June Newsletter 2023
Ahoy, beloved paddlers and boathouse supporters.
Welcome to the 2023 paddling season, and to the first of what will become a regular newsletter highlighting news, events, and what’s going on in our community.
We held the first of our popular free Public Paddle series in late May. These will be happening each month, with dates scheduled from June to September. We also co-hosted two ecology-based events, one with Billion Oyster Project in Bushwick Inlet, and a kelp farming tour with Newtown Creek Alliance. We also held an art & biology drawing class, and of course we were happy to see lots of old and new faces at our official launch party.
Read on for more news and upcoming events.
Boatyard Update
Back in November 2022, NBCB officially announced the construction of our new boathouse on Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Our Board Members recently took a hard-hat tour to check-in on progress . You can see all the details and photos here. Or, take a look from the water, road, or Pulaski Bridge next time you’re passing.
Where we launch. While we’re still ‘in exile’ during construction, our Public Paddles, canoe and kayak trips are launching from our container at Manhattan Avenue Street End Park (next to 1205 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222). Learn more and sign up on our calendar.
New name, same mission. If you noticed our name changed slightly, you’re not dreaming. We’re now called the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse which we think better reflects our mission to enable safe, responsible, human-powered boating, and to educate residents to be stewards of the history, ecology and sustainability of the waterways around Newtown Creek.
A refreshed website. And finally, we recently updated our website. We kept all the great stuff you loved about the old site, and gave it a remodel to freshen the design and improve the navigation. We hope you like it.
Water Quality in Newtown Creek. Our friends at the Billion Oyster Project keep close tabs on water quality. Their latest report shows Newtown Creek as 'swimmable'.
Support us. (Re)join as a member and tag us on social media.
Upcoming Events
NEXT PUBLIC PADDLE: JUNE 17
With close to 100 people participating, our first Public Paddle of 2023 was a huge success. Don't miss the next one, our Juneteenth celebration on Sat Jun 17 from 12pm-4pm. We invite the community to come down to the creek and learn more about the history and environmental challenges it faces. We'll have canoe tours with views of Manhattan, drinks and snacks. Join friends and neighbors gathering together on the shores of Newtown Creek. More details here.
NBCB CABIN AT LAKE SEBAGO
Our member cabin on Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park has many weekend bookings available in June and July. It's a great spot for a summer getaway. Further information can be found on the NBCB website's cabin page.
CANOEING
Lots of great canoe programming is happening in June! Beginner and intermediate paddlers can get A Little Creek Time on June 8, or all levels are welcome to join us for Sunset Bird Watching on June 9. Check your inbox for announcements because member trips are always being added to our calendar.
KAYAKING
Beginner paddles are back! Sign-up and join Dewey on Jun 20 to (re)familiarize yourself with a deck boat. And for intermediate paddlers, spots are available for tomorrow's Short & Sweet trip, and/or paddle over to the Brooklyn Bridge on Jun 19. Member kayak trips meet at MASE Park and take a 3 min canoe shuttle to our fleet of kayaks at Ash St. See our calendar for more June trips.
