Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is a member-supported, non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the Hudson River by inspiring lifelong stewardship of the river and its tributaries with innovative advocacy through education programs. The organization owns and operates a historic 106′ Hudson River Sloop replica, recognized as America’s Environmental Flagship. Continuing historic sloops’ tradition as a vital link between communities, Clearwater carries a message of preservation and protection of our region’s waterways to her passengers and those who see her iconic sails from the shore. More than 50 years later, Clearwater is recognized for its award-winning environmental education programs, through which students investigate the ecology, history, and environmental challenges of the Hudson Valley–fostering generations of environmental stewards in local communities. To date, more than half a million people have experienced their first real look at an estuary’s ecosystem aboard the sloop.
Sixty years ago, the Hudson River was near death from decades of industrial polluters. In 1966, folk musician and activist Pete Seeger was in despair over the pollution of his beloved Hudson River. After reading the seminal texts, A Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962) and Sloops of the Hudson by William Verplanck and Moses Collyer (1908), he announced plans to “build a boat to save the river” along with his wife, Toshi, and a dedicated group of fellow musicians and activists. They believed that a replica of the historic sloops that once sailed the Hudson would allow people to experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it.
Through decades of local organizing, Clearwater equipped Hudson River Valley communities with the most important resource to become active stewards of their environment — knowledge. In 2004, the sloop Clearwater was named to the National Register of Historic Places for its groundbreaking role in the environmental movement.
Since its launch in 1969, Clearwater has become a grassroots model for producing positive change – from advocacy education for grassroots groups to award-winning, place-based environmental programs for local youth, Clearwater empowers Hudson Valley communities to ensure that polluters are held accountable, industrial development curtailed, and laws enshrined to protect our river codified by local, state, and federal officials.
