HarborLAB provided two paddling programs at one of New York City’s most promising shorelines, Herman MacNeil Park. The site holds many access, safety, and environmental challenges but has the great advantage of immensely capable local advocates, Coastal Preservation Network. It could be truly amazing and is reachable by the Q25 bus from the heart of Jamaica.

Coastal Preservation Network hosted its annual Family Earth Fair yesterday on Saturday, June 4, and we honored to again provide the free public paddling element. After the program ended we held a special session for the Girl Scouts with Guardians of Flushing Bay. There were many lessons learned in terms of our new equipment and procedures, and it was a great demonstration of the abilities and dedication of HarborLAB students and volunteers. We’ll also join Coastal Preservation Network in advising our friends at NYC Department of Parks and Recreation on what landscape and infrastructure work must be done to make the site viable for safe and steady programming in the future.