2025 Spring Semester Summary

NYC H2O had a busy spring and winter!  We provided 191 free Water Ecology and Engineering Field trips and 40 virtual lessons reaching 6,492 students at 108 schools across the five boroughs.

Our programs enhance STEM learning outdoors through hands-on lessons about New York City’s reservoirs, parks, and beaches. We serve primarily Title I & III schools, bringing our programs to youth in underserved communities.   

Since 2014, we have taken 49,021 students on our outdoor field trips, and reached 12,822 more students with virtual lessons. Many of those students also joined us for beach and park cleanups, where we have removed over 102,000 lbs of litter over the last seven years.  

EDUCATION

Stem and Water Ecology Education

Our field trips bring students to reservoirs, beaches, and wetlands, where they explore the natural wonders found in these diverse ecosystems up close. H2O educators foster students’ curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions about the plants and animals they observe. It is our hope that by developing a connection to the natural environment that they will grow into future stewards.

Students love getting to know the different trees at each of our sites through a game called “Tree Races.”  Students run from one tree to another, stopping to make observations about the leaves, bark and fruits of each tree. This year the students’ keen eyes explored Golden rain trees, Sassafras, and Eastern White Pines. Through careful observation they noted that the pine needles come in bunches of 5’s!  We also discuss the important role that trees play in our water system, filtering and cleaning our water.

Students also love playing the “Aqueduct Challenge,” where they work together to build a functioning aqueduct that models NYC’s real water system. Through this activity, they experiment with different designs to drive water from the mountains upstate down to the city using the force of gravity. Students personalize their aqueducts in creative ways. For example,, a group of first graders showed their understanding of the force of gravity by making a “fun water slide” out of tubes and cups pouring water from the reservoirs found in the mountains upstate down the “slide” to get it through the aqueduct to the city below. 

We also lead field trips at beaches where students explore the coastal environment through scavenger hunts and learn about the city’s stormwater system. Each trip brings exciting discoveries—students often find and hold fascinating creatures like whelk egg cases, fiddler crabs and horseshoe crabs. They also find shells of the Atlantic Quahog and skate remains. They observe many species of birds in the salt marshes such as the yellow-crowned night heron, egrets and oyster catchers. These moments spark wonder and excitement and help students build a deeper connection to local marine ecosystems.

Our field sites include High Bridge Park, Orchard Beach and Jerome Park in Manhattan and the Bronx; Baisley Pond, Canarsie Park, Plumb Beach, and Ridgewood Reservoir in Queens and Brooklyn; and Lemon Creek & Silver Lake in State Island. We also have expanded our reach by hosting lessons at more sites throughout the city this spring at Shore Road Park, Manhattan Beach and Owl’s Head Park.

Mapping Education: Eco-Mappers

NYC H2O brings a passion for data science and stewardship to classrooms through its Eco-Mappers program, where students collect environmental data using GIS tools and organize stewardship actions in their school community. This spring, H2O educators worked with Lyons Community School in East Williamsburg and Park East High School in East Harlem where students collected data on green infrastructure, stormwater flooding, and street conditions. 
Students use ArcGIS on smartphones and laptops to collect, analyze, and visualize data that is presented in formal one-pagers for community leaders to push for improvements, such as installing tree guards and maintaining the soil of tree pits to better absorb stormwater runoff. Eco-Mappers use GIS data to design and lead street improvements directly outside their school doors.

CASA Lessons

Weekly after school lessons at PS 58, IS 5, Grover Cleveland High School and PS 24 introduced students to the urban water system, local ecosystems and wildlife, helping them develop a strong connection to nature in their neighborhood. Many of the activities blended  art and spatial reasoning with nature, to support students’ creativity and socio-emotional growth.  Through hands-on civic, mapping and stewardship projects students built real-world skills and developed a sense of responsibility for their environment. 

Highlights from after school programs this spring include raising trout from eggs, plein air drawing, planting pollinator gardens, growing plants under a grow light and mapping green infrastructure around each school. An important component of our CASA programs also includes caring for local green spaces through stewardship projects including bench painting, tree mulching, planting and maintaining pollinator gardens and rain garden/street clean ups.  These activities develop a sense of responsibility and pride in students in their neighborhood.

Our pollinator planting efforts this year resulted in planting over 500 pollinator plants throughout all of our CASA schools. At PS 58 students planted Butterfly Weed, Christmas Ferns and Goldenrods at the entrance of their school to provide habitat for pollinators. Students at IS 5 middle school planted and maintained their school garden filled with native pollinator plants including: Butterfly Weed, Asters and Joe Pye Weed. Grover Cleveland High School students planted Trumpet Honeysuckle, Butterfly Milkweed, Tufted Hair Grass, and Asters—at their school’s entrance, creating more habitat for wildlife.

