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Hackensack Riverkeeper

@hackensackriverkeeper

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Hackensack Riverkeeper is a clean water advocacy organization working to protect, preserve, and restore the Hackensack River Watershed.

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The Hackensack River begins in New City, New York, about 10 miles north of the NY/NJ border. It flows south through Bergen County, reaches Hudson County near Secaucus and North Bergen, and continues past Jersey City and Kearny before emptying into Newark Bay between Newark and Bayonne.

More than just a waterway, the Hackensack River is a vibrant ecosystem home to a rich diversity of wildlife. It serves as a sanctuary for migrating and resident species and is a vital part of our natural heritage. Moreover, it is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for fishing, kayaking, boating, and other recreational activities.

📸 - Tyler Tierney by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a year ago

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing its investigation of contamination in the Lower Hackensack River Superfund site. Contractors are currently conducting surveys of the riverbed and shoreline to better understand existing conditions. Through the end of October, community members may see small survey boats and aircraft along the 22-mile stretch between Hudson County and the Oradell Dam.

Beginning in early October, EPA and its contractors will also assess habitat, shoreline conditions, outfalls, and other structures between River Miles 2 and 5.5 near Kearny, Jersey City, and Secaucus. The information collected will help EPA determine the extent of contamination, identify areas for future sampling, and develop early cleanup plans for the site. by @hackensackriverkeeper

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4 days ago

We hope everyone is staying safe and dry as this nor’easter moves through the region this weekend.

While many of us are spending a little more time indoors, it’s also a good opportunity to make one final push for our Over The Edge campaign.

Last weekend, longtime Hackensack Riverkeeper supporter John Sailer once again went Over The Edge in support of our work protecting the Hackensack River and its watershed.

The rappel may be over, but the fundraising campaign is still open through October 2, which means there’s still time to show your support.

Contributions to Hackensack Riverkeeper help support the work we do throughout the year, including river cleanups, environmental education, water-quality monitoring, advocacy, and getting people directly involved in caring for the watershed.

If you’ve been meaning to contribute, this is the final stretch. Help us finish the campaign strong and support John’s Over The Edge effort before the deadline.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated, shared the campaign, or supported John and Hackensack Riverkeeper along the way. And again, please stay safe during this weekend’s storm. by @hackensackriverkeeper

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8 days ago

🍂 We’re Heading Into the Final Stretch of Cleanup Season! 🍂

Hackensack Riverkeeper’s 2026 cleanup season is starting to wind down, but we still have a few opportunities left to get out, lend a hand, and make a difference before the season wraps up.

Join us for our upcoming Lincoln Park West Community Cleanup in Jersey City!

📅 Saturday, October 17
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Joseph J. Jaroschak Field / Lincoln Park West
200 Lincoln Hwy, Jersey City, NJ 07306

We’ll be working together to remove litter and debris from the area and help keep this part of the watershed cleaner for the community and local wildlife.

Whether you’ve joined us at multiple cleanups this year or this would be your first one, we’d love to have you out with us as we finish the season strong.

#HackensackRiverkeeper #RiverCleanup #JerseyCity #LincolnParkWest #VolunteerNJ CommunityCleanup HackensackRiver CleanCommunities by @hackensackriverkeeper

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11 days ago

💫Come to the river on Saturday, October 10 to participate in River Songs, an immersive music experience illuminating the beauty and drama of the lower Hackensack River!

🗓⏰📍Saturday October 10, 2026 | 6:30-8 pm | Foschini Park in Hackensack

Singers, instrumentalists, installation, and lighting will weave a live performance of River Songs at the Hackensack River. An immersive music experience illuminating the beauty and drama of the urban river. Singers, instrumentalists, paddlers and dancers weave a performance along the Foschini Park shoreline and aboard kayaks on the Hackensack River. The event aims to build connection between the public and the river, using music and joy to create meaningful bonds of community.

