Congratulations to our summer Blue Team for organizing and planning another successful outreach celebration event!
Approximately 200 community members attended the event which included a detailed presentation summarizing the students’ research and experience during their six weeks at CURB, followed by student led activities across the park. Attendees built rubber bands propellered boats, turned t-shirts into works of art with tie dye, posed with their loved ones at the selfie station, accessorized some nautical themed hair clips and even got a chance to meet some of our turtle species up close at the waterfront! Partner group Groundwork Hudson Valley received community input about heat areas in Yonkers at their station, and local water quality sampler Kevin shared the beauty of oysters and their importance to the Hudson River ecosystem. It was a perfect way to culminate a summer full of learning.
We thank everyone who was able to support our students throughout this summer, including the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club who took the Blue Team kayaking earlier this week!
@yonkerskayaking
@groundwork_hv
The Center and Sarah Lawrence College
Launched June 2013, the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) is an alliance of Sarah Lawrence College and the Beczak Environmental Education Center.
Our mission is to advance environmental literacy and stewardship of the Hudson River and urban waterways. We do this through education, research, and community engagement, prioritizing Yonkers youth development, environmental justice, and inclusivity.
- A vibrant and accessible learning space utilized by a diverse audience of all ages
- All people feeling welcome to participate in science and conservation efforts
- Sustainable solutions that balance human activity and waterway health
- Surrounding waterways that are safe and teeming with life
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Week 4 of Blue Team is complete! This week our interns participated in a meeting with the Westchester Coalition for Clean Water @wc_clean_water, an exciting first for our program, and asked many insightful questions about Environmental Justice in our community! Cohort A went seining, where they caught many species (including 6 blue crabs). All interns also took a look at our science research poster, providing final feedback! We did some prep work for our exciting oyster restoration project set to take place next Monday (stay tuned to learn and see more)!
Blue Team has also been hard at work taking samples and making materials for the Blue Team Bash on August 8th! Can’t wait to see you all there! Register today, link in bio!
#hudsonriver #blueteam #waterquality
And just like that, we are officially halfway through the 2026 Blue Team internship!
During Week 3, interns went to Sarah Lawrence College’s ecology lab to learn about how molecular biology lab techniques are used in environmental monitoring! Beyond continuing their event planning and taking some more samples, interns also prepared for two very exciting firsts in Blue Team history: participating in a Hudson restoration project and a meeting with the Westchester Coalition for Clean Water in the upcoming weeks! In preparation, they learned about the history of oysters in New York and prepared some questions to bring to the meeting!
Thanks again to @slc_ecologylab for having us and teaching our interns!
(Don’t forget to RSVP to Blue Team’s Hudson River Bash: Exploring Waterway Wonders!! 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝)
Blue Team Week 2 is on the books!!
This week, interns completed their second set of samples, did some community building by identifying fish and began planning our community event day!
Our event is titled “Blue Team’s Hudson River Bash: Exploring Waterway Wonders!” and will take place on Saturday, August 8th from 12-3pm!!
Be sure to RSVP (link is on our Linktree)! We hope to see you all there! 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝
SLC Blue Team is back for 2026! During their first week, interns focused on learning about the waste water infrastructure in Yonkers and environmental justice. They also became familiar with the water sample collection and processing techniques to assess the quantity of fecal indicator bacteria, enterococcus, in our waters.
🌊Stay up to date for more news on Blue Team's research and our community event taking place on Saturday August 8th from 12p-3p! 🐟
#hudsonriver #environmentaleducation #waterquality
It’s almost here! Our annual Riverfront Festival is in 3 days! 🐟
From 11-4 PM stop by 35 Alexander Street for a community celebration of our wonderful waterfront. Plus, special for this year is the @riverkeeper’s launch of the fish migration flotilla which kicks off the start of the day. ⛵️
Thanks to our other event partners: @yonkerskayaking @hudsonriverriders @beczakonthehudsonriver
#hudsonriver #yonkers #environmentaleducation #kayaking #fishing
We had QUITE the catch of the day this morning with our interns from @eastchesterufsd ! 🐟
Measuring about 27 inches, this is not only one of the biggest fish we’ve ever caught, but also a first time species find for us- a freshwater drum!!
#hudsonriver #seining #fishing #fish #communityscience
Come find us down by the riverside this Saturday, May 30 as we celebrate World Fish Migration Day!
We're inviting the public to help us collect important fish data by seining the river. Gear up and learn to use our fish net or hang at the shoreline to identify what we pull in. We hope to see you there!
Meet at the beach in Habirshaw Park,
5/30 from 10 AM- 12- PM
#hudsonriver
Today 8th graders from The Homestead School braved the rainy weather for an opportunity to seine in the Hudson River. From blue crabs to white perch, we found quite a lot… but the highlight was two American eels (longest 16 inches)! These are our first immature adults, also know as “yellow eels” of our seining season.
#hudsonriver #americaneel #seining #communityscience #fieldtrip
We had an unexpected visitor today while seining the river! Students from @paceuniversity were stretching the seine net out into our marsh channel when a baby snapping turtle swam right in!
Snapping turtles are commonly associated with freshwater. However, they can tolerate low salinity areas like brackish water marshes, as long as there is still a freshwater source nearby for drinking. The Beczak marsh makes a perfect habitat- tall grasses and muddy substrate are optimal for hiding.
Further inland, the highest marsh zone is frequently filled with rainwater, ensuring this snapper stays hydrated!
As adults they average 8-14 inches in shell length and 10-35 pounds. This young one was only about 2 inches and likely born within the last year.
#hudsonriver #snappingturtle #marsh #estuary #biodiversity