PS 24 students visited the natural forest areas of Riverdale Park and hiked down to the Hudson River. They also partnered with the Bronx Parks Department to expand the pollinator garden in Seton Park, strengthening the local ecosystems. They used art and play to engage with the natural world around them, building lifelong connections with nature.

At PS 58 students learned about the water cycle and wastewater system through hands-on activities. They visited Elmhurst park to observe and identify trees, plants and birds and documented their findings in nature journals. They planted pollinators in front of their school and studied the pollinators and decomposers that were living in the habitat they created. On a neighborhood walk they mapped the green infrastructure around their school, cleaned up trash from the park and made educational signage for their pollinator plants. 

Middle school students at IS 5 Walter Crowley raised trout and monitored water quality in tanks in their classroom. In May, they released the trout into Cross River in the Croton Watershed.  

Additionally, after studying NYC’s wastewater treatment system, they designed model watersheds and created public service announcements about saving water during droughts, like that experienced by NYC this past fall. Students learned mapping skills while exploring their neighborhood, identifying storm drains, green infrastructure and areas in need of stewardship in Long Island Mews Park. 

At Grover Cleveland High School, students explored  finding over 70 species in the park next to the school, Grover Cleveland Playground. They explored how local government impacts environmental issues of concern like pollution and flooding, and who is responsible for addressing them. They deepened this understanding on a field trip to City Hall. Back at school, they applied what they learned through student-led projects including building water filters, creating recycled paper mache art, doing trash clean ups, and planting pollinators. These experiences empowered students to see their role in shaping and caring for their community.

STEW (“stewardship”) Crew at WHEELS High School is our weekly field-based afterschool program that teaches 15 high school students the skills to lead cleanups, care for street trees, and collect data using GIS in the Washington Heights neighborhood. This spring, STEW Crew led 7 cleanups, mapped 100 trees, and planted native wildflowers in street tree planters to beautify the streetscape and create habitat for pollinators. Students track their progress in data Dashboards to share with stakeholders and build skills in data literacy.

Teacher Testimonials

Grade 6 Teacher “Thank you so much for facilitating such a wonderful experience for our students. We always enjoy exploring the Ridgewood Reservoir with you all! Two things we liked were the amount of facilitators that were provided. They were all incredibly knowledgeable and patient with our students. If a few kids got distracted from the main lesson, the facilitators who weren’t currently speaking would quietly show our students something within the area to keep them engaged. We also love how each time we go, we learn something new or take a new path. Thank you once again and we can’t wait to do this again in the future!”

Grade 4 Teacher “We loved the trip! It was so active, gave the kids some time to chat/ discuss with partners (aka not too much listening, which is hard at this point in the school year), and [H2O Guide] had great attention-getting techniques. The hands-on aqueduct activity was awesome!! One of my students said “this was the best field trip ever!””

Grade 5 Teacher “We had a fabulous time on Tuesday.  Before the trip the communication was great and flexibility with time was helpful.  During the trip we loved how the map activity got them engaged and excited, and the staff was knowledgeable.  We loved when they pointed out animals and items of interest, holding crabs and allowing the students to investigate. Nothing to improve upon.”

Grade 2 Teacher “The class loved the aqueduct experiment (becoming engineers)that’s always a big hit. They enjoyed hearing facts about the reservoir and learning about how the reservoir supports the animals and insects in that habitat to thrive. There is nothing I would change. It’s a great tour of the reservoir and it’s a nice way to give students a stem activity to close out the session. Hope to do it again next year!”Grade 11 Teacher “The trip was great! I appreciated that the staff members leading our trip were adaptable based on how the conversations progressed with my students. They had a lot of valuable information related to the history of the area and the environmental justice implications of the Jerome Park Reservoir. My students were engaged throughout the program and even got to try their hands at an engineering challenge, which they all enjoyed! 10/10 would recommend, and I hope to continue with NYC H2O programming in the future!”

STEWARDSHIP & PUBLIC PROGRAMMING

Ridgewood Reservoir 

We are thrilled to observe the positive impacts of our ongoing stewardship at the Ridgewood Reservoir. Thanks to our dedicated efforts, we are seeing blooming pollinator gardens, the return of enthusiastic volunteers, the songs of birds, healthy trees, and cleaner sidewalks.

