BEACON, NY– Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has received a $10k grant from the Malcolm Gordon Charitable Fund to launch a Microplastics Pollution Prevention Project. The project will raise the alarm about microplastics pollution, a threat to the Hudson River that allows pollutants to enter and contaminate the food chain, poison the water and harm the river’s ecology.
“Microplastics are entering the Hudson River through microbeads in personal care products, fibers from our clothes, and trash that breaks apart in the environment. These plastics can absorb toxins and serve as “poison pills” to the animal life in the water that can mistake them for food. Clearwater has been sampling for and teaching about microplastics since the summer of 2014. This project not only has the potential to gather data about the extent of microplastics in the river it will but also to give students opportunities to take action to prevent plastic pollution from happening in the first place.” Dave Conover, Clearwater’s Education Director.
The new project, which will launch in the spring of 2016 will combine field, in-class and onboard opportunities for students to study and learn ways to prevent microplastic pollution.
During the sailing season, Clearwater serves the Hudson River with unique education sails and in-class workshops for school groups from Manhattan to Albany. Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger, has been serving the Hudson River with unique environmental education programs since 1969.
