Two Generations of Seawater Environmentalism
The legendary environmental boat Clearwater recently sailed into Yonkers to dock next to the Science Barge and to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The sloop Clearwater was built as an environmental and educational platform for Hudson River community members to engage with the river and foster new and inspired relationships that would aid in the restoration and protection of the Hudson, which was rank with toxic pollution at the time. In its nearly half a century on the river, Clearwater has played a key role in successfully advocating for the protection and cleanup of the Hudson.
Clearwater’s founder was singer and activist Pete Seeger who used the boat, or sloop, as a means to remind the public about the importance of our waterways, specifically the Hudson River. The boat was built and its backbone, or keel, was laid Oct. 18, 1968.
Clearwater was christened and launched May 17,1969 from the shipyard in Maine.
“If a boat’s launch is akin to its birth, then the keel laying is its conception” said Betsy Garthwaite, Clearwater board president and former sloop captain.
Science Barge Captain Bob Walters explained that the connection between the Clearwater and the Science Barge is great.
“The Clearwater was the first vessel to take the classroom on the waves, and to fulfill Pete Seeger’s inspiration that you can inspire young people to save the environment,” he said. “All of that came out of the Clearwater.
“Pete Seeger had a special place in his heart for Yonkers, and for the Science Barge to anchor in Yonkers and continue the environmental education for kids, for me, is a joy. We use a similar program that the Clearwater uses and kids learn about sustainable, renewable energy and climate change.
“So it’s always special when the Clearwater sails into Yonkers, which has become the environmental capital of the Hudson River,” continued Walters. “Yonkers should be proud of the fact that we have the most focused environmental education out of all the towns along the Hudson. We have more than 4 miles of Hudson Riverfront and we use it to teach the next generation. Pete Seeger would be proud of that.”
Clearwater will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launching of the sloop throughout the 2019 sailing season, with exhibits at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, which will focus on the history of environmental activism in the Hudson Valley with special emphasis on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
In addition, the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Yonkers is currently collecting objects, photographs, documents, and personal stories related to the founding of Clearwater to create an engaging and interactive physical exhibit with a companion online exhibit about historic threats to the Hudson River and the work of environmental activists to mitigate and reverse negative impacts on the river.
