2021

Filtering by: 2021

Blue Planet Free School: Exploratory Bird & Plant Walk at Prospect Park
Jun
26
9:00 AM09:00

Blue Planet Free School: Exploratory Bird & Plant Walk at Prospect Park

Georgia Silvera Seamans is an urban and community forester. She is the founder of Local Nature Lab and directsWashington Square Park Eco Projects. Georgia is one of the organizers of #BlackBotanistsWeek and co-developed the #NYCNatureForum. She is a researcher and writer with articles inUrban Forestry & Urban Greening,Arboriculture & Urban Forestry,Popular ScienceandAudubon.

Akilah Lewis was born and raised in Queens and is the Secretary of the Feminist Bird Club. During her time as an environmental educator, she discovered her passion for birding, teaching, and learning. She enjoys birding in urban areas.

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Blue Planet Free School: Invasive Apothecary with Alyssa Dennis
Jun
24
7:00 PM19:00

Blue Planet Free School: Invasive Apothecary with Alyssa Dennis

Alyssa Dennis of Eclipta Herbal, will address the social and ecological motives of her project, the Invasive Apothecary, and discuss the medicinal attributes of some of the “worst of the worst” in terms of invasive plant species. We will look at aquatic plants like Phragmites and what this being offers the waters of the land and the waters of body. We will consider how the erasure of traditional ecological knowledge, about these plants, has been abandoned at the expense of dissociating the fact that their curative human virtues directly mirror the remedial virtues for the land and surrounding tributaries. Find out more about the Invasive Apothecary here: https://ecliptaherbal.com/invasive-apothecary

Alyssa Dennis is an interdisciplinary artist, educator and trained clinical herbalist. Her work deploys ecological literacy through the culturally invisible practice of herbal medicine and land stewardship. She is particularly interested in accepting & integrating the virtues of plant intelligence as a solution to climate change that positively restructures our relationship with the land; one that is rooted in place-based identity which reestablishes reciprocity, respect & responsibility for our non-human kin. 

Both art project and clinical herbal pharmacy her project the Invasive Apothecary proposes creative solutions to the current capital centric, xenophobic, war-like paradigm of invasive plant species management. 

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Blue Planet Free School: Ridgewood Reservoir Tour with David Chuchuca
Jun
10
5:00 PM17:00

Blue Planet Free School: Ridgewood Reservoir Tour with David Chuchuca

Join David Chuchuca, Assistant Director of NYC H2O, to explore Ridgewood Reservoir, an incredible freshwater wetland and natural resource in the heart of NYC. Nestled in Highland Park is a 50+ acre ecological oasis that was once a high quality water supply built by the independent City of Brooklyn in 1859. Since decommissioning, nature took its course in a perfect case study of ecological succession. Walk and talk about history, ecology, water, and more!

About David Chuchuca: David Chuchuca, (he/him), Assistant Director NYC H2O, is a former microbiologist turned photographer & educator who works to communicate scientific research with the public. At H2O, David directly interacts with our communities in fun and memorable ways that inspire environmental stewardship and communion within NYC green spaces. Before the pandemic, David exposed city students to local water infrastructure and ecology sites around the five boroughs. Since the move to virtual learning, he has helped organize an online platform (NYC H2O Hub) to continue educating students about their surrounding environment and their connection to urban ecosystems. He draws inspiration from the curiosity of our young citizen scientists.

Where:  Highland Park (Jackie Robinson Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11208). We are trying to organize a car pool. If you are interested in driving others or need a ride, please email Simone at sjaquayj@gmail.com.  
Help NYC H2O let the MTA know that the #RidgewoodReservoir needs a bus stop!

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Around Jamaica Bay: The Sacredness and Health of its Shoreline
Jun
6
5:00 PM17:00

Around Jamaica Bay: The Sacredness and Health of its Shoreline

A discussion that pulls from the CWP to ask questions and share stories of memories of water and connections with Jamaica Bay. The panel may include Angela myself and a member of each of the following organizations: Sadhana, United Madrassi Association, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and Culture Push. Each panelist will share their work and connection/memories with Jamaica Bay or water, which will lead into a conversation about the beloved waters of Jamaica Bay.

Speaker bios:

Vijah Ramjattan is a spiritually conscious interfaith community activist, artist, organizer and leader who advocates for social, environmental, and ecological justice. In 2017, Vijah founded the United Madrassi Association Inc. (UMA), and has served as President since its inception.  The United Madrassi Association Inc. is a progressive volunteer-based non-profit organization based out of New York State and is committed to bringing about UNITY-IN-THE-COMMUNITY, within the Madrassi/Tamil Caribbean-Diaspora and with other, Hindu/Non-Hindu Sects, NGOs, NPOs and Grassroots Organizations. Through active civic participation, collaboration and meaningful humanitarian work, Vijah aims to create a culture of “Devotion-in-Motion”. Vijah’s areas of interest are in Interfaith Tolerance, Eco-Friendly Worship, Youth Development; Fostering female Empowerment and Creating Meaningful Platforms for the younger generation to develop a sense of belonging where they can build, maintain and share their identity through hands-on community service. 


Elizabeth Velazquez is an interdisciplinary artist and a public school visual arts educator. She is one of the founding members of SEQAA- the Southeast Queens Artist Alliance, which is an artist collective focused on working in SEQ. In 2020 she participated in the Winter Workspace Residency Program at Wave Hill, located in the Bronx. Velázquez has exhibited and performed at venues throughout New York, including Cigar Factory, Knockdown Center, and NARS Foundation. (photo courtesy Robin Michals)


Angela Miskis (b. Ecuador, 1987) is visual artist and community organizer based in South East Queens.  Her work is influenced by her family upbringing, dedication to social service, and building a healthier and more sustainable future in her immediate community. Angela Miskis graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2013 with a degree in Visual and Critical Studies. Her honors include the Silas H. Rhodes scholarship (2011), and the Visual and Critical Studies Scholarship (2013) which awarded her a five-month artist in residence at the Leipzig International Art Programme (2014) in Germany. Recently, Miskis was awarded a residency at ChaShaMa's ChaNorth International Artists Program (2019) in Pine Plains, NY, and the ArtWorks Inc. Seminar Fellowship at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (2019 - 2020). She is currently a 2021-Create Change Fellow with the Laundromat Project in New York.


Aminta Kilawan-Narine, Esq. is the co-founder of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, a decade-old organization dedicated to merging the values at the heart of Hinduism with those at the heart of social justice. In this role, Aminta has organized monthly beach cleanups at Jamaica Bay to foster ecological stewardship and environmental justice. Aminta is also the founder and director of South Queens Women's March, a hyper-local gender justice movement-building organization with a mission to meet women, girls and gender fluid people where they are and connect them to the tools necessary to thrive. Aminta is a columnist for her local newspaper, The West Indian, as well as Brown Girl Magazine. Professionally, she is a legislative attorney at the New York City Council with a portfolio including homelessness, public benefits and child welfare.

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Pulp Mobile: Papermaking on the Edge of the East River
Jun
6
11:00 AM11:00

Pulp Mobile: Papermaking on the Edge of the East River

PulpMobile is a mobile papermaking studio by artist Rejin Leys that uses public space and paper recycling to prompt interaction and discussion between neighbors. For Tending the Edge, Rejin will bring her PulpMobile to the East River, and invite people to make paper with her. In order to prompt awareness and discussion about the waterfront, a selection of poems/texts/images that highlight recreation, shipping, transportation, or climate issues will be provided, and people can choose from containers of shredded copies of those materials to use as inclusions in their paper. Masks and spacing are required, and hand sanitizer will be provided for use before and after participation.

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Brownfield Boating
Jun
4
4:00 PM16:00

Brownfield Boating

Brownfield Boating invites New York City (NYC) mayoral candidates, Queens Borough President candidates, and NYC Council District 20 and 21 candidates on paddling tours of Flushing Creek in collaboration with Tending the Edge and Guardians of Flushing Bay. Tours will explore the disconnect between current plans for the waterfront and the next NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan produced by the NYC Department of City Planning. Candidates will have a chance to kayak or canoe in Flushing Creek, check in on nearby oyster cages, explore combined sewage overflows up close, and discuss details about the numerous plans for development along Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

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Brownfield Boating
Jun
4
11:00 AM11:00

Brownfield Boating

Brownfield Boating invites New York City (NYC) mayoral candidates, Queens Borough President candidates, and NYC Council District 20 and 21 candidates on paddling tours of Flushing Creek in collaboration with Tending the Edge and Guardians of Flushing Bay. Tours will explore the disconnect between current plans for the waterfront and the next NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan produced by the NYC Department of City Planning. Candidates will have a chance to kayak or canoe in Flushing Creek, check in on nearby oyster cages, explore combined sewage overflows up close, and discuss details about the numerous plans for development along Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

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Brownfield Boating
Jun
2
3:00 PM15:00

Brownfield Boating

Brownfield Boating invites New York City (NYC) mayoral candidates, Queens Borough President candidates, and NYC Council District 20 and 21 candidates on paddling tours of Flushing Creek in collaboration with Tending the Edge and Guardians of Flushing Bay. Tours will explore the disconnect between current plans for the waterfront and the next NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan produced by the NYC Department of City Planning. Candidates will have a chance to kayak or canoe in Flushing Creek, check in on nearby oyster cages, explore combined sewage overflows up close, and discuss details about the numerous plans for development along Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

