Fish Cleaning Demo on Martin Luther King Day

Fish Cleaning Demo
at the Buffalo Museum of Science

Join Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper on Martin Luther King Day, January 19th, at the Buffalo Museum of Science for a fish cleaning and cooking demonstration! Admission is free and there will be lots of other community oriented activities. Other organizations involved in this event are The Wellness Institute, Environmental Education Associates, BlueCross and BlueSheild of WNY, UB Dental School, and many more. For more information, click here.

The first of two fish cleaning and cooking demonstrations is scheduled from 11am to 12pm and the second will take place from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Each demonstration will begin with a short presentation followed by a 20 minute fish cleaning demonstration, 30 minute fish cooking demonstration, as well as time for taste testing and questions.

By the end of the session participants will have learned the proper way to clean and cook a fish caught in the Buffalo and Niagara Rivers. This is especially important because of the potentially dangerous heavy metals and pollutants that have been found in Buffalo and Niagara River fish species. To read about fish advisories issued by the New York State Department of Health, click here.

If you have any other questions about this event please contact AmeriCorps members, Sheila Saia (ssaia@bnriverkeeper.org) or Krissy Ingleman (kingleman@bnriverkeeper.org).

Fish Pictures were taken from NYSDEC Website at:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/269.html

Now Reqruiting for the 1st Annual Great Niagara Boat Dance!

Calling All Canoes, Kayaks, and Non-Motorized Small Craft!

Happy New Year! Canadian and U.S. municipalities along the Niagara River have declared 2009 as The Year of Our Shared Waters because, in this region, our water is so important to us. We depend on it for our food, transportation, energy, and enjoyment.

Why is 2009 so special?
The year 2009 is special because the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 established the International Joint Commission--a binational body that manages the quality and quantity of water in the Great Lakes and the Niagara River. One hundred years later, we still need to take better care of our waters and find creative new ways to connect people with the water. Because when citizens connect to the water, they are more likely to protecting our valuable natural resource in the future.

What is a boat dance?
In hopes of inspiring citizens to be involved in the protection of their water, the First Annual Boat Dance will be held on June 12, 2009 to celebrate The Year of Our Shared Waters and the 100th Anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty. We are looking for people who enjoy canoeing, kayaking, and sailing and who want to be involved in this synchronized boat dance. All skill levels are welcome to join! Choreographer, Gerald Trentham will combine the movements of our small vessels with music and song. The final performance will take place at dusk and lights on the vessels will allow the boat dance to be seen from the shore.

How can I join?
If you want to be involved in this event, please sign up on the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper website (www.bnriverkeeper.org) or call 716-852-7483. Our first meeting is on February 9th at the Riverkeeper offices on 1250 Niagara Street. There will be at least four on-land rehearsals in April and May, and an in-the-water rehearsal in early June to prepare for the two final performances. The first tentative performance will be held at the Canoe Club in Canada on June 9th, 2009 and the second performance is scheduled to take place at the confluence of the Buffalo River and City Ship Canal right in front of the Erie Canal Harbor on June 12th, 2009.

For more information feel free to contact Lynda Schneekloth (lhs1@buffalo.edu), Richard Butz (butzra@yahoo.com), or Robbyn Drake (rdrake@bnriverkeeper.org).

FLOW - For Love Of Water

Sierra Club's Niagara Chapter is sponsoring a free public viewing of Irena Salina's documentary FLOW - For Love Of Water.

January 22, 2009 @ 7pm
Amherst Unitarian Church
6320 Main St. (between Youngs & Transit)
Williamsville, NY

Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?"

Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

CLICK HERE to view a trailer of the movie!

Following the screening Lynda Schneekloth, UB Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning will lead a discussion and review the US-Canadian Agreement sharing control of the Great Lakes.