Free Earth Day Weekend Activities at Center for the Urban River

On Saturday, April 20, from 12 to 4 p.m., Sarah Lawrence College’s Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) and its E.E.L.S. Team will offer free, family-friendly activities in honor of Earth Day.

The E.E.L.S. Team, which stands for Evaluating Estuary Lateral Species, is comprised of eight Yonkers Public School students who have been conducting paid research at the Center over the course of a 13-week afterschool program. Their research focuses on the ecology of the Hudson River and includes monitoring fish biodiversity, tracking migrating glass eels, and using eDNA, or environmental DNA, to detect fish species' presence using only water samples. Funding for the E.E.L.S Team is provided by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through a grant from the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program. The E.E.L.S. Team will present their findings from 12-1 p.m.

After, from 1-2 p.m., CURB staff will offer free family seine-net fishing in the Hudson. Seining consists of using a 30-foot net to capture fish near the shore. Participants may choose to get their hands dirty – or, rather, their feet wet – and use a pair of waders to get in the River, or they may choose just to watch. Seining is suitable for children ages 5 and up, and will take place on a first come, first served basis.

Finally, from 2:30-4 p.m., the Beczak Board will host a discussion and viewing of “Seasquirts: A Cautionary Tale of Oysters in the New York Harbor”. Diane Orr, the director of the short documentary, will be on-site to discuss the film and answer questions.

Learn more about the Center for the Urban River at Beczak and ways to get involved at https://www.centerfortheurbanriver.org/.