- This event has passed.
City of Water Day 2023
Saturday, July 15th, 2023 at 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Free
Now in its 16th year, City of Water Day — taking place this year on Saturday, July 15 — is a region-wide day organized by Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor.
Dozens of communities across all five boroughs, Westchester and Rockland counties, and New Jersey will host events on and near the water that celebrate the importance of a resilient and equitably shared waterfront. From free kayaking to rowing to hands-on workshops, these events offer community members opportunities for fun, education, and access to their local waterfront.
***
Here are the Brooklyn events:
| City of Water Day: Creekside Edition! | North Brooklyn Parks Alliance | Volunteer with North Brooklyn Parks Alliance! Learn how North Brooklyn’s El-Space supports native and invasive species in an intimate gem of a public park — experience the unique park setting Under the K bridge and a rare access point to the Newtown Creek. Please register in advance! | 11am to 1pm | The Arm at Van Dam St, Meeker Ave, 11222 | https://tinyurl.com/c49ra948 |
| Explore the Shore for City of Water Day! | Shirley Chisholm State Park | Celebrate City of Water Day with Shirley Chisholm State Park from 10am-2pm! From the sandy shore, to the deeper waters there’s so much to discover about the waters of Jamaica Bay! In the morning join their Environmental Education Team for a free beginner paddle. Get your feet wet and learn the very beginner basics of kayaking, and see Jamaica Bay like never before. In the afternoon go seine with them and get up-close and personal with some of the fish and marine critters that call Jamaica Bay home. Register at the “learn more” link! | 10am to 2pm | Shirley Chisholm State Park, Brooklyn, NY 11239 | https://tinyurl.com/yckj5ax4 |
| Kayaking, Canoeing & Rowing on Jamaica Bay! | Sebago Canoe Club | Sebago Canoe Club will host an open house event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for neighborhood residents and the general public. Visitors will be able to join short paddling or rowing excursions on the protected waters of Paerdegat Basin in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The basin is our home waterway and an ideal jumping off point for exploring the rest of Jamaica Bay, a unique urban wildlife refuge. Staff from the Billion Oyster Project will be also on hand sharing information about the restoration of oysters to Jamaica Bay including a look at thriving oyster reefs. RSVP is strongly recommended. Limited Walk-ins. Doors open at 10 a.m., last trip sign up is at 1 p.m. Arrive early! | 10am to 2pm | Sebago Canoe Club, 1400 Paerdegat Ave N, Brooklyn NY 11236 | https://tinyurl.com/mry6ksj9 |
| Water Quality Monitoring Workshops and Demonstrations | Interstate Environmental Commission | This event will hold ongoing demonstrations and workshops on field and laboratory methods used to monitor water quality in the region! Stakeholders will get hands-on experience using multi-parameter sondes to monitor field parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, turbidity and salinity in real-time throughout the day from the NY/NJ Harbor adjacent to the Brooklyn Army Terminal pier. Staff will be on hand throughout the day to answer questions on water quality monitoring methodologies, and posters outlining recent IEC projects, including participatory science projects and opportunities, will be on display. Visitors may also have the opportunity to tour IEC’s laboratory at BioBAT and the BioBAT art space, which is located in the lobby of BioBAT and holds exhibitions on bio-art projects. Stay tuned on Facebook: @iec.nynjct and Twitter: @iec_nynjct | 11am to 3pm | 140 58th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220 | Please see here for detailed directions: https://www.iec-nynjct.org/detailed-address |
| Where the Sidewalk Ends: A Gowanus Adventure | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club | The Gowanus Dredgers will run free, public paddling with extended hours from their new 19th St. location, inviting neighbors and residents throughout the city to come out and try their hand at canoeing and explore the Gowanus Canal. A musical performance, a hands-on science activity, and other events will take place at street ends along the canal all day. | 11am to 6pm | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker, 2 19th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 | www.gowanuscanal.org/city-water-day-2023 |
| Submerse NY in Coney Island: Flood Awareness through Public Art and Citizen Science | New York State Water Resources Institute | For City of Water day, Submerse NY will join their partners at the Coney Island Beautification project in conducting a 3-part in-person interactive workshop with local residents at Kaiser Park in Coney Island. Part I (Mapping Future Risk) will have New York Sea Grant lead the ‘Sea Level Rise Activity’ where they will measure and mark the future shoreline along Coney Island Creek in the year 2070 under different sea level rise scenarios. In Part II (Monitoring Present Risk) they will demonstrate the use of the MyCoast app, which allows users to monitor flooding along the shoreline, and go over the basics on reading a tide-chart, so users are better prepared for tidal flood events. Part III (Spreading the Word) will involve a visioning exercise for a permanent public art project (mural/ sculpture/ signage) that will serve to communicate flood risk and information on resilience measures in the community. | 2529 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224 | https://cals.cornell.edu/water-resources-institute | |
