6th Grade Speaker & Trip - Exploring the Gowanus

We were incredibly fortunate to hear a presentation from Chris Swain, the river activist who recently swam in the Gowanus Canal. He shared with our students why he cares about our waterways and why he chooses to swim in them. He also encouraged our students to advocate for cleaning up the Gowanus. After speaking with our students at school, we went to the Gowanus Canal and he taught us about the Flushing Tunnel and he showed us where he swam. We also talked about the history of the Canal and plans for restoring it.

Immediately following Chris' talk and the Gowanus tour, our students visited Site: Brooklyn, a gallery in Gowanus featuring contemporary art. They viewed a show called "All In," which is dedicated to water.