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About Clearwater
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About the Clearwater Environmental Organization
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit,
member- supported corporation whose mission is to preserve and protect
the Hudson River. In 1966, folk music legend and environmental activist
Pete Seeger, in despair over the pollution of his beloved Hudson River,
announced plans to “build a boat to save the river”. At the time, the
Hudson was rank with raw sewage, toxic chemicals and oil pollution;
fish had disappeared over many miles of its length. Seeger believed a
majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and
19th centuries would bring people to the river, where they could
experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it. Inspired by that
vision, the 106-feet-long tall ship Clearwater was built and launched in
1969. The sloop was among the first vessels in the U.S. to conduct
science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship, virtually
creating the template by which such programs are conducted around the
world today.
Since the launch of the Clearwater, more than 430,000 young people and
hundreds of thousands of adults have experienced their first real look
at an estuary’s ecosystem—fish, invertebrates, water chemistry and
ecological principals—aboard the sloop. Clearwater’s environmental
education programs now serve more than 15,000 students annually, and the
organization also educates over 200 teachers each year through SUNY New
Paltz, Pace University and other institutions. Clearwater’s members have
helped advocate for the Clean Water Act, the Hudson River Park Act and
removal of PCB’s from the Hudson.
The Clearwater has become America’s Environmental Flagship, and was
named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 for its role
in the environmental movement. Each summer, Clearwater re-connects
Hudson Valley residents with their cultural heritage and traditions by
bringing them down to the river for the Great Hudson River Revival, the
country’s oldest music and environmental festival. The organization and
its local sloop clubs also sponsor smaller local riverfront festivals
throughout the year. Clearwater’s unique approach to public outreach has
made the Clearwater a symbol of grassroots action through hands-on
learning, music and celebration.
Please visit the Clearwater Homepage
for more information on Clearwater and its programs.
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