MasterFitness™

Monday, January 6, 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, January 6, 11:45 am to 12:15 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Winter Bird Walk 2.0 with NYC Plover Project

Sunday, March 9, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard

Join RISE for a winter birding tour of Edgemere! Come see sea ducks, grebes, common and red-throated loons, Northern gannets, and other winter birds on the shoreline. Whether you are an expert or a beginner, all levels of birder are welcome.

This event is FREE! Please dress with plenty of warm layers and bring a water bottle. Binoculars will be provided, though you are welcome to bring your own.

Registration is required. In case of inclement weather, a rain date is scheduled for Sunday, March 16th.

Beach Cleanup

Saturday, April 5, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 62nd Street & the Boardwalk

Join RISE for its first community beach cleanup of 2025! Spring is that time of year when people are getting ready to come down to the beach. This event will be a community volunteer day in celebration of the land and the water that make up the Rockaways. We will be clearing the shoreline of litter in order to prevent ocean pollution. As active members of our community, we need to do our best to keep our shores clean for all beachgoers.

Adults and children alike are welcome to participate. Dress accordingly. Registration is not required, and students who are looking to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalition. 

Community Dune Planting

Saturday, April 12, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Beach 69th Street & Beach Front Road

Join RISE for a community volunteer day, culminating in a celebration of the land and the water.

We will be cleaning the shoreline and planting native plants and shrubs as part of "Greater Rockaway" Coastal Resilience Plan, to create a natural protective buffer of dunes along the east end of the Rockaways.

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

Students who are looking to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Special thanks to National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

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.

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.

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.

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.