City of Water Day, organized by the Waterfront Alliance in partnership with parks and other organizations, took place across all five boroughs and New Jersey waterfronts and focused on education and awareness through arts, recreation, stewardship and nature activities. 

“We aim to educate and inspire a future generation of stewards who will ensure our waterways are equitable, resilient and ecologically restorative,” the Waterfront Alliance said in a release. “This year, City of Water Day features stewardship organizations raising awareness about the risks of sea level rise and climate change, exploring ways to build adaptive capacity in our ecosystems and communities.” 

This year, the seventeenth annual City of Water Day landed amid a heatwave and a storm. In the past year, New York has endured a major flood, polluted air quality from nearby forest fires, an earthquake and a heatwave, marking the pressing need for more environmental initiatives and infrastructure in the city. 

The Waterfront Alliance and other organizations that engaged with City of Water Day aimed to raise awareness about the ecological consequences of disregarding waterways and green spaces and aimed to educate New Yorkers on ways they can get involved to sustain New York’s natural spaces. 

“In an era marked by climate change in a region surrounded by water, engaging with our shared waterways and waterfronts is more important than ever,” said Cortney Koenig Worrall, president and CEO of Waterfront Alliance. “City of Water Day not only champions climate resilience but also provides a fundamental link to one of our most significant natural resources while fostering learning, stewardship and memorable moments.”

Brooklyn’s park alliances and nonprofits, such as the Billion Oyster Project and the Waterfront Alliance, provided needed resources for those seeking ways to get involved and be more conscious of their effect on the environment. Community efforts, whether beach cleanups or yoga on the beach, help residents appreciate the green spaces and find reasons to engage with preservation initiatives.

“The festival was a great success in 2024, with 37 events around marine life, boating, the arts and natural history with our friends and neighbors,” said Terri Carta, executive director of the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. “We hope that we’re attracting more community members to engage for the first time with coastal habitats, which are more important than ever in the era of climate change. We invite new friends and old to see us for a wide variety of educational, recreational and stewardship events across the year.”

Some of the Brooklyn-based activities scheduled for Saturday included Seining with Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park, in collaboration with Coastal Classroom; a mussel habitat project with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and the Gowanus Dredgers; Brooklyn meet your neighbors: Oysters! by the Billion Oyster Project at WNYC Transmitter Park; and the seventh annual Jamaica Bay Festival at Gateway National Recreation Center, from Canarsie Pier to Rockaway.

Though many activities were postponed or canceled due to weather, organizers continued with several planned activities across Brooklyn. 

“The Jamaica Bay Festival is an excellent occasion to underscore the work of JBRPC and its many partners to keep New York City’s largest tidal estuary clean, safe and accessible. This celebration is our contribution to City of Water Day, which recognizes the importance of resilient and equitable waterfronts across New York City,” said Carta. “The waters of Jamaica Bay and Rockaway, along with tidal wetlands and marsh islands, protect wildlife and people and offer vital open space access for all New Yorkers.”

Other activities throughout the weekend persisted and successfully connected locals to their waterfront and green spaces. 

“By engaging the public in the benefits of habitat restoration, water and green infrastructure, stormwater management and other climate-resilient solutions, we are collectively creating a more resilient New York and New Jersey harbor,” said the Waterfront Alliance.