Our monthly Blue Team events, hosted from May through October, give volunteers an opportunity to participate in both oyster monitoring and shoreline cleanup projects at Gansevoort Peninsula.
These efforts support our 400-acre Estuarine Sanctuary while bringing together a growing community of environmental stewards. In the Blue Team events pictured, volunteers gathered for oyster monitoring projects with Hudson River Park’s River Project. Together, they cleaned, measured and recorded data on local oysters, supporting restoration efforts and learning firsthand how these keystone species strengthen the Hudson River ecosystem.
The Park hosted its first annual Pollination Celebration, a day dedicated to butterflies, bees and the pollinators that help our city bloom. As a designated Monarch Waystation and an important migration corridor, the Park’s Habitat Garden spans three city blocks and serves as the perfect setting to learn about resident pollinators while enjoying nature walks and field trips, insect-inspired crafts and hands-on activities.
Post-Halloween pumpkins met their match at Pier 84 during the Park’s annual Pumpkin Smash. With bats, hammers and shovels in hand, participants smashed, squashed and smushed more than 2,000+ pounds of pumpkins into compost, turning seasonal leftovers into nourishment for next year’s gardens. An annual fall Park tradition, Pumpkin Smash educates the community about the Park’s Community Compost Program, which processed over 440,000 pounds of organic material in 2025.
Park Improvements
Community input continues to guide the development of Hudson River Park’s green spaces. At the start of 2025 and again in May, the Park hosted workshops focused on the future of the upland areas between Pier 81 and Pier 84, part of the larger West 29th to West 44th Street design initiative and one of the last remaining unfinished sections of the Park. Led by the landscape designers from Marvel architects, the sessions invited local residents to contribute their ideas through interactive tabletop activities and group discussions. Both workshops generated valuable concepts for a greener, more inviting future of this Hell’s Kitchen area.
In addition to planning for future improvements, the Park continues enhancing existing spaces. The popular Pier 25 playground was refreshed with a newly resurfaced splash pad and swings. The fields at Pier 25 and Pier 46 were upgraded with new turf, renovated stonework, new drinking fountains and benches, creating more welcoming spaces for recreation and relaxation. Further Park improvements included new waterside perimeter lighting for Pier 40 and replacement of the heavily-trafficked wooden decking on Pier 45.