Clearwater - News and Bulletins - Fall Kill Watershed Creek Week

Fall Kill Watershed Creek Week
Creek Cleanup and Community Outreach Event

When: Monday, August 4 to Sunday, August 10

Where: Clinton, Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley and Poughkeepsie

Who: Over 50 volunteers from five local municipalities and Community Groups

Partners: Fall Kill Watershed Committee, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., and the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program

Background

A major tributary of the Hudson River, the Fall Kill Creek flows through five municipalities in Dutchess County. Nearly 30% of the Town of Hyde Park and 35% of the City of Poughkeepsie are in the Fall Kill Watershed. In addition, the Fall Kill Watershed encompasses parts of the Towns of Poughkeepsie, Clinton, and Pleasant Valley. 2008 will kick-off an annual cleanup and outreach event occurring over the course of a week in August. As the Hudson Valley approaches the 2009 Quadricentennial commemoration, the state of the Hudson River's tributaries is becoming an increasingly important focus.

Awareness of litter, pollution and flooding that plague the Hudson River tributaries has become more prevalent in the media and resonates with local businesses and residents. The Fall Kill Creek Week will be an opportunity to reach out to residents over a wide range of population demographics, from the rural and suburban communities in the northern reaches of the watershed to the more populated urban areas in the growing and revitalized North side of Poughkeepsie. Watershed educational opportunities will occur throughout the week, as well as hands-on creek and watershed cleanups at several sites.

Schedule of Events
For more information contact Jennifer Rubbo at jen@clearwater.org or 845-454-7673 x114.
All events are free and open to the public.

August 4	Monday	Storm Drain Markings - City of Poughkeepsie - Learn about where the water goes when it rains and watch as the City of Poughkeepsie DPW marks storm drains in the watershed. Space is limited, registration required (845-454-7673 x114).
August 5	Tuesday	1:30pm-2:30pm - “Catch the Stream Bug” - Hyde Park Library Annex - Learn about the watershed and meet some of the critters that live in the Fall Kill. All ages.
August 6	Wednesday	6pm - Music in the Parks - Vanderbilt Estate, Hyde Park - Check out our interactive Watershed Display and enjoy the beauty of the Hudson River.
August 7	Thursday	6:30pm to 8:00pm “Much Ado About Flooding” Norrie Point Environmental Center. A discussion on flooding, stormwater and wetlands in the Fall Kill watershed and the Hudson Valley - Barbara Kendall, NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program; Jack Isaacs, NYS DEC Habitat Manager; Mike Rubbo, PhD, Teatown Lake Reservation, Director of Environmental Stewardship - open to all residents, we encourage town officials and volunteers to attend.
August 8	Friday	9am to 5pm - “A Rapid Trash Assessment” City of Poughkeepsie - Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s No Child Left Inside Students as they inventory and clean up trash in the Fall Kill through the City of Poughkeepsie. Call For more information and exact locations.
August 9	Saturday	9am to Noon - “A Rapid Trash Assessment” City of Poughkeepsie - Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s No Child Left Inside Students as they inventory and clean up trash in Fall Kill through the City of Poughkeepsie. Call For more information and exact locations. 1pm to 5pm - Eastman Park Ward 2 Festival - City of Poughkeepsie. Come visit our education tent, learn about the watershed and the American Eel.
August 10	Sunday	1pm - Visit the Sloop Clearwater and celebrate the watershed. Invitation only; call Jennifer Rubbo, Fall Kill Watershed Coordinator, at 845-454-7673 x114 to find out how you can get involved.

Our watersheds are made up of more than just the creek—they include the parks, streets and land we live on. Help us beautify the watershed and “Adopt-A-Spot” to clean-up. Participants currently include: Catharine Street Community Center, New Hope Community Center, The Hyde Park Conservation Advisory Committee, The Hyde Park Visual Environment Committee, The Piano Factory Residents, and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum and Hyde Park Ward 3 residents. There is still time to get involved. If you would like to “Adopt-A-Spot” of the Fall Kill Watershed or for more information about Creek Week please contact Jennifer Rubbo, Fall Kill Watershed Coordinator at jen@clearwater.org or 845-454-7673 x114.

Sponsored by The Fall Kill Watershed Committee, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, and MalCarne Contracting, Inc.