Bronx River Alliance

Floatable trash is one of the biggest problems the Bronx River faces. This trash flows into Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, polluting our water and harming wildlife.

To reduce the impact of plastic pollution, we host Pitch In park cleanups and Paddle & Pickup canoeing river cleanups, where volunteers help remove trash from the Bronx River and its parks before it can enter the water.

With the support of our dedicated volunteers, we have hosted 34 land-based park cleanups and 5 Paddle & Pickups so far in 2025. Together, these efforts have removed 484 bags of trash and nearly 9,680 pounds of litter from the environment.

This important work continues throughout the year, and we invite you to help keep the Bronx River clean. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about upcoming events and visit bronxriver.org/events to get involved.

Take action for parks!

Submit 1-click testimony calling for budget restorations/investment, visit: bit.ly/testify4parks

The Mayor must permanently fund 115 staff whose contracts will expire in July. And NYC Council must add 276 critical positions to ensure thriving parks.

Along the Bronx River and across NYC, parks support community health, climate resilience, recreation, and quality of life.

Join the Bronx River Alliance as a volunteer this year! Summer is here, and our event calendar is full of ways to get involved. Whether you’re into gardening, river cleanups or planting, there’s an event for you. We also offer community service letter sign-offs. Make a difference on the Bronx River with us! ⁠
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Please visit our website calendar for more information and to sign up. Link in Bio.⁠

bronxriver.org/calendar
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𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞!⁣
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Join us on the Bronx River this season. We offer a variety of paddling experiences for all ages and skill levels:⁣
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𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬: A short, beginner-friendly canoeing experience that is great for families. First come, first served.⁣
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𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 & 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤-𝐔𝐩𝐬: A 2-hour volunteer event where we clean the river from canoes. Some paddling experience is recommended. *Registration Required*⁣
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𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬: A 2-hour guided canoe tour along the Bronx River. These low-cost events vary in price depending on the tour. Tickets will be available for purchase on our website two weeks before each event.⁣
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𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞: Book a private paddle for your team, school, business, or community group. Learn more at bronxriver.org/paddletrip.⁣
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Swipe through to find the paddle that's right for you. We hope to see you on the river this year!⁣
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Questions? Email [email protected]⁣
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We're still thinking about what a beautiful day it was for our 25th Anniversary Amazing Bronx River Flotilla and Golden Ball Celebration!

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors and in-kind partners. Your support made this event possible and fuels our restoration work and free community paddle season from June through October, giving more than 1,000 Bronx children and families the opportunity to experience the Bronx River from the water each year.

Because of you, the Bronx River remains a place for recreation, environmental stewardship, education, and connection. We are so grateful. 💚

Join us Thursday June 4th for our second Bronx River Ecology Team meeting of the year! The Ecology Team is made up of scientists, local partners, students, and community members who are interested in learning about and supporting the ecological health of the Bronx River. Agenda items for this meeting include some preliminary data from the river, upcoming volunteer opportunities for 2026, and more. Everyone is welcome to bring their questions, ideas, or simply their curiosity! We hope to see you there!

Before the parks. Before the paddlers. Before the fish came back.

There were people who just showed up.

Scroll through to see some of the faces and moments that built this river. 👉

They waded into a polluted river to pull out motorbikes and debris. They fixed the riverbanks in the cold. They planted trees where none had ever grown.They came back the next weekend, and the weekend after that.

Over 25 years, thousands of volunteers, staff members, and community stewards have given their time, their energy, and their love to this river. None of what you see along the Bronx River corridor today would exist without them.

We are so grateful for every single person who has ever shown up for this river, and tomorrow, we are looking forward to welcoming volunteers at Flotilla! 💚

This year marks 25 years since the Bronx River Alliance was established, and this Saturday we're bringing our Golden Ball Celebration to a very special place: Hunts Point Riverside Park.

In 2004, our community gathered on what was once an abandoned street-end in Hunts Point to break ground on the first waterfront park in this neighborhood in over 60 years. Today, it's an oasis for over 20,000 Bronx residents and workers. Tomorrow, Hunts Point Riverside Park will serve as the finish line for our Amazing Bronx River Flotilla.

Paddlers will travel 5 miles down the Bronx River, one mile longer than usual, in honor of our 25th anniversary, and end their journey at the very park this community helped build together. 💚⁠

There's no better finish line than that.

Join us at Hunts Point Riverside Park for our FREE Golden Ball Celebration from 12pm to 5pm, with food, music, dancing, and more.

You can also support a paddler and help us keep the Bronx River free and accessible to more than 1,000 Bronx children and families each year. Visit the link to donate: bit.ly/2026-flotila-donate

Our Education Program supports youth every step of the way. Youth are given the space to create research questions, apply field methods, and turn data into meaningful insights. EELS interns earn stipends and college credit for their work while exploring their passion for the environment, while leading towards their future academic and career pathways.

This season, the Bronx River Forest is being activated by school groups. We partnered with a local school to help restore the forest by planting native trees. Students learned why native species matter, how root systems stabilize soil, and the critical role floodplain forests play in protecting water quality and surrounding communities. We also hosted a watershed model workshop so that elementary school students understand how pollution enters our waterways and the related hazards. To learn more about our programming visit www.bronxriver.org