| Stewarding the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway | Brooklyn Greenway Initiative | Join Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, fellow community members, Greenway users, and a broad cross-section of Brooklynites who want to make a difference in our city! NYC Councilmember Hanif will attend and give remarks! Tasks will include picking up litter and maintaining tree pits and perimeter areas of the Greenway, and targeted removal of invasive species. BGI will provide necessary tools. They encourage participants to bring their own gloves, otherwise gloves will also be available on site. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes and sign a participant waiver; wear sunscreen and sun hat, comfortable clothing in layers, and bringing a water bottle and snacks is recommended. Registration required here: https://tinyurl.com/35upr6mb | 11am to 12:00pm | Van Voorhees Playground, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | https://tinyurl.com/35upr6mb |
| Canarsie Greener and Cleaner | Fresh Creek Nature Association | Come volunteer with Fresh Creek Nature Association to learn about coastal protection and steward the Fresh Creek Nature Preserve. Meet some of the volunteer champions of this preserve who help protect this special place. Meet at East 108th St and Avenue M! Reach them at: [email protected] | 10am to 2pm | East 108th Street & Avenue M, Brooklyn, NY 11236 | |
| Public Seining at Brooklyn Bridge Park | Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy | Discover the amazing biodiversity of the East River as BBPC staff and marine biologists use a seine net to gently catch incredible estuary organisms. Participants are invited to Pier 4 Beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park from 4-6 pm to watch and learn as staff pull the net onto shore and identify, count, and measure every organism, as well as conduct water quality tests. In addition to close-up looks at organisms caught, visitors are invited to ask experts questions, explore the living shoreline, and help collect important community science data! Only staff and trained volunteers are allowed in the water. Shoes must be worn at all times. | 4pm to 6pm | 11 Montague St, Brooklyn NY 11201 | https://tinyurl.com/3whm84h5 |
| *Build and Launch a Floating Garden | RETI Center | RETI Center and GBX~ Gowanus Bay Terminal are hosting an unforgettable event for City of Water Day from 11-4pm. Join them to help build and launch a floating garden that incorporates marsh grasses, mussels, oysters and kelp that’s built entirely of salvaged and sustainable materials like scaffolding planks, reclaimed fishing nets, wine corks, salvage steel, and more. All skill levels and ages welcome. Refreshments, all tools and supplies will be provided. Please register at: https://tinyurl.com/3tn9eu36 | 11am to 4pm | 701 Columbia St, Brooklyn, NY 11231 | https://tinyurl.com/3tn9eu36 |
| *Coney Island Addresses Climate Change! | Coney Island Beautification Project | Join Coney Island Beautification Project this year as they engage the community in climate topics provided by groups and individuals with posters, games, flyers, documents pertaining to climate change and its effects upon neighborhood. Events throughout the day will include: 10am Beach Clean-up, 10am Kayaking, and 10am Arts and Games. There will be art contests through painting by various age groups with prizes awarded! Find them on instagram at: Coney_Island_BP | 10am to 2pm | 2529 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn NY 11224 | |
| *Connecting the Dots: Our Connection to Waterways | Gowanus Canal Conservancy | Gowanus Canal Conservancy’s event will feature activities for all ages, and includes water quality testing, re-design a street, explore wildlife, and become a Gowanus Canal steward. This event will be facilitated and led by the GCC Green Team Apprentices and GCC Staff. Registration is encouraged! | 10am to 2pm | GCC Lowlands Nursery, 25 9th Street, Brooklyn NY 11215 | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-of-water-day-with-gowanus-canal-conservancy-tickets-664131805107 |
| *Free Walk-up Kayaking in the Lower New York Harbor | Red Hook Boaters | Come out for free walk-up kayaking in the Lower New York Harbor from 1pm to 4pm, no experience required! You will arrive, put your name on a list, and then take a kayak out for a short paddle to explore the cove at your own pace (you will get a little wet). Staff provide the necessary on-water and on-land instruction and safety support. Paddlers are free to explore the protected cove at their own pace and enjoy harbor views and wildlife of the estuary, but rides are limited to 15-20 minutes at a time to give everyone a chance. Before or after trip, it’s requested that you join in a beach cleanup, removing trash that has washed ashore. There will be Single (1 person) kayaks, and Tandem (2 person) kayaks; small children are welcome if they ride with their parents or guardians. | 1pm to 4pm | 201 Coffey Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 | www.redhookboaters.org |
| City of Water Day with Billion Oyster Project! | Billion Oyster Project | Stop by Billion Oyster Project’s Williamsburg Field Station location, where they will host table programming and educate the public on Enterococcus testing in our local waterways! They will also have other interactive activities and programming for participants to enjoy (ie. Oyster Reef building, lawn darts, coloring pages, book reading, and more). | 10am to 4pm | 266 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 | www.billionoysterproject.org |