Virtual Knitalong

Wednesday, March 10, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This is a space for community members to come together virtually to knit. All levels are welcome! Join us every Wednesday at 2:00pm by using this link: https://zoom.us/j/435817636

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Elementary School)

Friday, March 12, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity. Families must register in advance, to receive zoom dial in details. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Middle School)

Friday, March 12, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School children and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity. Families must register in advance, to receive zoom dial in details. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Elementary School)

Friday, March 19, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity. Families must register in advance, to receive zoom dial in details. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Middle School)

Friday, March 19, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE workshop is for Middle School children and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity.

Community Conversations on COVID-19 Vaccines

Tuesday, March 23, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

Community Conversations on COVID-19 Vaccines

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE) invite you to a virtual Community Conversation about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Join us in a discussion about what vaccines are, their side effects, who is currently eligible to be vaccinated and where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine. There will be time for questions and answers to help you make an informed decision about vaccination for you and your family.

We look forward to talking with you!
Interpretation iQSpanish will be available.

American Sign Language interpretation and translation services are available upon request for certain events. Please contact Jasmine Gutierrez at jotero2@health.nyc.gov or call (917) 936-8491 to get more information about this event. To make an accommodation request, please contact us no later than 72 hours before the event.

RISE will be hosting this event along with DOHMH and also the Far Rockaway Arverne Nonprofit Coalition (FRANC).

For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit nyc.gov/covidvaccine.

Greater Rockaway Community Design Workshop 1: Laying the Vision

Wednesday, March 24, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

Join us for an introduction to the Greater Rockaway Community and Shoreline Enhancement Planning process. Learn more about environmental resilience on the ocean side, opportunities for green workforce development, and how you can get involved! This community design workshop will be an interactive meeting hosted on Zoom.

The Greater Rockaway Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan builds on numerous initiatives by city, state, federal, and nonprofit partners to conduct a comprehensive site assessment and develop a preliminary design to enhance dunes along the Atlantic shoreline of the Rockaway Peninsula into an extensive, biodiverse, and habitat-rich dune system that provides economic opportunities for residents. Click here for more details

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Elementary School)

Friday, March 26, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity.

Virtual Living Classroom: Birding Basics (Middle School)

Friday, March 26, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School students and their families to discover the many different local bird species that live by the beach and bay in Rockaway as well as in urban cities like NYC. Together we will learn to identify birds by field marks and song! Just in time for the spring migration, students will be hooked on birding as a recreational outdoor activity.

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Elementary School)

Friday, April 9, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families is focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Middle School)

Friday, April 9, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School children and their families to focus on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Elementary School)

Friday, April 16, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families, focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Middle School)

Friday, April 16, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School children and their families focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Elementary School)

Friday, April 23, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families, focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Middle School)

Friday, April 23, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School children and their families, focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Elementary School)

Friday, April 30, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Elementary schoolchildren and their families, focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Virtual Living Classroom: Marine Debris (Middle School)

Friday, April 30, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

This FREE virtual workshop is for Middle School children and their families, focused on the issue of marine debris, specifically plastics. Participants can make a recycled art project, an advocacy campaign, or come up with their own medium to raise awareness of minimizing single-plastic use. 

Mother's Day Foraging Tour with Wildman Steve Brill

Sunday, May 9, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Join us on Zoom

For Mother's Day, RISE will be hosting a foraging tour with America's go-to guy for foraging, "Wildman" Steve Brill.

The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree- and grass growth, but benefiting other species that can take advantage of the unblocked sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens will be doing great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. Field garlic is a very tasty relative of onions and garlic. 

This event is free but advance registration is required as tour will be limited to 10 people. This event is rain or shine. Masks are required and safe social distancing must be maintained. 

International Coastal Cleanup

Saturday, September 18, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Meet at Beach 59th St and Rockaway Freeway

Join RISE for the annual International Coastal Cleanup in partnership with the American Littoral Society. People of all ages are encouraged to participate. All trash collected at this event will be entered into the national database, which goes to help establish legislation to reduce trash along our shores.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be handing out prepacked tote bags with gloves, bags, and instructions. Participants are encouraged to head to the beach or surrounding area to do a self guided cleanup.

Students can receive community service hours for their efforts, but they must email programs@riserockaway.org. Staff will not sign physical forms during the event.

Masks are required and safe social distancing must be maintained. Registration is not required. This event is hosted rain or shine! 

Special thanks to NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation, and Patagonia for sponsoring this event. 

Fall Dune Planting

Saturday, October 2, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 44th St and Edgemere Avenue

Come join the RISE for a community volunteer day culminating in a celebration of the land and water. For this dune restoration we will be planting shrubs and native grasses to create a natural protective buffer of dunes along the east end of the Rockaways.

Adults and kids alike are welcome to participate in this event. Dress accordingly.

Registration is not required but students looking to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to NYS DEC, and Patagonia for sponsoring this event.

Fall Foraging Tour w. Wildman Steve Brill

Saturday, October 16, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Meet at Beach 59th St and Rockaway Freeway

This fall, RISE will be hosting a tour with America's go-to foraging team, "Wildman" Steve Brill and his daughter Violet. The vastly under appreciated natural habitat of the Rockaways offers all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree- and grass growth, but benefiting other species that can take advantage of the unblocked sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens will be doing great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. Field garlic is a very tasty relative of onions and garlic. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will limit the group to 10 people. Masks are required and safe social distancing must be maintained. 

This event is free but advance registration is required. This event is rain or shine.