April 4, 2024 By Queens Post News Team
Hunter’s Point Parks Conservancy and the Newtown Creek Alliance are hosting educational field trips at the newly-opened Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center, offering students and members of the local community an opportunity to learn about the history of Newtown Creek and the pollution issues facing the waterway.
The Queens Landing Boathouse, which opened last October on the waterfront of Hunter’s Point Park South, is now hosting STEM-based field trips for schools, camps, and other groups.
As part of the program, Newtown Creek Alliance is hosting field trips for school groups of all ages focused on marine ecology and climate change adaptations.
Visiting students will learn about water quality and pollution at Newtown Creek during the school field trips, including the impacts to marine life and the value of integrating green infrastructure and resilient design to combat climate change.
Meanwhile, Hunter’s Point Parks Conservancy (HPPC) will provide free public programming, including nature and bird walks, education programs on Newtown Creek wildlife, nature journaling classes and kids programs as part of the organization’s Summer Kids series.
The newly-opened Queens Landing Boathouse features a variety of saltwater aquariums inhabited by local wildlife for educational purposes.
The tanks, which can be viewed from the street, allow visitors and students to learn about the marine plants and animals native to Newtown Creek, including multiple fish and crustaceans.
HPPC President Rob Basch said he hopes the newly-opened boathouse and informational center will become an “essential” space for the local community.
“We are excited to continue to build out this space and add more environmental programming and boating opportunities,” Basch said in a statement. “We look forward to this center becoming an essential amenity to the community”.
Tess Wenstrup, Environmental Education Coordinator with Newtown Creek Alliance, added that the new program will help the organization to inspire a new generation of advocates.
“NCA is very excited to be offering urban ecology field trips at the new Queens Landing location,” Wenstrup said in a statement. “We run hands-on programs for grades K-12 focusing on marine ecology, Newtown Creek history, and climate adaptation, so the new space allows us to better engage the many local schools in LIC and help grow the next generation of waterway advocates
In addition to educational programs organized by HPPC and the Newtown Creek Alliance, the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse will be hosting public paddle events on the Creek later in the year once the water is warmer.
The free events will allow people of all levels of experience to take short trips along Newtown Creek, with experienced guides providing an overview of paddling basics and boating safety. The tours will additionally provide information about the Creek and allow New Yorkers to reconnect with their local waterways.
Newtown Creek, a 3.8-mile-long tributary of the East River that forms part of the border between Queens and Brooklyn, has been rejuvenated in recent years due to a decrease in pollution. An abundance of marine life has returned to the Creek in recent years, including blue crabs at the mouth of the tributary and wetland plants that have taken over abandoned sediment pipes.
