hop on the waterpod while you still can

Have you caught a glimpse of that fantastic vessel, the one growing squash & tomatoes & chickens? The one that composts, harvests rainwater & sustains its shipmates? Perhaps you have, perhaps you've stepped on board. But if you haven't, and have the slightest inkling of curiosity as to what the Waterpod holds, you only have 2 weeks to quench your thirst.

The Waterpod is about to sail off into the sunset (well, technically, it doesn't "sail"). Below, a message from the pod regarding their last hurrah.

The Waterpod would like to invite you to join us for our final two weeks open to the public on New York waterways. We will celebrate the closing of our amazing four-month journey with "Future of Mobility, Urbanity, and Water(pods)" at the World's Fair Marina Pier 1 in Flushing, Queens from September 16 - 27th. Visit our website for up-to-date information and events: www.thewaterpod.org.

This celebration will include events with The Queens Museum of Art, Conflux Festival, Underwater New York, Swimming Cities, Terreform, Wicked Delicate's Truck Farm, Andrew Faust and the Center for Bioregional Living [aside: this is who's teaching me the wonders of permaculture], hands-on workshops for Thriving After the Flood by artist Christopher Robbins, Secret School and the K.I.D.S and Natalie Jeremijenko's Environmental Response Systems.

We will conclude with an all day "I Remember Future" party on Sunday, September 27, 2009 from 11am-11pm in conjunction with the Queens Museum of Art. There will be trolley service from QMA to the Waterpod. The day will include, "Ascend" a pirate television broadcast/planetarium installation by artist James Case Leal, a globular sound installation curated by Lauren Rosati, and DJ Trent Wolbe from WFMU, among other futuristic happenings.

We are at the Worlds Fair Marina Pier 1 from Sept. 16- Sept 27.
We are open to the public Thursday/Friday 8am-4pm and Saturday/Sunday 11am-7pm.

Here is schedule of events, please join us!

Friday 9/18:
Conflux Festival 2-4:30pm on the Waterpod. Waterpod team talks about life on board.
5pm Piledrivers music

Saturday 9/19:
3pm Urban Permaculture workshop with Andrew Faust; Regenerating Today's Cityscapes
5pm Betsy Bradley,Father Knickerbocker Meets the Future: Lecture about the World's Fair

Sunday, September 20:
1pm Christopher Robbins & Matt Bua --Waterborn edibles in New York / Build a solar cooker
3pm Underwater New York Readings
6-10pm Swimming Cities Fundraiser Party

Saturday, 9/26:
1pm- Christopher Robbins & Douglas Paulson-Jerry-rigging 101: Build your own boat from urban detritus/Knot tying-bring stuff that might float
3pm Secret School and the K.I.D.S. host a "wild tea party": a workshop on making jam and tea from foraged wild edible fruit.
4pm: Terreform Lecture founders Maria Aiolova and Mitchell Joachim. talk about the Future of Urbanity
6-7pm Artist Hector Canonge "Utopia" video showing
6-8pm Jérémie Gindre and Frédéric Post, Special show case and sound performance, co-curated by Espace Kugler in Sweden

Sunday 9/27: Final Day of Waterpod
11a-11pm "I Remember Future" all day Goodbye Waterpod Party in conjunction with The Queens Museum of Art (Trolley from QMA to Waterpod)
12pm Barbara Flanagan "Water Homes" lecture and book signing
1pm - Christopher Robbins & Ian Warren-Making portable gardens, Cereal banks (D.I.Y. protectionism) and food preservation
2-6pm Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis present their Truck Farm
3pm Urban Secret School and The K.I.D.S. make jam and tea and Cassie Thornton Barter System Beauty Salon
4-6pm Natalie Jeremijenko's Environmental Response Systems
6-8pm Lauren Rosati curates sound installation in dome
4-11pm James Case Leal's Ascend Planetarium video installation in dome and broadcast at The Queens Museum of Art
8-11pm Trent Wolbe of WFMU will DJ
9-11pm Band TBA

Subway Directions: From Grand Central Station take the 7 train to Willets Point Blvd - Mets Station. Head towards Citi Field. Take the sidewalk to the left of Citi Field until it ends. Cross the Whitestone Expressway and the World’s Fair Marina Pier 1 is across the street and to the right. Waterpod™ is located at the end of Pier 1.

Google Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108226320777055742290.0004739489a1697c86cf6&ll=40.76148,-73.85381&spn=0.010792,0.021265&z=16

Thank you,
The Waterpod Team

september in the city - UPDATE!

I love September in New York. Dry sunny days, crisp clear nights. A perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors. Yes, we do have great outdoors in NYC. Here are some great ways to experience them this month.

