Schools
New Riverwalk Center Offers Options for Teaching the Hudson's Ecology, Arts
The renovated center offers a wide array of educational and fun programs available to school classes and public groups.
Once a graffiti-scarred derelict, the Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center in Sleepy Hollow is now set to provide environmental programs and direct access to the Hudson River for school classes and public groups.
The RiverWalk Center, located in Kingsland Point Park, is named after its primary benefactor, local philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis.
She gave $4 million in 2007 to jumpstart renovation of the former bathhouse for visitors to the popular Kingsland Point beach. The structure had deteriorated as swimming in the river became less popular and the beach washed away in a storm.
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Now the facility, which contains two fully-equipped classrooms, is home to a programming partnership of three regional environmental organizations, Beczak Environmental Center, Teatown Lake Reservation and Scenic Hudson.
The three groups held an open house last month for educators and the general public to show off the many possibilities for teaching and learning that the center can provide. The center allows school groups direct access to the Hudson plus classrooms for introductory or follow-up work.
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It was Mrs. Davis’ desire to help children, families and the community become connected to the river not only through science and ecology, but through the arts, said Phyllis Bock, Director of Education for Teatown.
“We have tailored our programs to dovetail with the N.Y. State science, technology and math standards," she said. "By offering these classes in a multidimensional setting, we feel that the students are better able to develop important critical thinking skills.”
The RiverWalk Center even sponsors a program called Catch of the Day that involves dragging a 30-foot seine net through the water to catch fish and other remarkable denizens of the Hudson. Participants keep a tally of their catch and add the information to an indoor display.
Evening events on various Hudson River topics are scheduled as well.
To book a classroom at the Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center, contact Victoria Garufi, Director of Education at Beczak Center, at (914) 377-1900 ext 12 or email vgarufi@beczak.org.
