TF Cornerstone is providing funding for programming at the new Queens Landing Boathouse and Environment Center at Gotham Point in Long Island City. Photo courtesy of HPPC
Dec. 15, 2023 By Bill Parry
TF Cornerstone, the real estate development company, has provided the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy with a grant to help fund educational and environmental classes and programming at a boathouse that recently opened in Long Island City.
The boathouse, called the Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center, opened in October at the Hunters Point South development at Gotham Point, where Newtown Creek meets the East River. The grant will provide the conservancy with funding for educational supplies and materials that will allow programming at the boathouse for years to come, including environmental education, school-group programs, as well as free public paddle sessions and boating trips led by volunteer trip leaders.
Photo courtesy of HPPC
“We are honored to extend our support of the neighborhood through this grant to the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, empowering access to vital environmental education for our community,” TF Cornerstone Senior Vice President Zoe Elghanayan said. “By investing in the Queens Landing Boathouse, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering a bond between TF Cornerstone and the Hunters Point South community. At the core of our mission lies the belief that nurturing our community is not just a responsibility but a privilege, ensuring a sustainable and knowledgeable future for generations to come.”
The boathouse, located at 1-15 57th Ave., will offer an array of classes, programs and activities. Group kayak tours led by certified group leaders will be available seasonally. Classes are available to youth and school groups centered around environmental education and local ecology led by both Hunters Point Parks Conservancy and the Newtown Creek Alliance, a Brooklyn-based group dedicated to the environmental integrity of the creek.
Photo courtesy of HPPC
HPPC is bringing existing nature walks and arts-based environmental programs to the space, where visitors can learn about migrating birds, local wildlife, and the ecology of Newtown Creek.
Meanwhile, the Newtown Creek Alliance will offer field trips and after-school programs focused on water quality, ecology, and green infrastructure, as well as public facing education about the historic abuses and pathways toward a cleaner and more vibrant Newtown Creek.
Photo courtesy of HPPC
“We are grateful to TF Cornerstone for their generous grant, enabling us to offer essential educational classes and programming to our community,” Hunters Point Parks Conservancy President Rob Basch said. “This support not only opens doors but also creates pathways to environmental empowerment. We look forward to continuing to welcome community members to our Boathouse with this grant from TF Cornerstone.”
Photo courtesy of HPPC
Both Hunters Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park were designed to put residents of the community directly in touch with the waterfront environment in a way that increases resiliency and promotes sustainability. The Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center allows the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy to expand its recreational and environmental education related programming allowing more members of the community to connect meaningfully with the natural world.
For more information on the Queens Landing Boathouse and Environmental Center, including a schedule of upcoming events, visit hunterspointparks.org.
