Save the Swales

The roads and sky scrapers we've plastered on top of pristine land and waterways have rendered Manhattan an impermeable surface. With little land to naturally filter rain water and New York's antiquated combined sewer system, sewage dumps into NY rivers during heavy rain events, about 63 times each year.

Over three days, with 10,000 lbs of gravel, 500 lbs of compost, over 200 plants and shrubs, and 40+ volunteers Loomstate, Lower East Side Ecology Center and Open Source Landscape completed New York's first citizen-led bio swale!!

We knew this swale would help filter urban runoff and keep sewage from flowing into NY rivers, but we did not expect the even more powerful impact... Read on >

BIG thanks to Citizens Committee and Double R Foundation for making this project possible! Also thanks to OurdoorFest and Google for sharing some amazing volunteers with us.