Tuesday, March 28, 2023

The Evolution of an Educational Center

In 2015, the Hudson Sloop Club proposed the idea of the Everett Nack Estuary Education Center, to be constructed from a repurposed shipping container. The next year, a grant of $91,780 was received from the Hudson River Estuary Program to construct the center. In the beginning, this was the rendering of what was being proposed.


In 2017, the Nack Center, its design having evolved a bit, became part of a larger project, called "Railroad Point Pier," proposed for DRI (Downton Revitalization Initiative) funding. Although it started out as a priority project, Railroad Point Pier ended up not getting funding, but the Nack Center was to proceed on its own.


Last April, the Hudson Sloop Club announced another change of plan for the Nack Center. Instead of being in a fixed location, the Everett Nack Estuary Education Center will be mobile. 

This weekend, the Hudson Sloop Club is initiating Spring Saturdays, a series of events at Railroad Point, the area around the originally proposed site of the Nack Center, so named for the remnant of the 19th-century railroad trestle found on the site.


What follows is the press release announcing the event.
The Hudson Sloop Club is excited to invite members of the public to join for the first of our Spring Saturday series at Railroad Point--a beautiful site that many people are not aware of. This Saturday, April 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. we will set out to improve the trails by clearing brush and spreading donated shavings so that we can enjoy them all year long. Participants will also be able to take part in hands-on activities to help improve the trails, such as planting trees and clearing debris.
To sign up, please visit the Hudson Sloop Club's website or reach out on social media.
Recently, Build Hudson installed this kiosk, previously used by the Columbia Land Conservancy, on the site. 


The Hudson Sloop Club plans to activate Railroad Point, the space next to Rick's Point at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, and use it for educational programming throughout the year. The event this Saturday, April 1, is the first of the events to take place on the first Saturday of each month this spring.  
COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK

4 comments:

  1. $91,780 in 2017, six years ago, and all we have to show for it is some drawings and a recycled kisok? Where is the money? The non profits of Hudson seem to be in need of supervision.

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    1. The money is still with the Hudson River Estuary Program. The Hudson Sloop Club got an extension on the grant a while back. I do not know that the current status.

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  2. One more update, the new Nack Center will have its grand unveiling this spring and the final iteration is even more exciting than the original plan. The Nack Center has been transformed into a mobile estuary education center which can operate from the Hudson waterfront or come directly to local schools and educational and environmental orgs. The Nack Center is housed in a towable trailer and is equipped with all of the necessary research and observation gear technology to provide hands-on water-based educational programming. We have a full set of fishing rods, nets and tackle to do free fishing trips with youth. A "pop-up" aquarium, microscopes, computers and monitors. And to top it all off, the whole entire center is solar powered and fully off the grid and can run remotely from a school or remote site without needing any external power. It's really exciting, and we will be sure to let everyone know the dates as soon as they're finalized for the grand opening.

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  3. Adam Weinert submitted this comment:

    The forecast calls for rain, so bring your galoshes! Looking forward to it!

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