INSPIRE EDUCATE ACTIVATE 2011 ANNUAL REPORT Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. 724 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon, NY 12508 P: 845-265-8080 | F: 845-831-2821 [email protected] | www.clearwater.org 2011 CLEARWATER ANNUAL REPORT is published by Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. To receive a copy, please visit www.clearwater.org. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be published without permission. Cover Photo Credits: Clearwater Staff Designer: Raven + Crow Studio, ravenandcrowstudio.com 3 CLEARWATER.ORG Inspiring, educating, and activating the next generation of environmental leaders. 1 TABLE OF A Letter from Clearwater’s Chairman of the Board and Executive Director Our Mission Where We Work Inspire Educate Sail Program Statistics Activate 2011 Financials Giving Contributors The Seeger Society Memorials and In Honor Of Gifts in Kind Matching Gifts Vs olunteer Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival Performers Board of Directors Staff “If you want people to care about the river, you have to teach them about the river.” – Pete Seeger Hudson RiveR sloop CleaRwateR, inC. • 2011 annual RepoRt 2 Dear Friends, In 2011, Clearwater saw many beautiful sunrises and sunsets and the positive mile- stones that we reached are due to the continued support of people just like you! This past year, Clearwater’s education programs served almost 20,000 kids from New York City to Albany, making certain that Pete Seeger’s legacy continues on into the future. In February, a few of our youth were invited to the White House by President Obama’s staff to the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative (AGOI) Launch Cer- emony and were able to spend some time with Department of the Interior Secre- tary Ken Salazar. This invitation was extended by White House staff due to Clear- Photo by Julia Church water’s participation in the 2011 AGOI Listening Sessions, thereby proving that voices raised, our youth are speaking (and singing) out! March left the world reeling, as Japan faced the largest nuclear disaster in its history – a catastrophe that struck home for many New York State residents that live in the shadow of Indian Point. As such, Clearwater ramped up its efforts to close Indian Point and transition to a green energy economy by holding a special sail and technical briefing, aSummit for Solutions, which focused on the risks of continued operation of Indian Point and the benefits of transitioning to a sustainable energy economy. We continued to fight Entergy’s ongoing misinformation campaign and to pursue legal challenges in front of the Atomic Safety Relicensing Board, including contentions regarding Environmental Justice, the leaks and on-site waste storage. Clearwater is looking forward to a bright future- one that doesn’t have Indian Point in it. The summer saw Clearwater celebrating its 10th anniversary of its Young Women at the Helm program – a milestone that many hands helped us reach and we are so grateful to see this critical youth empowerment program, along with its Young Men at the Helm counterpart, continue. In the fall of 2011, Clearwater was awarded substantial support from individual donors and New York State Office of Parks, Recre- ation & Historic Preservation to commence construction on our Kingston Home Port & Education Center in the spring of 2012, in conjunction with the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Creating an official home port for the sloopClearwater’s winter maintenance period, this will allow the sloop Clearwater to continue to serve people from Albany to New York City. Once constructed, Clearwater will be able to provide better upriver environmental education programs and community led green infrastructure training. While operating a diverse non-profit with such important message is a difficult process, Clearwater is continuing to become finan- cially healthier, reducing our past debt and are operating Clearwater annually on a financially sustainable model. Together, we’re continuing to make enormous strides. Our river communities are safer, healthier, and happier because of the work we’ve done together. But we still face great challenges, and the next generation needs our help to tackle the looming trials they and their planet will face. We thank you for joining us in our mission to preserve and protect the Hudson River. Let’s continue to get inspired, educated and activated – together! Allan Shope, Chairman of the Board Jeff Rumpf, Executive Director CLEARWATER.ORG 3 OUR Clearwater’s strategy to inspire, educate and activate New York State’s communities is still a powerful formula for success. Clearwater has continually created effective and synergetic program departments based on each of these themes. Created by a group of citizens tired of the Hudson River being maintained as an open sewer, our mission is to preserve and protect the Hudson River for the benefit of its eco-system and human communities while creating new environmental leaders for a sustainable future. Clearwater