Our mission is twofold: increasing public access to green spaces while protecting the unique ecosystems within the Reservoir, a vital refuge for native plants, birds, and other wildlife. So far in 2025, we’ve hosted six volunteer events that engaged 115 community members, averaging 20 participants per event. These events included impactful litter cleanups along Vermont Place and the Jackie Robinson Parkway service road, as well as targeted removal of invasive species such as mugwort, cleaver, crown vetch, and garlic mustard.

This year, NYC H2O staff have already committed over 30,000 hours to maintaining and improving the health of the Reservoir. As we prepare for another active summer, we’re gearing up to continue our major project: removing Phragmites australis from the middle basin. This critical ecological work will be supported by a cohort of 17 summer interns.

The pollinator gardens are thriving with native bees, butterflies, and birds. Our team continues to support this ecosystem by planting native flora, watering during dry spells, and keeping the gardens weed-free.

Highland Park, straddling Brooklyn and Queens, is an essential green space for its neighboring communities. We look forward to expanding our efforts there with future tree planting and care initiatives that will further enrich this beloved urban park.

Beach, wetland and neighborhood cleanups

Between January and June 2025, in addition to our Ridgewood Reservoir events, NYC H2O organized 14 cleanups across beaches, wetlands, and neighborhoods citywide. Our work included removing litter from Arthur Kill Road, Mariners Marsh, Lemon Creek Beach, Conference House Beach, and Oakwood Beach in Staten Island; Givan Avenue, Edson Avenue, and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx; Baisley Pond Park in Queens; and Canarsie Park, Canarsie Beach, and Plumb Beach in Brooklyn.

These efforts engaged 551 volunteers who collectively removed more than 8,500 pounds of debris from New York City’s natural areas and streets.

In Manhattan, we contributed to the beautification of Tompkins Square Park. There, 55 students from St. John’s University and 40 from the Children’s Workshop School helped us paint benches, enhancing the park’s appeal and inviting greater community use.

Community Programs

Already in 2025, we’ve hosted 15 public education programs and walking tours, bringing New Yorkers into close contact with local ecology, history, and animal observations!

• Uncovered Creeks: New York City’s Forgotten Waterways presented by Nathan Kensinger at Hunter College February 28th, 2025
• Old Croton Aqueduct Bike Tour March 1, 2025
• Waterworks presented by Stanley Greenberg at Hunter College March 28th, 2025
• Richmond Creek and Brookfield Park Walk led by Nathan Kensinger April 6, 2025
• High Bridge Waterfront Walk led by Nathan Kensinger April 19, 2025
• Addressing Cloudbursts in NYC presented by Eric Sanderson, Mary Miss, and Amy Motzny at Hunter College April 25, 2025
• Botanical Plant Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir led by Sophie Cozine April 27, 2025
• Prince’s Bay and Lemon Creek Walk led by Nathan Kensinger April 27, 2025
• Fordham Landing Waterfront Walk led by Nathan Kensinger May 4, 2025
• Bird Watching at Ridgewood Reservoir led in English and Spanish by Heather Wolf May 11, 2025
• Sandy Brook Walking Tour led by Nathan Kensinger May 17, 2025
• Bird Watching at Ridgewood Reservoir led in English and Spanish by Heather Wolf May 25, 2025
• High Bridge Waterfront Walk led by Nathan Kensinger May 31, 2025
• Botanical Plant Walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir led by Sophie Cozine June 1, 2025
• Horseshoe Crab Discovery Walks led by Lisa Jean Moore at Plumb Beach June 7, 2025
• Fordham Landing Waterfront Walk led by Nathan Kensinger June 8, 2025
• Horseshoe Crab Discovery Walks led by Lisa Jean Moore at Plumb Beach June 14, 2025
• Mill Creek and Richmond Valley Walk led by Nathan Kensinger June 29, 2025

We could also be found tabling at the PS 10 STEAM Fair, the Environmental Education Expo at Pier 57, Earth Fest at NEST+m school, CD 46’s Spring Fling Event and Maspeth High School Climate Action Day!

CLOSING

Thank You for Your Support
Thank you again to all our sponsors and to all who support our work through donating, volunteering, and participating in NYC H2O programs.

This includes recognizing the following officials and foundations their contributions in creating and continuing our environmental education and stewardship mission:

We’d also like to highlight our utmost appreciation for our program partners, volunteer groups and students for their assistance in our civic environmental stewardship activities:

Support NYC H2O to Support NYC’s Kids
Your donation directly supports our free outdoor educational field trips for underserved students enrolled in Title I and III schools in all five boroughs. Please consider donating here to support our students in learning about the critical importance and beauty of New York City’s water through hands-on science learning. Members are a critical part of our NYC H2O team: learn how you can make a difference by becoming a member here. Members receive NYC H2O merchandise and other benefits such as event and walking tour discounts.