Two wonderful members of the HarborLAB community who served as board members for a decade retired from their positions with the close of 2022. The board unanimously elected Erik Baard as Chair and reelected him as Executive Director. We will likely expand the board back to seven members in 2024 after considering candidates with particular strengths in public finance, fundraising and DEI in education and youth development.

Scott Sternbach.

Longstanding Chair Scott Sternbach is retiring from CUNY, for which he directs the photography program at LaGuardia Community College. He now spends his time mostly in the mountains of upstate New York and working on his film and photography projects, which take him to both of Earth’s poles. Scott’s students have been a boon to HarborLAB, thanks to his inspiration. Scott was a joyful presence and great help at the Clearwater Festival and City of Water Day. We especially enjoyed documenting the Newtown Creek and Arthur Kill with his students.

Lisa Belfast

Lisa has for decades worked with children in New York City. She has moved away from the northeast region. It was through her directorship over after school and summer programs at Hour Children that we HarborLAB volunteers and students had the great fortune to work with Lisa, and befriend her. Some of our fondest memories are of partnering with Lisa to bring kids to Jamaica Bay and the Neversink Reservoir.

Thank you, Scott and Lisa, for being such forces for good within HarborLAB and beyond!

Happy new year! Based upon tides and tidal currents and on volunteer, student and board suggestions, this is HarborLAB’s 2023 DRAFT events list. Many are pending park permits.

Our programs rely on tax-deductible donations (for gear, incidental costs, operations and student stipends) and volunteer labor. Volunteers make everything possible, from administration and fundraising to educational stewardship programs and paddling adventures. Volunteers can be individuals or teams of coworkers, scouting groups, Greek life and other student organizations and more! We’ll be adding registration links soon. In the meantime, email volunteer@harborlab.org to learn more. Huge thanks to all who help!

Less popular or viable programs will be winnowed on April 21, based upon volunteer and partnering group interest and the level of funding attracted. Other programs could be added on the same basis, though this would be more unusual. Weather and water quality cancellations are always a possibility. We generally do not offer rain dates, but rather move onto the next scheduled event. 

Harbor Camp and Neversink Reservoir paddling days are preset offerings. Dates not claimed by April 15 will be canceled. 

Events in bold take place at Gantry Plaza State Park. Dates with an asterisk engage with the Newtown Creek Superfund zone as defined by the USEPA (.5 miles from center creek). 

*May 6, 4-6pm: Riverkeeper Sweep! SEASON OPENER

A shoreline and waterways cleanup/seeding and tabulation as part of Riverkeeper’s regional event. Approximately 40 participants. Free and open to the public. Registration required. 

*May 13, 4pm-6pm: Gantry Mother’s Day weekend open paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 participants expected. 

May 20: White Island SLOP  (Stewardship Learning Outing Paddle)

A mellow circumnavigation and cleanup/seeding of White Island (aka Mau Mau island) in Marine Park, Brooklyn. Approximately 20 participants. Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. 

May 27: Neversink Reservoir set-up day. 

A work day to move kayaks onto the Neversink Reservoir for summer programs and introduce volunteers to the site. Approximately 20 participants (NYC and Catskills residents with preference given to students). Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. 

May 27: Jamaica Bay SLOP (Stewardship Learning Outing Paddle)

Spartina planting and/or cleanup in Jamaica Bay. Approximately 20 participants. Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. 

*June 3: Volunteer circumnavigation of Manhattan. 

An outing for volunteers to learn or practice circumnavigating Manhattan so that they can later lead events such as the Deaf Community Paddle and SUNY ESF Native American scholarship paddle. Closed to the public. 

June 5: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*June 10, 4pm-6pm: Gantry Pride Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 public participants expected. 

June 5, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*June 17: Deaf Community Paddle – Manhattan Circumnavigation

A day trip using ASL to coordinate between boats. Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. 

June 24: Flushing Bay Guardians SLOP (Stewardship Learning Outing Paddle)

A Partner Paddle event with Guardians of Flushing Bay. To be structured by GoFB. 

*July 1: Energy Independence Paddle to Port Liberte

A long tour across NY Harbor to Porte Liberte, NJ, discussing the history of energy in NY Harbor, from tidal mills to the construction and maintenance of offshore wind turbines. Free and open to the public with preference given to partnering community organizations and students recommended by faculty. 

*July 4, 10am-12pm: Gantry Independence Day Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 participants expected. 

