure sites and wetlands in the five boroughs:
NYC H2O wrapped up our spring season of free Water Ecology & Engineering Field Trips for New York school children on June 23. From March thru June, we provided 90 field trips reaching 2,600 students.
We achieved a milestone this semester. Since 2014, NYC H2O has served 10,000 students citywide at 142 schools.
Our STEM education programs continue to provide a scientific and historical understanding of New York City’s water cycle and infrastructure. We engage students at eight inspiring water infrastructure sites and wetlands in the five boroughs:
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Our field trips draw a range of students from grades 2-12, embracing the city's great diversity. Most live outside Manhattan and many attend Title III schools where a high percentage of students are foreign language speakers from new immigrant families and not fully proficient in English.
Many of the students who came on our tours have limited opportunities to explore parks and natural areas; many have never been out of their neighborhood. They got to experience flowers blooming and birds nesting. They used binoculars, many for the first time, to observe waterfowl that make their homes at the reservoirs and wetlands, like hooded mergansers, ruddy ducks and egrets. They enjoyed being outside, participating in Tree Races. They engineered a working aqueduct out of straws in our Aqueduct Challenge. In so doing, they learn a good deal about nature found in our local ecosystems, become stakeholders in the purity of the city's water, and become future stewards of a city that reaches out to include them.
Many of the students who came on our tours have limited opportunities to explore parks and natural areas; many have never been out of their neighborhood. They got to experience flowers blooming and birds nesting. They used binoculars, many for the first time, to observe waterfowl that make their homes at the reservoirs and wetlands, like hooded mergansers, ruddy ducks and egrets. They enjoyed being outside, participating in Tree Races. They engineered a working aqueduct out of straws in our Aqueduct Challenge. In so doing, they learn a good deal about nature found in our local ecosystems, become stakeholders in the purity of the city's water, and become future stewards of a city that reaches out to include them.
Beach Cleanups & Horseshoe Crab Discovery Walks
Also this spring, we held 2 beach cleanups, one at Lemon Creek, Staten Island on April 8 and Plumb Beach on June 3. In total, we had over 200 volunteers remove 3 tons of trash from these beautiful shoreline parks.
We held 4 Horseshoe crab discovery walks at Plumb Beach reaching a total of 180 people on May 27, June 3, June 9 (for teachers) and June 10. Our teaching scientists were:
Also this spring, we held 2 beach cleanups, one at Lemon Creek, Staten Island on April 8 and Plumb Beach on June 3. In total, we had over 200 volunteers remove 3 tons of trash from these beautiful shoreline parks.
We held 4 Horseshoe crab discovery walks at Plumb Beach reaching a total of 180 people on May 27, June 3, June 9 (for teachers) and June 10. Our teaching scientists were:
- Lisa Jean Moore PhD, author of Catch and Release: The Enduring Yet Vulnerable Horseshoe Crab.
- John Tanacredi PhD, Director of the Center for Environment Research and Coastal Ocean Monitoring.
- Helen Cheng, Marine Biologist, Science & Resiliency Institute at Jamaica Bay
- Mickey Cohen, Naturalist
- Alan Ascher, Naturalist
- Ed Perri, Marine Biologist
Ridgewood Reservoir
For the last 2 years a major focus of NYC H2O has been leading a coalition of community groups to protect and preserve the Ridgewood Reservoir. In 2017, we advanced the cause or health of Ridgewood in the following ways:
- NYC H2O wrote and submitted the application to place the Ridgewood Reservoir on the National Register of Historic Places and received support letters from local elected officials and community stakeholders.
- Advocated to designate the Reservoir as a Critical Environmental Area and Wetland
- Organized a volunteer landscaping event at the reservoir on April 23
- Led 5 free community tours
- Organized two community listening sessions about the Reservoir in Queens and Brooklyn on May 23 and June 1 respectively, with 75 in attendance.
NYC H2O Spring Field Trips 2016 were made possible thanks to the generosity of the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, who provided a challenge grant, and the support of 79 individuals who helped us meet the Auchincloss goal of $10,000.
NYC H2O also thanks the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, The Catskill Watershed Corporation, and Skanska. And the many individuals who supported our free school programs through donations, and by participating in NYC H2O adult activities such as kayaking, biking, and walking tours.
NYC H2O also thanks the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, The Catskill Watershed Corporation, and Skanska. And the many individuals who supported our free school programs through donations, and by participating in NYC H2O adult activities such as kayaking, biking, and walking tours.
