June 2026 Events
Tis the season to get down on the River!
|
|
Workshop
Liquid Futures video creation workshop with Lize Mogel
Saturday, June 13, 2026 @ Unison Arts, New Paltz
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM —
RSVP
What does the social, environmental, and political ecology of the Wallkill River look like 50 years from now, 100 years from now, 1000 years from now, after climate change? Join Wallkill Futures artist Lize Mogel to imagine fantastic scenarios about the
future of the Wallkill River, and create short videos enacting those speculative futures in, on, and around the river. During this 3 hour workshop, participants will brainstorm ideas,
write outlines, make costumes and props, and learn easy in-phone editing. If there is time, the group will go to the Wallkill River to film. Bring your ideas, fun materials for props
or costumes, and your smartphone or other video camera. Materials, costumes, snacks, and drinks are provided. Selected videos will be shown as part of the Wallkill Futures exhibition
at Unison, in a special screening on August 22, and in future exhibitions and screenings.
|
|
|
|
Workshop
Power Object Sculpture workshop with Nancy Nowacek
Saturday, June 13, 2026 @ Unison Arts, New Paltz
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM —
RSVP
Inspired by ancient rituals and contemporary political unrest, this workshop invites participants to sculpt small clay objects that represent a need or desire for transformative change, working in kinship with the Wallkill River and the more-than-human
world. Each sculpture will be molded in Wallkill River ice to create a power object. On July 18, a procession will lead people to the Wallkill, where they can cast a power object into
the river in a gesture of collective intention and possibility.
No prior experience is needed. Sculptures will be available to take home after July 17. Led by artist Nancy Nowacek with MJ Nusbaum.
Nancy Nowacek is an interdisciplinary artist researching climate change, health, aging, and their intersection. MJ Shepard-Nusbaum is a printmaker, papermaker, sculptor, and educator working at the intersection of art, ecology, and community.
|
|
|
|
Workshop at the New Paltz Regatta
The river remembers every choice we make
Sunday, June 14, 2026 @ the New Paltz Regatta
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
As part of the New Paltz Regatta, members of the ecological design collective Spurse (Matthew Friday & Ian Kerr in collaboration with Carolann Paszek) will host a natural dyeing workshop to build biodegradable origami boats that will carry seeds selected
to stabilize eroded riverbeds.
Future Waters Commons reimagines rivers as shared ecological commons and sites of collective learning. Using a repurposed boat as a floating research platform and classroom, the project brings students, artists, educators, and community members into direct
engagement with the Wallkill river through storytelling, creative practice, and ecological exploration. The boat will serve as a centerpiece for public engagement during the New Paltz
Regatta and upcoming events in Kingston.
|
|
|
|
Regatta Parade
Join the Alliance at the New Paltz Regatta
The parade of home-made boats down Main Street kicks off at 1:00 PM from Village Hall. This “race” of crafts that often sink better than they float, is part of an amusing, long-running local tradition that welcomes the summer season in the Hudson Valley.
The Wallkill Alliance will have their boat on the water and a table on land with live stream critters and information about the River. We are looking for volunteers who want to apprentice with our stream bug expert that day – contact Martha at
marthascheo@gmail.com if you are interested.
Visit the New Paltz Regatta site
|
|
These workshops are part of Wallkill Futures, a series of participatory, experiential public art projects with and for communities along the Wallkill River in New York’s Hudson Valley. As climate change sparks investment vehicles that extract value based
on future scarcity or availability of water, this project is a platform for artist experiments in mobilizing social investment in water futures. Wallkill Futures is directed by Lize Mogel and includes artists Matthew
Friday, sTo Len, Nancy Nowacek & FICTILIS.
The alliance’s boat will be part of ongoing public engagement during the regatta and summer monitoring season.
|
|
Paddle & Meeting
Join us for a paddle in Montgomery
Monday June 22nd, 5:30-6:45pm at Benedict Farm Park in Montgomery.
Kayaks are available for rent. For more info on kayak rental, contact Martha at marthascheo@gmail.com.
And afterwards you are invited to stay for our Monthly Wallkill Alliance Board and Advisors Meeting which will be at the pavilion near the paddle launch site from 7-8:30pm. Learn more about the Wallkill Alliance and how you can get involved. Bring a picnic
dinner if you plan to stay.
|
|
|
Summer Monitoring Project
HABs Watcher STREAM Dashboard
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are colonies of cyanobacteria
that can produce toxins dangerous to people and pets. To protect our community, the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance is launching a systematic monitoring program to provide rapid visual assessments and field verification
of river conditions.
Volunteers can check live weather and flow before heading out, use the reporting tool first, and record every site visit, including no-bloom observations.
The dashboard is built to support field decisions: visit assigned sites only when conditions are safe, photograph suspicious conditions from land, avoid all direct contact with suspicious water, scum, foam, or mats, and use the fallback email form only
if the live tool is unavailable.
The dashboard also organizes current live conditions, sector priorities, and the sectored Wallkill map so that community monitoring can stay focused, safe, and consistent throughout the summer.
|