is a 12-year old who starts a recycling program in their school; a leader of the Department of Environmental Conservation; a business owner incubating green jobs; a musician singing for a cleaner river or a parent who teaches their kids how to live in harmony with nature. At this critical time, we need to mobilize all of our resources to grow the next generation of environmental leaders. As Pete Seeger says, “The time is now, or we Pete Seeger, Clearwater founder will not, I fear, have a future for the human race.” Photo by Adam Lipson BE A PART OF A LITTLE ORGANIZATION THAt’s MAKING A Photo by Julia Church CLEARWATER.ORG Hudson RiveR sloop CleaRwateR, inC. • 2011 annual RepoRt 4 WHERE WE RENSSELAER ALBANY Rensselaer Castleton Coxsackie COLUMBIA MASSACHUSETTS GREENE Athens Hudson Catskill We sail the Hudson River from Albany to the New York Harbor, Saugerties and into the Long Island Sound, Esopus Creek offering 21 docks to choose from, throughout the sailing season. Through ourGreen Cities Initiative, Kingston we work in river communities, Rondout Creek protecting tributaries that spill into DUTCHESS the Hudson River. Fall Kill Creek ULSTER Poughkeepsie Newburgh Beacon PUTNAM Cold Spring CONNECTICUT ORANGE West Point Peekskill Verplanck Haverstraw WESTCHESTER ROCKLAND NEW YORK NEW JERSEY Piermont Yonker s Alpine BRONX Oyster Bay QUEENS MANHATTANNYC/79th St. LONG ISLAND Brooklyn/Red Hook CLEARWATER.ORG 5 Hudson River Sloop Clearwater was born with music flowing through its core, continually rousing our members, partners, and supporters to enact change and 2011 was a year of absolutely in- spiring moments! From our sloop-based programs and Camp INSPIRE Clearwater, to our Power of Song program, Clearwater utilizes music and the arts to educate our citizenry about our history and to inspire us to change our futures. Via song and participation we work to establish our nation’s legacy and define its character. Over the course of 2011, Clearwater paid homage to the generations of Clearwater leaders that have come before, to those currently build- ing on their successes, and to the generations we must forge paths for in order for them to have a safe future. Below are a few of the major events where Clearwater celebrated its Generations. CLEARWATER GENERATIONS: AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION The theme of Clearwater’s special events in 2011 was Generations. Our first event to encompass this premise was our annual Earth Day Concert, held at Tarrytown Music Hall. From the opening with Pete Seeger and Clearwater’s Power of Song, to the evening’s encores, folk royalty and an incredible mix of the next generation of folk musicians reminded us about the power that song and com- munity can have when joined together. A FUN-FILLED FESTIVAL An annual tradition in June, held on Father’s Day weekend, Clear- water’s Great Hudson River Revival is considered the summation of our organization’s ideals. Bringing together almost a thousand passionate volunteers, unbelievable music and two days of giving back, while learning how to better our earth, our lives and each other are quintessential Clearwater principles and the 2011 Fes- tival with its theme of Clearwater Generations was no exception. This year’s Revival proved that the power of song is unwavering, as is the draw of community action and environmental stewardship. With record breaking crowds of almost 20,000 people, the 2011 Festival provided respite, rejuvenation and renewal for many long time attendees, and proved to be an enlightening experience for the thousands of new friends we welcomed. Additionally, Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival Photo by Augusto Menendez Earth Day 2012 CLEARWATER.ORG Hudson RiveR sloop CleaRwateR, inC. • 2011 annual RepoRt 6 listened to recommendations from our guests and added Newport Folk Festival. Clearwater created this award to a new Jam Tent and an Artisanal Food & Farm market, honor and recognize those individuals who have continu- both of which were huge successes. From performances by ally created opportunities for people across the globe to Pete Seeger and Clearwater’s Power of Song Program, Ja- be stimulated and actuated by their music, and Mr. Wein nis Ian, Deer Tick, Peter Yarrow, & Martin Sexton (with was the perfect first recipient. hundreds more, listed on page 40) this year proved that the Festival is here to stay – and it will be better than ever The concert closed with Tao Seeger and various other next year! performers marching off the stage singing. Leaving the theater, the marching musicians were greeted by concert- POWER OF SONG BENEFIT CONCERT EXCITES, goers who joined Tao Seeger and Pete Seeger, along with ACTIVATES, AND OCCUPIES! David Amram, Guy Davis, Tom Chapin and other musi- The October 21st, sold out, high energy Clearwater bene- cians from the concert including Clearwater’s Power of fit concert at Symphony Space to honor music impresario Song, to rally to Columbus Circle to join the Occupy George Wein with the first annual “Power of Song” award Wall Street protest.