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Gowanus Canal is a green, clean waterway

Gowanus Canal is a green, clean waterway

Downtown

Cheers to the best vollies in town. National Grid employees, along with members of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D–Bushwick) and Councilman Brad Lander (D–Gowanus), rolled up their sleeves and got down and dirty on the trash in celebration of Earth Day.

Hans Hesselein, executive director at Gowanus and Rudy Wynter, president at National Grid, also chipped in and spurred on the volunteers. The group cleaned up the area and turned an eye-sore into a site for sore eyes by sifting compost and soil on lots at Second Avenue between Fifth Street and the Gowanus Canal. They also planted 18 street trees and a plethora of perennials at Third Avenue and Third Street in a day of sprucing that collected more than 55 pounds of organic waste and 22 pounds of trash. Now that’s trash talkin’ for sure.

The Gowanus Canal Conservancy jumped into the Clean and Green Activity hosted by National Grid, who sponsored a bunch of fun activities to honor our planet. The conservancy serves as the environmental steward for the Gowanus and offers programs to educate the community about the history and restoration efforts, as well as offering middle-school children hands-on workshops and service-learning projects.

And we all know that National Grid keeps our houses warm and toasty in the winter and well-lit at night. Now we know that it helps to keep our city clean and green!

National Grid [1 MetroTech Center, 15 West at Jay Street in Downtown, (718) 403–2155].

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