A Taste of Natural Healing

Monday, June 22, 10:00 am to 10:30 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Alexandra G. Taggart, certified instructor of Dragon's Way Qigong, leads a FREE weekly thirty-minute class. The Four Energy Gates is a practice to awaken the body's energy flow. Think almost like an acupuncture treatment, but you are the practitioner! Each week we will share tidbits of the concepts behind traditional Chinese medicine and enjoy the benefits of group practice.

Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Shift

Monday, June 22, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
RISE Native Plant Nursery, 190 Beach 44th Street

RISE Native Plant Nursery is a new community-owned and -operated place to locally grow plants for the dunes of the Rockaway peninsula.

Help us cultivate trees, shrubs, and grasses that support a more resilient shoreline while connecting with the community and the natural environment.

Shifts are available on Mondays, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please check the forecast prior to your volunteer shift, dress for the weather, and bring a water bottle. Restrooms will be available on-site.

Dune Restoration Monday Volunteer

Monday, June 22, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Beach 44th Street & the Boardwalk

Restore the dunes. Protect the shoreline. 

Join RISE as we rehabilitate the dunes along the north side of the boardwalk as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan. Help with invasive plant removal, beach cleanup, plantings, watering, and other tasks.

Shifts are available on Mondays, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please check the forecast prior to your volunteer shift, dress for the weather, and bring a water bottle. Restrooms will be available on-site.

Zumba!

Monday, June 22, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Come on over to RISE for a FREE Zumba class, led by LaDeidre Smith from Rockaway YMCA. Enjoy an aerobic fitness workout method that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance!

Special thanks to Far Rockaway Arverne Nonprofit Coalition (F.R.A.N.C.).

Rockaway Bayside Community Design Charette

Wednesday, June 24, 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Dune Restoration Friday Volunteer

Friday, June 26, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Beach 44th Street & the Boardwalk

Restore the dunes. Protect the shoreline. 

Join RISE as we rehabilitate the dunes along the north side of the boardwalk as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan. Help with invasive plant removal, beach cleanup, plantings, watering, and other tasks.

Shifts are available on Fridays, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please check the forecast prior to your volunteer shift, dress for the weather, and bring a water bottle. Restrooms will be available on-site.

Rockaway Bayside Plan Presentation

Tuesday, August 11, 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Join us for the final presentation of the plan for Rockaway Bayside Public Space. This is an opportunity for the community to come together to see the final plans developed with stakeholder input and to give feedback before the plan is released to the general public and government agencies.

Food and refreshments will be served. Registration is encouraged.

Jamaica Bay Cleanup

Saturday, September 19, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary, De Costa Avenue & Beach 65th Street

Join RISE, NYC H2O, and New York Sea Grant for a cleanup along Jamaica Bay. Local residents and children of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event. As members of the Rockaway community, we need to do our best to keep the bay clean for all visitors and wildlife!

Students can receive community service hours for their efforts. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged.

Special thanks to National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalition.

Anniversary | Art | Auction

Saturday, September 26, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Join RISE in celebrating twenty years of service to the Rockaway community! The festivities include an exhibit featuring community initiatives and graphic communications that have spanned the past two decades, live music by Keith Jordan, light fare, a reception, and an auction that features works from artists who have partnered with RISE.

Wine Tasting Fundraiser

Saturday, October 3, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
RISE Educational Garden, 190 Beach 44th Street

Save the date! The New York Times Chief Wine Critic Eric Asimov will lead a wine-tasting fundraiser for RISE. All proceeds will support the one-acre, community-owned and operated RISE Native Plant Nursery, Seed Bank, and Educational Garden. More information will be forthcoming. Thank you.

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Sunday, October 4, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

"Wildman" Steve Brill will lead a FREE session on plant identification, the natural habitat of the Rockaways, and all the best wild foods of the seashore. The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is required.

Sandy Anniversary Planting

Saturday, October 17, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 62nd Street & Rockaway Beach Boulevard

For the fourteenth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, RISE is inviting you to help create a natural protective buffer for the Rockaway community. As we learned from the superstorm, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores shielded homes and businesses. However, many of these dunes were compromised and need to be rebuilt, restored, and replenished.

Families and people of all ages are welcome to participate in this dune restoration project. Students can receive community service hours. The event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged.