Are you ready to give back to NYC and help build, rejuvenate and protect our waterways? Join the Citizen BioSwale Project to create a rain garden.
THE PROJECT
Organic cotton clothing company Loomstate is teaming up with innovative landscaping firm, Open Source Landscape and local environmental education and service organization, Lower East Side Ecology Center to heal NYC's waterways. The group is going to transform a water-logged and Sandy-destroyed street tree bed into a climate change-adapted, bio-swale rain garden. This bio-swale will create a more permeable surface that will better filter urban runoff before it enters our waterways.
THE BACKGROUND
The inspiration behind the project sprung from a brainstorming session with the environmental gurus at LES Ecology Center and Loomstate. They set out to solve the problem of how to prevent millions of gallons of raw sewage from being discharged into the East and Hudson rivers each year due to NYC’s antiquated combined sewage overflow system. The answer was to organize a citizen effort to build dynamic permeable surfaces called bio-swales and lead watershed tours to educate the public on the city’s water issues. Simone Frazier of Open Source Landscape and participant on the tour was inspired to help, and led the effort to transform the 70 foot tree bed in Catherine Slip, NYC into a beautiful water management garden. The effort has paid off and this June the group along with volunteers will be constructing a larger bio-swale with the help of funding from Hugo Barreca President of the Double R Foundation and with support from Citizens Committee.
VOLUNTEER DATES:
June 4 - Morning Shift (10am-1pm)
June 4 - Afternoon Shift (2pm-5pm)
June 5 - Morning Shift (10am-1pm)
June 5 - Afternoon Shift (2pm-5pm)
June 6 - Morning Shift (10am-1pm)
June 6 - Afternoon Shift (2pm-5pm)
Plus: tag your photos with #VolunteerFest and you could win an official OutdoorFest t-shirt by Loomstate! (Details here.)