Huge thanks to the Simeon & Jean H. Locke Foundation for supporting The WAEV (Water Access Electric Vehicles), HarborLAB’s innovative mobile boathouse. Thanks to the foundation we paid off one of our two Nissan LEAFs. Each EV carries enough tandem kayaks and gear for an education and stewardship program or an educational tour, and both can handle our largest community paddles in Gantry Plaza State Park!

If you’d like to support HarborLAB with a tax-deductible donation of any size, please do so through our convenient fundraising portal or contact support@harborlab.org. Thanks!

HarborLAB hosted two paddles over the pst weekend, to celebrate Pride Month and Juneteenth and to honor contributions made by LGBTQ+ and African American leaders in environmentalism. We also recognize the injustices that still afflict these communities in terms of pollution and equal access to environmental STEM education and careers. The pace at Gantry Plaza State Park in LIC was mellow given the cooler temperatures, allowing all to enjoy a relaxed time afloat and ashore.

Great thanks to volunteers and students Yemi Abioye, James Barkley, Phillip Borbon, Steven Chu, Azamat Davlyatov, Elsie Perez-Ingabire, Ira Gershenhorn, David Lam, Laura Picallo, Scott Wolpow and to Gantry Plaza State Park Manager Kevin Selig and his colleagues for making it all happen!

Save the Date for an open paddle to celebrate Juneteenth!

Sunday, June 19, 12PM-2PM.
Gantry Plaza State Park at 50th Avenue
FREE. No reservations. All are welcome.

VOLUNTEER AND STUDENT REGISTRATION: https://forms.gle/u2gaAcBvbNNidDRg9

Come enjoy an introductory paddle under the skyline! While you’re down at the waterfront, consider the legacy of African American leaders in the environmental movement and opportunities for future leaders to gain representation and sustainability skills and education. Get inspired to counter environmental racism!

Some great resources to learn more:
NY Department of Environmental Conservation Juneteenth Commemoration
https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/123216.html
WE ACT
https://www.weact.org/
NY Times History of Juneteenth
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
NYC Board of Education Resources
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/social-studies/juneteenth
Black Environmentalists to Follow
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/black-environmental-activists

Save the Date for an open paddle to celebrate Pride Month!

Rescheduled from June 12 for weather and water quality.

Saturday, June 18, 12PM-2PM. Tentative, to be confirmed by park managers on Tuesday (depending on concurrent programming). FREE. No reservations. All are welcome.

Come enjoy an introductory paddle under the skyline! While you’re down at the waterfront, learn about LGBTQ+ leaders in the environmental movement and opportunities for future leaders to gain representation and sustainability skills and education.

Some great resources to learn more:
Out for Sustainability
https://out4s.org/
Queering Environmental Justice
https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/queering-environmental-justice
Is Science Too Straight?
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/lgbt-issues-stem-diversity/
Queering Environmental Justice: Unequal Environmental Health Burden on the LGBTQ+ Community
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306406
Environmental Injustice and Sexual Minority Health Disparities: A National Study of Inequitable Health Risks from Air Pollution among Same-Sex Partners
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5623125/
LGBTQ Environmental Activists
https://queerbio.com/wiki/index.php/LGBTQ_Environmental_Activists
LGBTQ+ Environmentalists You Should Know About
https://inthistogetheramerica.org/2021/05/24/lgbtq-environmentalists-you-should-know-about/