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Mission Statement
Founded in 2010, URBANSWIM is more than a series of open water swim events; it is a catalyst for change in the relationship between urban populations and their waterways. At the heart of our organization lies the conviction that interaction with local waterways has the power to not only change individual experiences but also enhance the well-being of our planet. Through our diverse activities, including group swims, bespoke adventures, water quality advocacy, and support for community kayaking programs, we aim to make the joys and benefits of clean urban waters accessible to everyone.
What We Do
Our work spans the five boroughs of New York City and reaches beyond, as we collaborate with local authorities, community groups, and environmental organizations to ensure the safety and cleanliness of our waterways. Whether it’s through staging thrilling open water events that draw participants from around the globe or through grassroots initiatives like dock sharing programs and water testing, URBANSWIM is at the forefront of creating a sustainable and inclusive water culture in the urban environment.
By bringing people closer to the water, we not only raise awareness of water quality issues but also empower communities to advocate for the preservation and improvement of this precious resource. URBANSWIM is a community of adventurers, environmentalists, and city dwellers who believe that clean, accessible waterways are essential to the quality of urban life and the health of our ecosystems. Join us as we dive into the future, making waves towards cleaner, safer, and more vibrant urban waters for all.
Our Mission
The Urban Dockshare program facilitates lending a set of modular floating docks that can be configured and relocated for different water based activities.
Currently a set of 4 floating docks which were used for URBANSWIM open water swim events were reconfigured and are now on loan to 2 different boathouses on the East River in New York City for launching kayaks and other human powered watercraft. Moving forward, we hope to acquire more docks to extend this program to more community based organizations.
The Citizens Water Quality Testing Program helps boaters, swimmers, and fishers in New York Harbor make informed decisions about water use.
Samples are gathered from various sites in New York Harbor, mostly recreational areas, and tested on a weekly basis during the summer season. URBANSWIM was involved in the inaugural testing phase of this program, and continues to applaud their efforts.
URBANSWIM is actively involved in several not for profit human powered boathouses in the New York City area.
We have volunteered for several community based free kayaking events run by the Long Island City Boathouse, and sponsored free kayaking programming offered at Stuyvesant Cove, NYC.
URBANSWIM has a history of actively supporting safety efforts for open water swimming in the NYC area.
Our volunteers have provided kayak support of the open water swim segments of the NYC Triathlon, the inaugural NYC Ironman, and open water swim events in Coney Island.
URBANSWIM works with several individuals and organizations that share our vision of supporting access to clean water.
Martin Strel, for example, is world renowned for his swims down the lengths of polluted rivers (the Mississpi, the Yangtzee and the Danube, among others) in order to raise awareness of water quality. Other organizations we work with include Riverkeeper, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the NYC Watertrail Association, and the Lower East Side Ecology Center, to name a few.
As local governments develop plans to address clean up of urban waterways, it is important that the needs of recreational users are voiced.
URBANSWIM representatives have testified on behalf of open water swimmers regarding waterfront legislation in New York City. We were also actively involved in information gathering and planning meetings regarding the East River Blueway plan for recreational development of the East River waterfront of Manhattan.
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