I've added a couple things I thought you should see:

Queens County Farm BBQ & Campout
This weekend!
September 6 to 7


Here's your chance to nosh on some tasty chicken BBQ'd by none other than celebrated butcher Tom Mylan while sipping on some local suds courtesy Brooklyn Brewery. And if that's not enough, there'll be delish pie, a DJ spinning tunes, camping, and wake-up bloody Marys! Hello?! Why haven't you bought your ticket yet? Get 'em here.


Central Park Bird Walks
brought to you by the Nature Conservancy
September 3 to October 26



NYC is a big stopping off point for birds migrating south for winter. Learn the ins & outs of bird watching with Kellye Rosenheim in Central Park. Get the full schedule and details.

Reservations are required. Please contact (212) 381-2194 or nycbirdwalks@tnc.org for reservations and cancellations.

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Events
September 4 to 26


Waterfront walking tours, kayaking Staten Island, tugboat races, and many more activities are on MWA's calendar this month. Check it out!


Governors Island Art Fair
brought to you by 4heads
Every weekend, September 5 to 27



Over 150 independent artists and galleries from around the world come together on Governors Island – free ferry to and from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Get the details.


Solar Powered Film Series
brought to you by GreenEdge NYC & Solar One
September 10 to 19



Get your fill of sustainable films in this series of serious documentaries – screenings powered by the sun.

Doors open at 7:00 pm each night at Solar One (23rd St. & FDR Drive)
Films start at 7:45 pm, followed by Q&A

September 10: Addicted to Plastic (trailer)
September 11: Who Killed the Electric Car (trailer)
September 12: Flow (trailer)
September 17: A Sea Change (trailer)
September 18: The Garden (trailer)
September 19: Burning the Sun (world premiere!)

Plus, every night of the series features a segment from Brooklyn filmmaker Michelle Vey’s From Elegance to Earthworms. Get more info.


National Parks Week NYC
September 19 to 27



I'm a big fan of National Parks. I've only been to 5 of them (soon to be 6!), but I've got my sites set on many more. Luckily, this month, the National Parks are coming to me – and everyone else in this fair city. The National Parks Conservation Association is hosting a full line-up of events all over NYC, including coastal clean-ups in Queens, a tour of Grant's tomb after dark in Morningside Heights, and screenings of clips from Rick Burn's latest documentary about the parks in Central Park. There are just too many events to list here, so here's the full schedule.

skills to pay the bills (or at least save a little dough)

Got a hankerin' to make stuff, but don't know how? In a time when people are pinching pennies out of necessity or just to consume less for the good of the planet, it helps to know there are some free ways to learn a few new tricks.

Check it out...

Thursday, August 27 (that's tomorrow!)

Lori Gibbs and Atom Cianfarani want to teach you how to GreenIt Yourself this Thursday with a green roof and gardening in small spaces Workshop. At the Toyota Children's Garden (one of New York Restoration Project's babies) from 7 pm to 8 pm. And there will be refreshments!

Toyota Children's Garden
603 East 11th Street, New York, NY


Friday, August 28 (in prep for Saturday, October 10)

Okay, this one's a little bit preemptive, and maybe not so free, but it comes pretty darn close. This concert, featuring local bands, will help fund a day of skill sharing on October 10 at the Brooklyn Skillshare.

On Saturday, October 10, you're gonna learn all kinds of crazy stuff: ricotta-making, liquor-infusing, kombucha-brewing, screenprinting, and a whole lot more. The door price is based on a sliding scale ($10 suggested), so pay what you can.

The fundraising show that's this Saturday, on the other hand, is $7 and features local acts like The XYZ Affair and Gunfight!.

Get all the details for the event and the fund-raising-music-show at the trusty e-newsletter of my favorite borough, Brooklyn Based.


Monday, August 31
So you want to use a reusable shopping bag but don't want to shell out the dollars to get one? How's about making one for yourself? Learn how at this free workshop - 3rd Ward's Sweatshop Social. You supply the fabric (an old t-shirt perhaps?), they supply the notions and the (cheap) beer. Bring your own cup and the suds are just a buck.

[via Brooklyn Based]


And for all you green thumb wannabes...
More free events coming soon to Brooklyn Botanic Garden through their GreenBridge Program (these are free, but ya gotta register - so sign up right quick!).

Street Tree Care
Thursday, September 17, 6 to 8 pm
Thursday, November 5, 6 to 8 pm
Street trees do much to improve our environment, but they often receive little care. In this class, learn the benefits of street trees and how to improve the health of a street tree by caring for its bed. Get tips on amending soil, mulching, watering, pruning, and tree-bed gardening. Bring your street-tree care questions and find out more about the city's efforts to increase and protect the urban forest canopy.

