News from Groundwork Hudson Valley

New Groundwork Websites
GW USA Map

Please check out our new Groundwork USA and Saw Mill River Coalition websites! We are very pleased with the new designs and hope that you will find the sites user-friendly and informative. Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.

ConEd Supports 12 Science Barge Classroom Visits
Food Miles

Thanks to a grant from ConEdison, Devon Spencer, the current Director of Science Barge Education, will make 12 classroom visits while the Barge is closed for winter. So far she has made 8 of 12 scheduled visits to four Yonkers Middle Schools. In each school the entire third grade class will be given three lessons that relate to different aspects of sustainable agriculture. The lessons cover biodiversity, carbon footprint, and food waste and culminate in fun hands-on projects such as Food Web Twister, How Many Miles On My Menu, and Worm Observation. For more information on this program click here.

The Our Folks Group is Trained and Ready to Winterize Caulking

Our Folks is an intergenerational program in which Groundwork trains local high school students to make repairs in the homes of older adults in the community to help them stay in their homes or "age in place." Students and seniors get to know each other, sharing experiences and ideas, developing understanding and partnerships between the generations.

This winter, the growing Our Folks group at Riverside High School learned useful winterization techniques such as how to insulate windows and pipes, identify drafts, caulk and instal fixtures onto the bottom of doors to prevent drafts. Next week, during the group's mid-winter break, the students will visit several older adults' homes, who have signed up for these services, and make the needed repairs. This will help seniors stay warmer and pay less for heating, which is also more energy efficient! If you live in Yonkers, are over 55 years of age, and could use some help in your home, please contact Emily Eder at (914) 375-2151 or emily@groundworkhv.org.

Staff Changes- New Director of Science Barge Education Dev teaching

After helping make the Science Barge's first year in Yonkers a huge success, Devon Spencer (The current Director of Science Barge Education) , will be moving with her husband back to Austin, Texas where they met. We are sad to see her go and wish her great happiness and success in her new home.

We are pleased to have hired Gwen Hill, a former Education Intern on the Science Barge, as our new Education Director. Gwen has experience in environmental education and managing sustainability programs.

Stormwater Roundtables - 58 municipal decision-makers-hard at work!

The January 23rd Stormwater Roundtable was well-received by the 58 municipal decision-makers in attendance. The ½-day workshop focused on practical ways that our Saw Mill River watershed villages and towns can address pollution in the river that comes from rain water rushing through our streets and driveways directly into the river.

The session keynote speaker was Sandeep Mehrotra, PE, Vice President of Hazen & Sawyer, who presented "Low Impact Development/Better Site Design Principles & Techniques-What they are, Why they matter in flooding and water quality." The officials then were able to apply the principles learned on a site plan for a commercial parking area and a residential home. The break-out roundtables were primarily organized by village and town so that planning board officials and conservation advisory board members as well as trustees and supervisors could work together on the plans.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful partner in this work-the Greenburgh Environmental Forum, coordinated by the Greenburgh Nature Center. The next Roundtable is tentatively planned for June, 2010. For information, please contact P. Lynn Oliva, River Associate at Groundwork, (914) 375-2151, lynn@groundworkhv.org. We will be launching a stormwater webpage in the late spring of 2010 with all of the presentations and handouts from the sessions.

Science Barge Collaboration with Columbia University's Architecture School
Gold fish

On February 1st, Science Barge staff met with two faculty members from Columbia University's Architecture School. Janette Kim is the director of the Urban Landscape Lab, a research group dedicated to ecology and the built environment. She is teaching an innovative course called Life Support in collaboration with another staff member who specializes in fabrication. In this course, students will build small-scale aquaponics structures (where plants are grown in water instead of soil and nourished by fish waste) using vacuformed plastic and rotational molding. The idea of the course is to look at innovative and playful ways in which we can create relationships between humans, plants, and fish.

Janette contacted us to see if The Science Barge could be a collaborative partner in this exciting project. We are looking forward to seeing what the students design. It is possible that one of their projects will be used on the Science Barge as another example of recirculating hydroponics designed for urban living and a sustainable future. At the end of the semester we will hold an opening reception on the Science Barge. Stay tuned for dates, you won't want to miss this fun, inspiring, and educational event!

Attention Artists and Environmentalists! Floating sculpture

We are now accepting submissions for the 2010 Science Barge Floating Sculpture Exhibition! Click this link for full information.

The Second Annual Floating Sculpture Exhibition will be held on
June 12th - 13th, 2010
If you want to submit artwork for this event YOU MUST REGISTER BY MAY, 28th. Click here for the application.
The 2009 Floating Sculpture Exhibition was a great success, drawing many members of the community together to celebrate the majestic Hudson River, local artistic talent, and the Science Barge as a space for neighborhood gatherings.

Groundwork Hudson Valley is seeking artists to create floatable art to be installed in a semi-sheltered section of the river adjacent our Science Barge. Our water sculpture celebration is a two day event building upon our work in this community. The event begins on Saturday morning with the installation. The event continues later that day with a reception for the artists and music, and an opportunity for the judges to review the art. There are also boxes for the guests to vote on their favorite art. All Saturday and Sunday the sculptures will be available for viewing by the general public.