Hooked on our Waters

A participatory forum exploring NYC waters and how people connect to them for food, recreation and education.

Bringing together the public, non-profits and government agencies to discuss and learn about how we all use the natural water resources around us - making healthy choices about eating fish you catch and eating fish you buy, restoring NYC water ecology, creating water stewards, and connecting to the water.

Keynote Speaker:

John Waldman, Queens College Professor
New York Harbor: Four Centuries between Eagles

John Waldman joined the faculty of Queens College as a tenured professor of Biology in 2004. For the previous 20 years he was employed by the Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research. He received his Ph.D. in 1986 from the Joint Program in Evolutionary Biology between the American Museum of Natural History and the City University of New York, and a M.S. in Marine and Environmental Sciences from Long Island University. His research interests focus on the ecology and evolution of fishes, the historical ecology of rivers and urban waterways, and estuarine biology. Dr. Waldman has authored more than 80 scientific articls and several popular books, including Heartbeats in the Muck: the History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor; and Running Silver: Restoring Atlantic Rivers and their Great Fish Migrations.

Presentations/discussions with NYS Department of Health, NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program, Hudson River Park Trust, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - I FISH NY & Hudson River Estuary Program, Future City Inc, New York City Health Department, Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, Urban Assembly New York Harbor School & Harbor Foundation, Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, NY/NJ Baykeeper, NYC Watertrail Association, Bronx River Alliance, Mount Sinai, Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, NYC Parks, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Sponsored by:
Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project and NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program

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Logistics:

Free and open to the public! Space is limited, registration is required. If after registering you learn you are unable to attend, we appreciate your letting us know as soon as possible so we can offer your space to someone who can come.

Sign-in starts at 9am, due to venue restrictions we are not able to accommodate guests arriving earlier than 9am.

The event includes a light breakfast and a sandwich lunch. If you have dietary restrictions, we ask that you bring your own food.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Street parking in Midtown Manhattan is very limited. Paid parking may be available in nearby commericial lots. We recommend taking public transportation to this event if possible.

Transit that is nearby includes (not including buses):

1,2,3 - Penn Station

B,D,F,M - Herald Square

4,5,6,7 - Grand Central

N,R - 28th St

Complete our quick survey about which panel you most want to attend:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TKJH8R8

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Hooked on our Waters Draft Agenda

October 19, 2013 - CUNY Graduate Center 365 Fifth Avenue

9:00am-5:30pm

Registration and Resource Tables

Welcome & Healthy Choices, Eating Fish You Catch – Regina Keenan, NYS DOH

Keynote Speaker:
New York Harbor- Four Centuries between Eagles – John Waldman, Queens College

Moving Forward in Our Waters (introduction to panels and more)

Restoring Water Ecology panel - Gabriela Munoz, NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program

Connecting to the Water panel – Melissa Cohen, I FISH NY – NYS DEC

The Hudson: Past, Present and Future – Gil Hawkins, Hudson River Fishermen’s Assoc.

Panels, choose one of three (all panels will repeat so attendees will be able to choose a total of two panels to attend):

Panel 1: Choosing Fish – Supermarket to Shore

Dr. Maida Galvez, Mount Sinai Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit

Gef Flimlin – Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Alejandrina Canelo & Glenn Lautenbach, Future City Inc

Panel 2: How Can We Restore NYC Water Ecology?

Marit Larson - NYC Parks Natural Resources Group

Sam Janis and students – Harbor Foundation & Harbor School

Eymund Diegel - Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club

Panel 3: How Can We Connect to the Water?

Damian Griffin - Bronx River Alliance

Nancy Brous - NYC Watertrail Association

Meredith Comi – NY/NJ Baykeeper

How Do We Create Water Stewards? & Wrap Up

Chris Bowser, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program

Blaze Jones-Yellin, Rockaway Waterfront Alliance