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Brownfield Boating
Jun
2
10:00 AM10:00

Brownfield Boating

Brownfield Boating invites New York City (NYC) mayoral candidates, Queens Borough President candidates, and NYC Council District 20 and 21 candidates on paddling tours of Flushing Creek in collaboration with Tending the Edge and Guardians of Flushing Bay. Tours will explore the disconnect between current plans for the waterfront and the next NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan produced by the NYC Department of City Planning. Candidates will have a chance to kayak or canoe in Flushing Creek, check in on nearby oyster cages, explore combined sewage overflows up close, and discuss details about the numerous plans for development along Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

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Water in the Streets
May
27
8:30 PM20:30

Water in the Streets

in collaboration with Nathan Kensinger and Rockaway Youth Task Force

At high tide during the full moon in May, as Jamaica Bay spills into the streets in Far Rockaway, Sunde and local collaborators will stand in the streets with the rising water. Constituents and Mayoral Candidates are invited to join in and bear witness to the encroaching edge. The performance will be filmed and shown for all New Yorkers to see this monthly flooding. 

This work is an extension and research-based part of Sunde's large-scale series of site-specific performances and video artworks, 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, 2013 - present, which will culminate at the Cove at Socrates Sculpture Park in 2022.

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Water in the Streets
May
26
8:00 PM20:00

Water in the Streets

in collaboration with Nathan Kensinger and Rockaway Youth Task Force

At high tide during the full moon in May, as Jamaica Bay spills into the streets in Far Rockaway, Sunde and local collaborators will stand in the streets with the rising water. Constituents and Mayoral Candidates are invited to join in and bear witness to the encroaching edge. The performance will be filmed and shown for all New Yorkers to see this monthly flooding. 

This work is an extension and research-based part of Sunde's large-scale series of site-specific performances and video artworks, 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, 2013 - present, which will culminate at the Cove at Socrates Sculpture Park in 2022.

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Water in the Streets
May
25
7:00 PM19:00

Water in the Streets

in collaboration with Nathan Kensinger and Rockaway Youth Task Force

At high tide during the full moon in May, as Jamaica Bay spills into the streets in Far Rockaway, Sunde and local collaborators will stand in the streets with the rising water. Constituents and Mayoral Candidates are invited to join in and bear witness to the encroaching edge. The performance will be filmed and shown for all New Yorkers to see this monthly flooding. 

This work is an extension and research-based part of Sunde's large-scale series of site-specific performances and video artworks, 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, 2013 - present, which will culminate at the Cove at Socrates Sculpture Park in 2022.

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Brownfield Boating
May
24
11:00 AM11:00

Brownfield Boating

Brownfield Boating invites New York City (NYC) mayoral candidates, Queens Borough President candidates, and NYC Council District 20 and 21 candidates on paddling tours of Flushing Creek in collaboration with Tending the Edge and Guardians of Flushing Bay. Tours will explore the disconnect between current plans for the waterfront and the next NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan produced by the NYC Department of City Planning. Candidates will have a chance to kayak or canoe in Flushing Creek, check in on nearby oyster cages, explore combined sewage overflows up close, and discuss details about the numerous plans for development along Flushing Creek and Flushing Bay.

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Water Ritual: Tending the Edge at Jamaica Bay
May
23
2:00 PM14:00

Water Ritual: Tending the Edge at Jamaica Bay

A collaborative piece in which water ritual merges with cleaning the Jamaica Bay shoreline. Angela is an artist whose work encompasses “family history, a commitment to social service and sustainability.” Abuela Neighborhood Maintenance Project, is a piece in which Angela gives an incredible example of stewardship. Through an act of performance art, Angela and I will create a new performance piece that combines water ritual with a cleaning ritual.

Where: Spring Creek Inlet, Jamaica Bay water’s edge at Jamaica Bay/Spring Creek Park

Enter on 165th Ave near ProHealth Urgent Care at 164-50 Cross Bay Blvd, Queens, NY 11414- then follow the path to the ritual site. 

*There are no bathrooms.

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Tending the (Messy) Edge: Disruptions + Overflows
May
8
3:00 PM15:00

Tending the (Messy) Edge: Disruptions + Overflows

Join Moira Williams for a virtual Eco~Somatic movement workshop centering disability justice and the wetlands of Jamaica Bay

About this event

To kickoff Tending the Edge's public events, please join Moira Williams for a virtual Eco ~ Somatic movement session vicariously located in the Jamaica Bay Wetlands this Saturday, May 8th from 3 ~ 4:30 pm Eastern Time.

It is a playful work where we will gently move out from our bodies to the wetlands (virtually) and into the water together. Our shared time is about accessible movement, water accessibility in NYC, being together and co-mingling with wetlands and waterways.

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