Starting a Children's Garden
Thursday, October 15, 6 to 8 pm
Would you like to develop a children's garden at your school, block association, or neighborhood organization? This workshop will provide tips for adult leaders who want to organize a children's gardening program. Learn how to plan your program and what tools and plant materials are needed to get growing. You will receive a free activity booklet and visit our children's education greenhouse for hands-on activities.

Getting to Know Your Soil
Wednesday, October 28, 6 to 8 pm
Interested in knowing more about your soil? Concerned about safely growing food in urban soils? This class will demonstrate several easy diagnostic activities for learning about your soil. How to take a soil sample for testing will be demonstrated as well as interpreting lab results. You'll also receive tips on improving urban soils.

Rainwater Harvesting
Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8 pm
Learn the benefits of reducing your dependence on NYC water and minimizing storm water flows into our sewers by collecting rainwater for use in your garden. It's easy to use roofs from nearby buildings and garden sheds to harvest rainwater. Come learn about the different types of rainwater harvesting systems being used throughout NYC community gardens from simple pickle barrels to large tanks, and get tips on how to build your own.

Introduction to Permaculture
Tuesday, November 10, 6 to 8 pm
Permaculture is a design approach based on interpreting natural patterns for human benefit. Learning how to read the land and planning for long-term development are two objectives of this workshop. Permaculture works on all scales and levels. Discussion will cover topics ranging from choosing and using plants in groupings to observing and utilizing the elemental forces of wind, water, and sun.

local food love: the bk farmyards fundraiser

Come one, come all to the BK Farmyards fundraiser event - our own little slice of local food heaven right here in Brooklyn. Guaranteed to be a good time with live bands, original artworks, dance, local food & drinks, cooking demonstrations, and games. Won't you join me?

CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD



bk farmyards FUNDRAISER
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
AUGUST 22, 2009, 2pm-12am

1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand: 2 blocks Nostrand A stop; 2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25; LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

RSVP on facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages.

Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass.

Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year.

Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny's, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!

shenandoah valley and national park highlights

I'm finally getting to recap my adventures from last week, when my boyfriend and I drove on down to Luray, Virginia for 5 days (well, really it was more like 3 plus travel days). It was a great trip, but I haven't had a second since I've been home to write about it. So, I'm going to sum it up in photos.

the park




Jewell Hollow Overlook


The valley below, a landscape altered by man (I try to imagine what the mountain would look like if the national park had not been established).


Cloudy day


Don't fall in!


Lewis Falls


Mountain laurel, one of the fragrant flowers pervading the mountain air (honeysuckles were rampant outside of the park, delicious!)


Volcano-like cloud


the wildlife


Three black bears on the roadside, a mama and two cubs


A lone black bear


One of two young bucks on Skyline Drive


Wild turkey, Skyline Drive


Ducks on the Luray Greenway, a nice little path running along the Hawksbill Creek.

We also saw 3 bald eagles, a couple of great blue heron, and many other birds on a kayaking trip (didn't want to tip the kayak and drown the camera).


the farms


We were surrounded by them. Seemingly idyllic pastoral Americana, but many were Cargill farms. (If you've read The Omnivore's Dilemma, you may have just shuddered).


This farm was literally in our backyard. Our little cottage at Piney Hill B&B was just steps from this fence. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that my boyfriend is allergic to hay. Acchhoooo!


Hellooooo!



Oink oink (Virginians love their pork).


the food


Breakfast delivered to our doorstep every morning.


Joshua Wilton House in Harrisonburg, VA. One of the best meals we had on the trip. (The other was at Ivy Inn in Charlottesville)


They served Polyface Farms products, like this pork loin and the chicken in the background. If you're not familiar with farmer Joel Salatin, check out his books or website.


Ice cream! (without knowing the origin of the dairy, probably not the most sustainable dessert we could have had)

the storm


A big storm's a-brewin'


Take shelter, Dorothy!


"Safe" inside the cottage


Not just golf-ball-sized hail, a tornado less than a mile away


the caverns


Luray Caverns, much more interesting than I expected


Grand illusion


For scale, check out the people at bottom right of this pic


Drapery formations or as they called it in the audio tour, "bacon" (can't get away from the pork products)


Please don't fall on my head!

the history


One rainy day, we visited Monticello (took the house tour, but couldn't take photos inside).


We're finally coming around to rainwater harvesting after all this time.


Thomas Jefferson was quite the horticulturist. This is the restored garden and orchard.


A plantation tour gives the slaves' perspective.


TJ's laboratory


This bee seems right at home.

coming home


It was good to come home to a thriving indoor vegetable garden.


After all of the rich Southern food, I was more than ready for some fresh veggies. Thankfully, we got home just in time to visit the farmer's market to stock up on some delicious seasonal produce.