Artists: Larissa Belcic @larissabelcic and Paul Pinto @paulpinto Musicians of Con Vivo Music @convivomusic

🤝Undertaken in partnership with Hackensack Riverkeeper, Inc., Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance and the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation

Made possible by funds from the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Thank you, Dimension Energy, for providing support.🙏

Illumination 250 is a collaborative project of the HACPAC, Inc. - Hackensack Performing Arts Center, @hacpac_arts, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, Main Street Business Alliance @downtownhackensack), Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. @greaterbergen, and the City of Hackensack, NJ @cityofhackensack . Illumination 250 is supported by funding through the NJEDA's New Jersey Economic Development Authority (@newjerseyeda) Development Authority A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program.

#Illumination250 #NJEDA #HackensackRiver taken in Hackensack New Jersey 07601 by @hackensackriverkeeper

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13 days ago

THIS WEEKEND: JOHN IS GOING OVER THE EDGE!

This Saturday, John Sailer is taking a 21-story leap for the Hackensack River! 🌊

John has supported Hackensack Riverkeeper for nearly two decades, and this weekend he’s once again going OVER THE EDGE to help raise the funds that keep our work moving.

Events like this are a huge part of what gives us the ability to do what we do. Your support helps put cleanup supplies in volunteers’ hands, canoes on the water, environmental education in our communities, and our team out in the watershed protecting and advocating for the Hackensack River.

Every cleanup we organize, every volunteer we engage, and every new person we connect with the river takes resources and fundraisers like Over the Edge help make that work possible.

John is willing to rappel 21 stories for the river. You don’t have to go quite that far. 😅

Sponsor John, share this post, and help fuel another year of protecting the Hackensack River and its watershed!

#meadowlands #overtheedge #eastrutherford #nynj by @hackensackriverkeeper

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19 days ago

FINAL CALL FOR OUR REVERSE RIVER SWEEP! 🛶🌊 This Saturday, September 12, we’re launching from Kenneth B. George Park in River Edge for a special on-the-water cleanup of the Hackensack River! Rather than following our traditional River Sweep route, we’ll paddle north from KBG Park as far as river conditions allow before turning around and heading back downstream, tackling litter and debris along stretches that are difficult to reach from land. Only a few spots remain, so if you’re interested in getting out on the water with us, please email Isaiah directly at Outreach@HackensackRiverkeeper.org to reserve a spot. Experienced paddlers with their own canoe or kayak are also encouraged to reach out and join us. Help us fill those last boats and make one final push for a cleaner Hackensack River! You must be 18+ by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a month ago

Today, we recognize Labor Day, a holiday whose history is rooted in the American labor movement and the generations of working people who fought for safer workplaces, reasonable hours, fairer wages, and dignity on the job.

The first Labor Day celebration was held in New York City in 1882, when thousands of workers marched through the streets in a public demonstration of solidarity. Twelve years later, amid a period of intense labor conflict that included the Pullman Strike, Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894.

That history also has deep roots here in New Jersey. Peter J. McGuire, a major labor organizer and one of the people traditionally credited with proposing Labor Day, made his home in Camden. Matthew Maguire, another labor leader with a competing claim to originating the holiday, also became closely associated with New Jersey. And here in North Jersey, the mills and factories of places like Paterson and Passaic became the sites of major struggles by textile and industrial workers seeking better conditions.

Our rivers are part of that history, too. North Jersey's waterways helped power the industries around which entire cities and working communities grew. Places such as the Great Falls of the Passaic River remind us that our environmental and human histories have always been intertwined.

Labor Day is therefore about much more than marking the unofficial end of summer. Many of the workplace standards we now take for granted were shaped by people who organized, marched, negotiated, and sometimes put their livelihoods, and lives, at risk to improve conditions for those who came after them.

And even today, not everyone gets Labor Day off. Healthcare workers, first responders, transit employees, hospitality and retail workers, utility crews, delivery drivers, and countless others will spend today at work while many of us enjoy the holiday.

