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More than 100 members of the Sarah Lawrence community gathered at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) on a sunny Friday afternoon to learn about the Center and explore downtown Yonkers. Attendees included a mix of faculty, staff, students, board trustees, and representatives from SLC’s community partner organizations, many of whom used the College’s new twice-a-day campus-to-CURB shuttle, facilitated by the Office of Campus Safety.
CURB Director Ryan Palmer presented an overview of CURB’s mission and shared information on Rising TIDES (Training Innovative and Diverse Environmental Scientists), a new initiative focusing on research, education, and community programs, CURB’s core programming areas. Rising TIDES offers paid high school internships that allows students to work alongside Sarah Lawrence students and faculty on water quality and ecological research projects.
"I was really amazed by just how much the center does for the community in terms of programs and research. As a fellow researcher it was so exciting to see how the center is involving high school students,” said Skye Wurmbrand MS ‘23.“If I had known about the center when I first entered Sarah Lawrence, I would have absolutely volunteered and now I cannot wait to volunteer as an alum in the coming years!"
Following the presentation, the audience was encouraged to “choose their own adventure” from a variety of activities at CURB and a scavenger hunt, led by SLC’s Community Partnerships and Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning, exploring downtown Yonkers.
At CURB, staff offered a water quality lab demo, a live eel display, microscopes to examine plankton, a fish identification exercise, and a special turtle naming contest.
For the scavenger hunt, the group was given a map of downtown Yonkers and 10 clues leading them to local points of interest and partner organizations, such as the Groundwork Hudson Valley Science Barge, Yonkers Public Library, Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club, and Philipse Manor Hall. Along the way they snapped photos to post to Instagram using #SLCinYonkers for a chance to win gift cards to downtown small businesses.
“I had been to CURB a couple of times before the open house and scavenger hunt, but I did not realize how much CURB and downtown Yonkers had to offer the SLC community,” said Kayla Tenhouse MFA ‘23. “I love that there are so many programs that people can get involved in with a core of education and environmental activism. Plus downtown Yonkers is absolutely gorgeous, the perfect place to read or write or enjoy a nice snack. I cannot wait to go back!”
CURB’s next event, "Your Nature, Our Environment: Shared Stories'' will be held on Earth Day, April 22nd.This storytelling and community-building event is for those who want to share their experiences and stories with nature, or just come listen! Actress Marilyn Torres, whose on-screen credits includeMaid in Manhattan, The King of Staten Island, and Daredevil will emcee the event. Curtis Zunigha, co-director of The Lenape Center in New York City and enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma, will be featured as our keynote speaker.
Members of the public can register here.
Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community may register here.