ABOUT US

Guardians of Flushing Bay (GoFB) serves as a critical steward of Flushing Waterways' (Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek) challenged, yet flourishing ecosystems. Since forming in 2015 as a coalition of dragon boaters advocating for the health of and access to Flushing Bay, GoFB has evolved into an environmental justice organization with a shared vision of a healthy and equitably accessible Flushing Waterways.

To achieve our goals, we build community power by:

1. sustaining and building grassroots coalitions of local organizations and residents
2. bonding residents with the plants and animals of their local ecosystem
3. repairing wetland habitats and restoring our shorelines 
4. fostering a network of environmental volunteers (you!)

In all our work, we strive to connect and engage local watershed communities with the greatest barriers to accessing a healthy environment.

SATURBAY: SUMMARY AND SCHEDULE

On September 23rd from 12-4pm (rain date Sept. 24), join GoFB for our second annual community-centric fundraiser, SaturBAY. The theme this year is 'The Water is Calling'—a call to action, a call to play and a call to celebrate. There will be music from DJ Rekha, food from local restaurants, boating tours with local dragon boat teams, kayak tours with Upstream Alliance, biking tutorials with Bike NY, a 5k Fun Run with Queens Distance Runners, art workshops and more! Entrance is FREE with registration. Donations are encouraged, but not required. 

All activities listed in the schedule below areare completely FREE with registration. Register on this GiveButter page by clicking the ‘Donate & Tickets’ button on the top right and following the prompts. Where noted, some activities require registration on a third party page. 

DAY OF SCHEDULE: 

All day, 12pm-4pm:  

• Music with DJ Rekha

• Food from local Queens restaurants

• Tabling from local organizations 

12pm to 1pm: Dragon boating with Wall Street Dragons NYC. 

• Register through GiveButter (click Donate & Tickets, follow the registration steps)

• Meet at Pier 1 of the World's Fair Marina at 11:45am

12:30pm to 1:30pm: Running in the 5k Run Fun with Queens Distance Runners.

• Register here

• Participants to gather at Pier 1 of the World's Fair Marina starting at 12pm

12:30pm to 2:30pm: Kayaking with Upstream Alliance

• Register through GiveButter (click Donate & Tickets, follow the registration steps)

• Participants gather at the FMCP kayak/canoe launch

12:30pm to 2:30pm: Kids Bike Skills 101 

• Register here

• Participants gather at the FMCP Kayak/Canoe launch

1pm-3pm Face painting

2pm-3pm: GoFB Tour with Rebecca Pryor 

• Register through GiveButter (click Donate & Tickets, follow the registration steps)

• Meet at the FMCP Kayak/Canoe launch at 1:45pm

3pm Raffle announcement. 

WHY GIVE TO GOFB

GoFB has always been sustained by our local communities and park users. Whether that be water quality sampling, organizing for land use equity, installing oyster cages, cleaning up the shoreline or fundraising—we could not take care of our local waters without you. This year, GoFB needs your support now more than ever. From Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposal to take over 50 acres of parkland to build a casino, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposal for a Flushing Creek storm gate, to a federally funded resilience study for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, proposed projects and policies across the waterfront have the potential to forever alter Flushing Waterways. In the midst of this potential change, GoFB sustains grassroots coalitions, manages community science initiatives and organizes public education campaigns so that the proposed investments result in the ecologically just future that our communities and ecologies deserve.

The water is calling—join us as we answer the call together!

HOW TO GET THERE

Use this map for help getting to the FMCP public boat launch via walking or biking from Mets-Willets Point and Flushing Main Street, or see below for directions.

Coming from the Mets-Willets Point 7 Train station:

• Exit the train on the Citi Field side.
• Enter the Citi Field gate and walk along the sidewalk next to Citi Field, keeping the stadium to your immediate right.
• Exit Citi Field onto Boat Basin Pl.
• Cross Shea Rd and walk under the highway overpass.
• Carefully cross Marina Rd (there are no pedestrian lights) to get to the Promenade. At this point, you should see the Candela Structures nearby/ahead.
• Turn right onto the Promenade and walk until you reach the public kayak/canoe launch.

Coming from the Flushing Main Street 7 Train station:

• Head North on Main Street toward Northern Blvd.
• Cross Northern Blvd and turn left onto it—you want to walk on the North side of the Blvd.
• Follow the Northern Blvd sidewalk until it reaches the bridge. Find the path to the Pedestrian bridge located on the far right side of the Northern Blvd bridge (entrance is across the street from Chun Fook Funeral Services). The Pedestrian bridge is named "Flushing Bay Promenade" on Google Maps.
• Walk along the Pedestrian bridge and follow it to the pedestrian crosswalk located at the end.
• Cross the crosswalk and turn left onto the Promenade.
• Follow the promenade past the DOT site and keep walking until you reach the public kayak/canoe launch.