We have a fun summer ahead! Below is by no means a complete schedule of events and activities, but a running list of likely highlights. Confirmed events are in bold. Senior HarborLAB volunteers and board members will consult to confirm or eliminate those tentative events not in bold. More excitingly, they’ll add new ones!
Of particular interest are our revived gardening group, boat building, our work to launch a West Harlem program, and efforts to move our boats to the 2nd Street launch in LIC. Stay tuned to see those show up on our calendar!
In the coming days these events will populate our website calendar, Facebook list, and registration forms.
May 4 – LIC Sweep, with Riverkeeper.
May 18 – Red Cross Safety Certifications.
May 25-27 – Memorial Day at Neversink Reservoir. Season opener on pristine Catskill Mountain water!
May 30 – (CANCELED for thunder forecast and water quality concerns because of Tuesday’s sewer overflows. Second Henge Paddle on July 11) Henge Paddle! See the sun set through Manhattan’s grid.
June through October — Neversink Reservoir Paddling. We’ll have a Doodle seeking likely available dates for volunteers and students to staff these key events.
June 1 – Kayak the Bay, with Waterfront Alliance at Little Bay Park
June 2 – Family Earth Fair, with Coastal Preservation Network at MacNeil Park.
June 5 – World Environment Day Evening Community Paddle. Enjoy a splash with a view at Gantry Plaza State Park.
June 8 – (POSTPONED to 2019, or until we have active Puerto Rican community partners. Paddle for Puerto Rico.) Raise funds and awareness for recovery from Hurricane Maria.
June 15, 16 – Clearwater Festival! Join water ecology heroes and music mavens for a joyous weekend.
June 21 – Solstice Paddle. Celebrate the longest day while paddling in Gantry Plaza State Park.
June 22 – Kayak the Bay! Little Bay Park.
June 23: Clean Air Day Power Paddle. Paddle to see East River electricity plants (past, present, and emerging tech) to learn about how energy production has generation by generation gotten cleaner.
June 29 – Kayak the Bay! Little Bay Park.
June 30 – Pride Paddle: Close LGBTQ Pride Month with a Manhattan Circumnavigation to support LGBTQ students in STEM fields.
July and August — Harbor Camp. We’ll have a Doodle seeking likely available dates for volunteers and students to staff these key events.
During the weekdays of July and August we aim to serve even more community centers and youth groups with special paddling programs at Gantry Plaza State Park and Neversink Reservoir. We also seek to serve schools when NYCDOE policies allow.
July 4: Volunteer Reward Fireworks Paddle.
July 11 – Henge Paddle. See the sun set through Manhattan’s grid.
July 13 – City of Water Day, with Waterfront Alliance, Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, and others. Paddle for our region’s largest annual harbor festival! Brooklyn Bridge Beach and Gantry Plaza State Park shoreline cleanup and paddle, plus paddles linking the locations.
July 14 – City of Water Weekend at Neversink Reservoir. Paddle on the source of your drinking water!
August 17 – Overnight Circ Volunteer Reward Paddle. See our city by kayak at night, with a sharp eye for bioluminescence and crepuscular creatures.
September 10 – Life Affirmation Paddle. Paddle in the morning to support organizations who aid those might otherwise lose their lives or love ones to suicide.
September 21 – Peace Lanterns Festival. Our annual celebration of World Peace Day with paddling, contemplation, and arts.
September 22 – South Brother Island seeding and cleanup.
October 5 – White Island seeding and cleanup with Pratt Institute’s Blue Week crew.
Oct 12-14 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day at Neversink Reservoir. Season closer.