Together, We Can Make a Difference

Tuesday, April 1, to Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Stop & Shop, 112-15 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694

Tuesday, April 1, 2025, is launch day for Stop & Shop Community Bag Program. For the entire month of April, when you purchase a $2.50 reusable community bag at Stop & Shop, located at 112-15 Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway Park, NY 11694, $1.00 is donated to RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity).

The community bags are located on displays around the store and at the checkout. For more information about the program, please visit https://stopandshop.2givelocal.com/program/community-bag/.

Thanks for your support!

Back-to-Basics Seated Exercise Class

Tuesday, April 22, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

You are invited to join Anna Wiley in a back-to-basics seated exercise class. All are welcome to participate in a low-impact workout that will include body conditioning and stretching, with an emphasis on correct posture and alignment.

19th Annual Earth Day Rockaway

Saturday, May 3, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Enjoy a day of fun in the Rockaways with FREE environmental activities and programs for families and children of all ages.

This year's event will include live music, cooking demos, plantings, face painting, water testing, fire safety, free giveaways, and art-related booths to learn how to appreciate and conserve the earth's resources.

All activities are intended to raise awareness of the natural resources along the Rockaway shoreline.

Local organizations interested in sponsoring or tabling at this event are encouraged to contact Juvie Anne Alfeche, RISE Public Programs Coordinator, at jalfeche@riserockaway.org.

Thanks to our sponsors PSEG Long Island, Bluepoint Wind, and Arverne By the Sea.

Community Dune Planting

Saturday, May 10, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 62nd Street & the Boardwalk

Join RISE for its community planting of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan. To strengthen our natural protective buffer of dunes, we are planting native grasses and shrubs along the east end of the Rockaways.

Adults and children are welcome to participate. Please dress accordingly.

Students who would like to do community service hours are welcome to bring paperwork from their schools.

Registration is encouraged!

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Mother's Day Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Sunday, May 11, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Join us for RISE's special Mother's Day foraging tour with America's go-to guy for foraging, "Wildman" Steve Brill.

We will be exploring Arverne East Nature Preserve, which has an abundance of wild plants and wildlife. The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens grow great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. Field garlic is a very tasty relative of onions and garlic.

This event is FREE, but registration is required.

MasterFitness Complete™

Monday, May 12, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Ann Fosteris teaches a FREE weekly exercise class. She embraces making a positive impact and living a wholesome lifestyle, which includes staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. There is no need to register. Just show up and join neighbors of all ages and fitness levels. You will feel good and look great in no time.

Support provided by FRANC and Fund for the City of New York.

Core on the Floor

Monday, May 12, 11:45 am to 12:15 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Barbara Hillary Day

Thursday, June 12, 10:30 am to 11:30 am
190 Beach 44th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Join us for a celebratory gathering at the Barbara Hillary sculpture rock in RISE Educational Garden and "Honor Walk Way," to honor and remember Hillary's contributions to the Rockaways.

"Who is Barbara Hillary?" you might ask. She was the first African American woman to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole. A resident of Arverne, she was a dedicated community activist and advocate for improving life in her neighborhood and others throughout the peninsula.

RISE petitioned local elected officials to dedicate June 12, her birthday, as “Barbara Hillary Day.”

All are welcome to attend the reception and festivities in her honor.

International Coastal Cleanup

Saturday, September 13, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary, 60-3 De Costa Avenue (Beach 65th Street)

Join RISE for the annual International Coastal Cleanup in partnership with American Littoral Society. People of every age are encouraged to participate. All trash collected will be entered into the national database, which goes to help establish legislation to reduce trash along our shores.

Students can receive community service hours for their efforts.

This event will take place rain or shine!

Special thanks to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Fall Dune Planting

Saturday, September 20, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 44th Street & Edgemere Avenue

Join RISE for hands-on dune restoration as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan during Climate Week NYC. The initiative focuses on long-term enhancement and maintenance of coastal dunes to mitigate climate impacts.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to help plant native plants and shrubs to build and restore a natural protective buffer along the east end of the Rockaways. Students can receive community service hours and are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged, in case of changes on the day. 

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. 

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Saturday, October 4, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

"Wildman" Steve Brill will lead a FREE session on plant identification, the natural habitat of the Rockaways, and all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event will happen rain or shine. Registration is required.

Sandy Anniversary Planting

Saturday, October 11, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Coastal Conservation Center, 190 Beach 44th Street

For the thirteenth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, RISE is bringing people of all ages together to care for our shoreline and create a natural protective barrier for the Rockaway community.

As we learned from the hurricane, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores serve as a buffer to the homes and businesses in the area. Many of these dunes are compromised by storms, shoreline erosion, and human disturbance, including marine debris and trash, so they need to be cared for to be effective.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to participate in this shoreline cleanup and beach grass dune planting. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is encouraged, in case of changes.

Special thanks to National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalition, City Parks Foundation NYC Green Fund, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.