Back in 1966, Pete Seeger decided to do something about the heavily polluted Hudson River. His idea was to build a boat – specifically a replica of an 18th century sloop – to attract more people to the shores of the Hudson, thereby increasing awareness of the river’s environmental issues.

The Clearwater has helped to reconnect Hudson River Valley residents with the river and is the centerpiece of the annual Great Hudson River Revival, that brings more people down to the river and increases awareness about this fragile ecosystem and the need to protect it.

This year’s Clearwater Festival – Great Hudson River Revival takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21 at Croton Point Park in Croton-on Hudson, NY. Contemporary blues star Susan Tedeschi, renowned Sixties era troubadour Arlo Guthrie and “newgrass” sensations Old Crow Medicine Show are among the headliners of the festival.

According to the festival web site,

The 2009 Clearwater Festival will be celebrating a number of auspicious occasions this year, including the 40th anniversary of the launch of the sloop Clearwater, the 90th birthday of the legendary folksinger, and Clearwater founder, Pete Seeger and the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river on the Half Moon.

The Festival makes possible innovative educational initiatives, which have helped more than 430,000 young people and over 250,000 adults experience the wonders of the Hudson River from aboard the sloop Clearwater. The organization itself has gained worldwide recognition for its leadership in helping to pass landmark environmental laws, both state and federal, including the Clean Water Act. Recently, Clearwater played a key role in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPAs) decision to compel one of the Hudson River’s biggest polluters to begin removing toxic PCBs from the water and restoring one of the most polluted portions of the river.

Go to the Clearwater’s web site to learn more about how you can get involved in awareness, education and conservation.

Go to the Great Hudson River Festival web site to get tickets and find out more about the annual festival.

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