Local residents are banding together to tackle litter on the East River, as part of the Love Where You Live Clean-Up Festival on the Long Island City Waterfront in Queens, New York on June 25th.
The Blue Bus Project (TBBP), which brings participatory arts events into underserved communities throughout NYC, will host a river clean-up with the help of dozens of local volunteers on Saturday, June 25th, 2022. The Blue Bus Project is dedicated to protecting the East River, the Long Island City waterfront and its environs because a healthy community starts with a healthy environment.
The Blue Bus Project in partnership with Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, Jacob A Riis Neighborhood Settlement, Kids Ride Club, and Kin to the Cove Project will address the challenges of how we deal with and educate others about waste, litter, and pollution in our waterfront communities through hands-on activities at targeted waterfront parks. In addition, these opportunities for outdoor engagement will provide greater connection to nature, physical and creative activities, as well as the mental health benefits of parks-based community projects.
On June 25th from 10am to 5pm the clean-up and green-up event of parks takes place along the East River Waterfront in Long Island City, Queens, including Hallet’s Cove Beach, Rainey Park, Queensbridge, and Hunters Point South Park.
Participants will have the option to walk or bike, with some bikes provided by Kids Ride Club. The start point at Hallett’s Cove Beach will kick-off with a site specific live performance that engages and connects the public to their surroundings to heighten awareness of the negative impact of pollution. Kin To The Cove is the community-powered environmental art and stewardship project formed in Oct 2020 that will launch the program on this day. The group’s lead artists will gather attendees for an opening ritual of acknowledgment and thanks to the land and water, while sharing a story in the oral tradition. Kin to the Cove will facilitate a beach cleanup in which found treasures and unique objects will be culled to create a communal sculpture altar, a “Kin To The Cove” tradition. There will be time for walking the water’s edge and deep listening and reflection before embarking to the next point on the Blue Bus waterfront journey and clean-up tour
We will continue clean-up in Rainey Park, Queensbridge, and Hunters Point South Park and meet at the Blue Bus in the Culture Lab parking lot for a culminating event with music and refreshments.
Clean and healthy rivers have the potential to provide everything from clean drinking water to recreation opportunities to fish and wildlife habitat,” said Annalisa Iadicicco, Creative Director of The Blue Bus Project. This event aims to raise public awareness of the magnitude of trash accumulating in our nation’s waterways and is a great opportunity for civic engagement. Participating in a river clean-up is one way that citizens can do their part for the river in the city we all love,” said Iadicicco. We are so grateful to Urban Upbound and ONS The Office of Neighborhood Safety who made this day-long event possible through generous grants and funding.
TIME/ LOCATION
10am- 11:30am Hallett’s Cove Beach
12:00- 1:00 pm Rainey Park
1:30 -2:30 pm Queensbridge
3:30-4:30 pm Hunters Point South Park
5pm: Culminating Closing event at Culture Lab parking lot with music and refreshments.
Sponsored by:
Urban Upbound and ONS The Office of Neighborhood Safety .
Community Partners
Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
Jacob A Riis Neighborhood Settlement
Kids Ride Club
Kin to the Cove
The Blue Bus Project
The Blue Bus Project is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that brings participatory arts events into underserved communities throughout NYC, heightening awareness about social and environmental issues, and encouraging change through visual, performance, and interdisciplinary art workshops.
As a mobile platform, the repurposed school bus hosts projects in public parks, community centers, and NYCHA housing complexes, partnering local organizations with artists to design programs for the specific needs of a community.