The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Environmental Education, Advocacy, and Music for the New York Area
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is an environmental group located in Poughkeepsie, NY that has been instrumental in the revival of the Hudson River, pushed to the brink by pollution and industrialization. Founded by Pete Seeger, Sloop Clearwater educates the public through workshops and trips on the sloop itself, where visitors learn about the Hudson River ecosystem and its fragility.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater also holds a folk festival every year, called the Great Hudson River Revival, or Clearwater Festival for short.
The History of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
For many years, the Hudson River took the brunt of damage from the industry of the Empire State. Sewage discharge, polluted runoff from tributaries, and especially dumping from factories, severely damaged the Hudson ecosystem.
In 1966, folk musician and activist Pete Seeger began having small fundraising concerts to create a program to educate people about pollution in the Hudson River.
The center point of this group became the Sloop Clearwater, launched in 1969 and funded by those first few shows, where they would ‘pass the hat’ (or in Seeger’s case, the banjo) for contributions. This tradition lives on in the yearly Great Hudson River Revival, better known as the Clearwater Festival.
The Mission and Programs of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Since its launch in 1969, Clearwater has been instrumental in cleaning up the Hudson River and in educating citizens of New York about the environment.
Through their educational programs with local schools, over half a million children have experienced the beauty and importance of the Hudson firsthand. The author has personally been on one of these trips as a child. Through the power of song and the beauty of the setting, children become invested in the environment and the need to protect it.
Through advocacy, Clearwater was also very important in passing the Clean Water Act, and in having the Hudson River established as a Superfund site.
Sloop Clearwater says that its primary concerns are “To investigate and conduct research into any causes or sources of contamination and destruction of this river, its tributaries and similar river systems,” to inform the populace of the dangers of this pollution, and to educate on the importance of the Hudson River.
Also important to Hudson River Sloop Clearwater are the preservation of the Hudson River Valley’s cultural heritage and the well being of its people. Protecting other water ways also falls into Clearwater’s sphere of intent.
The Clearwater Festival 2009
Growing out of the small fundraisers that Pete Seeger used to get the Clearwater started, the Great Hudson River Revival has become more than just a fundraiser, but a celebration of the Hudson and the music of the people.
The 2009 Clearwater Festival is being headlined by the legendary Folk Musician Arlo Guthrie, along with blues singer Susan Tedeschi, red hot progressive bluegrass band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and of course Pete Seeger and friends.
The Festival will be June 20-21 at Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Along with The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Philadelphia Folk Festival, it is one of the major Folk Festivals in the New York area.
Since the formation of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Hudson has undergone dramatic change. Luckily, a visitor to the Clearwater Festival can see firsthand the improvement. Its location at Croton Point Park, allows a visitor to sit and dance on the bank of the river that Clearwater has done so much to help.
For Further Reading
http://www.beaconsloopclub.org/
http:// www.clearwater.org/festival/aboutfestival.html
the Clearwater
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Politics & Society
Latest Articles