GROUNDWORK HUDSON VALLEY INC

COMMUNITY ADAPTATION: GROUNDWORK HUDSON VALLEY TRANSFORMS AND REVITALIZES UNDERUSED AREAS TO CREATE BENEFITS FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS. WE COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL PARTNERS TO IMPROVE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, FOSTERING LONG-TERM RENEWAL AND ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF NEIGHBORHOODS. TOGETHER, WE CLEAN AND RESTORE POLLUTED RIVERS, REMOVE INVASIVE VINES, PLANT NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS, AND COLLABORATE WITH RESIDENTS TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES SUCH AS FLOODING, EXCESSIVE URBAN HEAT, AND AIR QUALITY. YOUTH PLAY A KEY ROLE IN MANY OF OUR RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS, GAINING HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND BECOMING STEWARDS OF THEIR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT. IN 2024 TEN NEW AIR QUALITY MONITORS IMPROVED POLLUTION TRACKING, COMPLETED GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS BOOSTED RESILIENCE TO NATURAL HAZARDS, 1,326 TREES WERE INVENTORIED DOCUMENTING THEIRS SPECIES, SIZE, HEALTH, AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS ACROSS SOUTHWEST YONKERS AND 3,961 YONKERS RESIDENTS WERE ENGAGED TO BECOME CLIMATE ADVOCATES AND AMBASSADORS, INCREASING COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND ACTION.

SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION: GROUNDWORK HUDSON VALLEY PROVIDES EXPERIENTIAL HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION CONCEPTS AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS. AT THE SCIENCE BARGE, OUR FLOATING EDUCATION CENTER, WE TRANSFORM THEORY INTO PRACTICE BY MAKING HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS TANGIBLE AND RELEVANT TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS EACH YEAR. OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS BRING RESOURCE CONSERVATION, EXTREME WEATHER PREPAREDNESS STRATEGIES, AND STEM EDUCATION DIRECTLY TO LOCAL CLASSROOMS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY. THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE REGION PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS EACH YEAR, TRANSFORMING CONCEPTS THEY ARE LEARNING IN BOOKS INTO REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS. IN 2024, OUR EDUCATORS DELIVERED 3,529 HOURS OF IMPORTANT EDUCATION TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. THE SCIENCE BARGE ALSO SERVES AS A FLOATING URBAN FARM GROWING OVER 75 SPECIES USING ALTERNATIVE GROWING METHODS TO TEACH OUR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR FAMILIES HOW TO GROW THEIR OWN FOOD IN AN URBAN SETTING. THE WEEKLY HARVESTS WERE SHARED WITH LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES.