BEACON, NY – Hudson River Sloop Clearwater received the Environmental Impact Award from the New York State Outdoor Education Association at its annual Ashokan winter gathering. The award was given to Clearwater, according to a NYSOEA statement, for its “research, conservation, and political action that influenced, protected and successfully dealt with problems associated with the environment.”
Accepting the Environmental Impact Award at the gathering was Jeff Rumpf and Dave Conover, executive director and education director respectively, of Clearwater.
Clearwater experienced a banner year in 2009, as the organization launched its ambitious Next Generation Legacy Project, opened the doors of its Center for Environmental Education and Justice in Beacon, NY and celebrated the 90th birthday of its founder Pete Seeger, along with the 40th anniversary of the sloop Clearwater and the Hudson River Quadricentennial. More than 15,000 students experienced Clearwater’s onboard education programs last year—the most ever—and the organization also increased its Young People at the Helm programs. Clearwater also marked the start of PCB dredging on the Hudson River, the culmination of a 30-year-long fight, and began work on environmental justice issues in several riverfront communities.
“Clearwater is truly honored to receive the NYSOEA’s Environmental Impact Award because it serves as recognition of the work we’ve been doing for over forty years—preserving and protecting the Hudson River while creating new environmental leaders,” said Rumpf.
