South Street Seaport Museum Offers Packed Slate of Events in April
The South Street Seaport Museum kicks off a month of events for kids, families, and adults tomorrow. Through the end of April, the museum will offer free family activities included with “pay what you wish” general admission that are focused on New York City’s marine ecology. Programs include the effects of ocean acidification on the shells and exoskeletons of marine life, how the Croton Aqueduct revolutionized New Yorkers’ access to fresh water, the role of humble oyster shells in expanding Manhattan’s cityscape, the impact of storms on New York’s coastlines, and the contributions of the federal Clean Water Act in preserving New York Harbor.
On Sunday afternoon, April 7, the museum’s popular monthly sea chantey gathering takes place in the museum’s galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Attendees may sing along, or just sit back and enjoy the performances.
On Wednesday morning, April 10, the trans-Atlantic passage of Grain de Sail 2, a modern cargo sailboat skippered by adventurers out to demonstrate the viability of sustainable seafaring, will be completed when the vessel, bearing wine from France, docks on the north side of Pier 17. Grain de Sail 2 will remain at Pier 17 only until Saturday morning, but will return with more French wine in June.
At 6:30pm on April 10, the Museum will host linguist Ross Perlin, whose new book, “Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York,” paints a contemporary portrait of this most linguistically diverse city through six New Yorkers who speak little-known and overlooked languages. Dr. Perlin, who lectures at Columbia University, will share his race against time to map little-known languages across New York and explore the languages themselves, from rare sounds to sentence-long words to bits of grammar that encode different world views. Admission is free, but advanced registration is recommended.
On Saturday, April 13, author, poet and educator Leila Philip will deliver a talk abroad the tall ship Wavertree (at Pier 16, near Fulton Street) about her best-selling book “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America,” which showcases the quirky role that beavers played in the history of Manahatta and their enduring contributions to the growth of New York Harbor. Ms. Philip will trace the profound influence of furry dam builders on the nation’s early economy, western expansion, and the development of early trans-Atlantic trade, as well as how they continue to impact river and harbor ecology. Admission is free, but advanced registration is recommended.