Sherman Creek Park Restoration Project Gets $100K Investment

INWOOD, NY — A project to restore the Harlem River shoreline in Inwood's Sherman Creek Park was awarded $100,000 by local State Senator Marisol Alcántara, the senator's office told Patch.

Alcántara awarded funding to the New York Restoration Project to restore Sherman Creek Park's marshlands, which will improve the site’s climate resilience and provide community members more green space along the Harlem River waterfront.

The restoration project will also improve the area's current environmental education programs, Alcántara said.

"For too long, Northern Manhattan’s rich ecological and natural resources have not been accessible to its people," Alcántara said in a statement. "This pilot program will not only restore the natural beauty of Northern Manhattan, but also defend New Yorkers from the intensifying effects of climate change and provide STEM education to New York City children."

Sherman Creek Park is one of the few remaining natural shorelines in Manhattan, so its preservation gives community members the rare opportunity to study and enjoy a natural ecosystem in New York City. Nearby schools have taken advantage of the area's offerings by having children cultivate green and test pH levels within the park, PS 5 principal Chris Anest said in a statement.

The new funding will help the New York Restoration Project implement a new program using oysters. The New York Restoration Project will create an "oyster reef" which will create a barrier that will filter water near the shoreline and protect the shoreline from extreme weather, Obed Fulcar, executive director of Friends of Sherman Creek Conservancy, said in a statement.

"Spaces like Sherman Creek Park are home to recreational and social activities that support thriving neighborhoods but they are also critical tools in protecting communities during major weather events," Deborah Marton, executive director of the New York Restoration Project, said in a statement. "We thank Senator Alcántara for her incredible vision and look forward to collaborating on this very special site."

Photo courtesy State Senator Marisol Alcántara