*July 4: Volunteer reward fireworks viewing paddle.

An event to reward steady, hard-working volunteers. Closed to the public. 

*July 7, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

*July 7, 7pm-9pm: First Friday Evening Chill Paddle

Short sunset tour of Newtown Creek from Gantry Plaza State Park and back. Up to 12 registered public participants who’ve registered for a lottery at a Gantry Open Paddle.

July 8: Prep for next week’s City of Water Day events.

*July 15: City of Water Day Public Paddles

2pm-5pm: Brooklyn Bridge Beach Public Paddle
630pm-830pm: Gantry Public Paddle

*July 16, 8am to 7pm: Manahatta Paddle

A fundraising paddle circumnavigating Manhattan to benefit Native American SUNY ESF students. Suggested donation. Reservation required.

*July 21, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

July 22: Closed to let volunteers rest after City of Water Day weekend and Harbor Camp.

*July 28, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

July 29, 10am-1pm: Randalls Island Alliance Waterfront Festival 

An introduction to our estuary and paddling from a beach on the west side of the island. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 participants expected. 

*August 4, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

*August 4, 6pm-8pm: First Friday Evening Chill Paddle

Short sunset tour of Newtown Creek from Gantry Plaza State Park and back. Up to 12 registered public participants who’ve registered for a lottery at a Gantry Open Paddle.

August 5: Date available for volunteer suggestions.

August 7, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*August 11, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

*August 12 (3-5pm): Gantry UN International Youth Day Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 participants expected. 

*August 12-13 overnight: Volunteer Reward Perseids Paddle

An event to reward steady, hard-working volunteers. Closed to the public. 

August 14, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*August 18, 10am-1pm: Gantry Harbor Camp

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free for partnering youth service organizations. Registration required. About 40 participants expected. 

*August 19, 10am-12pm: Gantry Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 public participants expected. 

August 21, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

August 26: Staten Island Circumnavigation

A mellow two-day circumnavigation and documentation of waterways and Staten Island shoreline biota and ecological conditions, uploaded onto iNaturalist. Approximately 20 participants. Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. 

August 28, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*September 2, 10am-12pm: Gantry Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 public participants expected. 

September 4, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

September 9: Date available for volunteer suggestions.

September 11, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*September 16, 10am-12pm: Gantry Open Paddle

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 public participants expected. 

September 18,. 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

*September 23, 2pm-9pm: Peace Lanterns Festival and Open Paddle at Gantry

An introduction to our estuary and paddling within the southern embayment of Gantry Plaza State Park. Free and open to the public. No registration required. About 80 public participants expected as paddlers and over 200 more for a floating lantern event and other related activities. 

September 25, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

September 30: Date available for volunteer suggestions.

October 2, 11am-2pm: Neversink Reservoir Paddle.

An introduction to the NYC drinking watershed. Free for partnering students and youth service organizations. Registration required. About 15-30 participants expected. 

October 8: South Brother Island cleanup (launching from the Bronx) 

A mellow cleanup and documentation of waterways and South Brother Island shoreline biota and ecological conditions, uploaded onto iNaturalist. Approximately 20 participants. Free to partnering community or student organizations. Registration required. October 9: Remove boats from Neversink Reservoir (SEASON CLOSER)

Hello! If you helped HarborLAB serve New Yorkers in 2022 as a volunteer or stipended student, please give us your feedback through the form linked here: https://forms.gle/gAbJW8CPqBJf1TRE7

Please respond by January 13. Your input will inform our coming volunteer board meeting, on January 19. THANKS!

On this Native American Heritage Day let’s be mindful that the human settlement of two continents that began at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch is a cultural story that continues today. Most relevant to HarborLAB is today’s New York City, ancestral domain of the Canarsee, Lekawe (Rockaway), Mespeatches (Maspeth), Matinecock, Munsee and Wappinger peoples. New York City is home to more people with Native American tribal affiliations than any other city in the US. With the recognition of multiracial identities in the 2020 census, that number has greatly increased. Other indigenous ethnicities, such as Aztec and Maya, are also now recognized by the census. The American Indian Community House map above is based on the 2010 census, before those reforms. It reveals a distressing overlap with poverty tracts and the Rikers Island prison.

The American Indian Community House serves all continental Native populations of the US, including New Yorkers from dozens of tribes from Florida to Alaska. We encourage you to donate to the American Indian Community House.