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Beloved musician, activist, and environmentalist Pete Seeger was an early friend of South Street Seaport Museum and of the National Maritime Historical Society. Peter Stanford wrote in Sea History:
[H]e had launched his project to build the Clearwater, a
traditional Hudson river sloop, a big, broad-beamed wooden
vessel whose mission would be to educate young and old New
Yorkers in the magnificent natural heritage of the Hudson River,
and specifically to clean up its banks and waterways, befouled by
generations of abuse as a sewer and general dumping ground.
The underlying message of the Clearwater program was clear: it isn’t enough to get people down to the water, and to share the experience of a sailing ship. You also have to drive home the message of stewardship, our responsibility to the health of our waters.
Today, our maritime museums integrate environmental concerns in their exhibits, and most shipboard educational programming has an educational component. The maritime heritage community of today understands that it isn’t enough to appreciate our oceans and waterways and their complex ecosystems; we also need to step up to the responsibilities of stewardship.
Careful readers of the NMHS website and our new Cause in Motion email series might have noticed the announcement of a new award: the NMHS Marine Conservation Award, which will be presented for the first time at the National Maritime Awards Dinner in April, honoring the Oyster Recovery Partnership.
Recognizing the contributions in the field of environmental conservation isn’t new to our awards programs; NMHS Distinguished Service Awards have been given to David Rockefeller Jr. and Sailors for the Sea, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Conservation International, and the National Geographic Society for their environmental work.
By dedicating a named award to maritime conservation efforts, we hope to spotlight and amplify the important work of the most outstanding individuals and organizations working to restore the health of our oceans and waterways.
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