July 13 – 20
Culminating event to highlight community projects and Hudson River Days to take place at The Underwear Factory

BEACON, NY — Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and the Fall Kill Watershed Committee invite the community to join them for a series of Creek Week events this July to celebrate the Fall Kill Creek in Poughkeepsie. The events, in addition to building awareness for the Fall Kill, are designed to bring attention to work of many partner groups, including Hudson River Housing, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Mid Hudson Children’s Museum, and the Hudson River Estuary Program through these informative and exciting opportunities to support the revitalization of Poughkeepsie!

“Creek Week offers residents an opportunity to learn about the water resources in their communities by participating in family-friendly events that focus on Hudson River tributaries, specifically the Fall Kill, and help build watershed awareness,” said Ryan Palmer, Clearwater’s Green Cities Initiative Director. “Community members can learn about the impacts of stormwater, the history and ecology of the Fall Kill Creek, and promote and celebrate a cleaner, greener Poughkeepsie.”

Creek Week events for 2013 include:

  • Creek Week will kick off with a Rain Barrel Building Workshop on Saturday, July 13 from 1:00PM – 2:00PM at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion, located at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. Rain barrels capture runoff from rooftops during storms that can be used later to water lawns and gardens.  Using a rain barrel can help save money on water bills, conserve water, and manage stormwater runoff.  At this hands-on workshop, participants will be provided with a 55-gallon food-grade plastic barrel and materials to build their own rain barrel. The workshop is offered in partnership with Mid Hudson Children’s Museum and Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County; Reservations are required and a $45 fee is due in advance. Spaces are limited; contact Angela Sullivan at acs26@cornell.edu  or (845) 677-8223, extension 114 to make reservations.

 

  • A highlight of the week will include a Fall Kill History Walk with Harvey Flad on Tuesday, July 16 from 6:00PM -7:00PM. Flad is a local author and historian, and author of “Main Street to Mainframes — Landscape and Social Change in Poughkeepsie”. Participants will walk along the Fall Kill Creek and learn about early industry, mill ponds, cholera, and the many ways the creek helped shape the City of Poughkeepsie. Participants are asked to meet in front of the Family Partnership Center, North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie to join the walk. The event is free to the public.

 

  • Join City of Poughkeepsie Assistant City Engineer, Joe Chenier, for Storm Drain Marking, Litter Survey, and Stormwater Talk on Thursday, July 18, 10:00AM – 12:00PM for a morning of service learning to help mark storm drains, collect litter, and learn about how the City is managing stormwater. Participants are to meet at the traffic circle at Waryas Park, Main St., Poughkeepsie. The event is free to the public.

 

  • Night by the Fall Kill @ The Underwear Factory, takes place Saturday, July 20, from 6:00PM-9:00PM at 517 Main Street in Poughkeepsie. This special evening of community celebration, music, food, and fun on the banks of the Fall Kill is free to the public and hosted by Clearwater, Hudson River Housing, and partners at the site of the historic Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory as an “after party” to the Queen City Arts Festival, and as a wrap up for the Hudson River Days Celebration. The evening will feature the unveiling of a public art installation on the windows of the factory’s south side, live music by local Hip Hop and dance music group, Baam Bada, and the debut of the “Fall Kill Rap” by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s, No Child Left Inside group. Night by the Fall Kill will help support the restoration of the Underwear Factory as part of the Middle Main Initiative, and the revitalization of the Fall Kill Creek. Click here to visit the Facebook event page

Clearwater and the Fall Kill Watershed Committee have been involved in the promotion and revitalization of the Fall Kill Creek through education, outreach, land-use planning, green infrastructure projects, extensive clean-up efforts and restoration programs since 2002. For more information, visit www.clearwater.org , or contact Ryan Palmer at 845-265-8080, x7114, Ryan@Clearwater.org.  

Partial funding for Creek Week was provided to Clearwater by US EPA in a Cooperative Agreement through the Urban Waters Small Grant Program.