So wherever you spend this Labor Day, take a moment to remember why the day exists, the people whose efforts helped create it, and the people who are still working today.

From all of us at Hackensack Riverkeeper, Happy Labor Day. by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a month ago

Join Hackensack Riverkeeper on Saturday, September 12 for our annual River Sweep! This year, we're doing things a little differently. After scouting our traditional route, we found several fallen trees and blockages that would make portions of the river difficult to navigate safely.

Instead, we're launching our Reverse River Sweep from Kenneth B. George Park in River Edge! Volunteers will paddle north along the Hackensack River, cleaning litter and debris from the river and shoreline as we go, before turning around and bringing our haul back to KBG.

🌊 This is an on-water cleanup, so come prepared for several hours of paddling and getting dirty! We have a limited number of Hackensack Riverkeeper canoes available, and anyone interested in reserving a spot must email Isaiah at Outreach@HackensackRiverkeeper.org to sign up. Space in our boats is first come, first served.

🛶 Have your own canoe or kayak? Bring it! Experienced paddlers with their own boats are encouraged to join us and help us reach even more of the river. Please email us beforehand so we know you're coming and can send you the final event logistics. by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a month ago

A few more moments from our big Lake Tappan Paddle Event earlier this month!

Missed out this year? Sign up for our email updates so you don’t miss next year’s event!

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/IvatA4P

#Paddling #paddlingadventures #hackensackriver #Kayaking #CommunityEvent by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a month ago

Join Hackensack Riverkeeper and the Bayonne Nature Club on Saturday, August 22 for the Rutkowski Park Community Cleanup! It's one of our most unique volunteer events of the year!

Whether you're coming from Hudson, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Union, Morris, or anywhere else in the region, we'd love to have you join us for a day of restoring one of New Jersey's most important urban wetlands.

🛶 Canoe Cleanup – Paddle through the marsh while removing litter from places that can't be reached on foot. Canoe spots are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

🌿 Land Cleanup – Help restore the shoreline and park while supporting our volunteers out on the water. Open to all ages and experience levels!

📅 Saturday, August 22
🕘 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Rutkowski Park
Hackensack RiverWalk off Route 440 South
Bayonne, NJ

We'll provide gloves, grabbers, bags, canoes, life jackets, and everything else you'll need. Just wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting a little muddy.

Every volunteer makes a difference. Together we'll remove litter before it reaches Newark Bay and the Atlantic Ocean while helping protect fish, birds, turtles, and other wildlife that call these wetlands home.

👉 Register today: https://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/rivercleanupprogram

Bring your family, invite a friend, and help us keep the Hackensack River watershed clean, because protecting our waterways is something we can all be proud of.

#HackensackRiverkeeper #BayonneNatureClub #RutkowskiPark #BayonneNJ #VolunteerNJ #Cleanup #CommunityCleanup #ProtectOurWaters #NewarkBay #UrbanWetlands #NorthJersey #GetOutside #CleanWater #Volunteer by @hackensackriverkeeper

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a month ago

🐝 We had a wonderful time celebrating the 6th Annual National Honey Bee Day Celebration with our friends at the Englewood Environmental Commission, Englewood Green Team, and Englewood Public Library!

Hackensack Riverkeeper was proud to donate one of our rain barrels for the event raffle and to talk about how rain barrels help reduce stormwater runoff, conserve water, and keep pollution out of our local rivers and streams. Every drop we keep out of the storm drain helps protect the Hackensack River watershed.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our table, asked questions to Henry Washington and Isaiah Leach, and celebrated the importance of pollinators and healthy ecosystems with us. Congratulations to the lucky rain barrel winner!!! we hope it serves you (and the environment) to BEE well! 🌧️🌼🐝

#HackensackRiverkeeper #NationalHoneyBeeDay #Pollinators #RainBarrel #StormwaterManagement #WatershedProtection #EnvironmentalEducation #EnglewoodNJ #CleanWater #ProtectOurPollinators by @hackensackriverkeeper

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2 months ago