Shorewalkers, a nonprofit dedicated to exploring and celebrating the region’s shorelines on foot, turned their love of walking into a generous gift for the riverfront.
Through this year’s Great Saunter Fall Challenge, they raised $13,000 for Riverside Park Conservancy’s Greenway Cleanup Crew, helping support the daily work of keeping our shoreline clean and welcoming. The Challenge invited participants to walk 32 miles over 16 days in October, with every $10 registration fee benefiting the Conservancy.
A Season of Partnership
The gift capped a fall of working together. The Great Saunter Fall Challenge ran from October 3rd through the 18th, and Shorewalkers coordinated regular member walks through Riverside Park. They launched the challenge with a six-mile hike along the west side up to the Little Red Lighthouse Festival where they joined kids, families, and neighbors for our annual celebration of Manhattan’s only lighthouse.
A group of Shorewalkers returned to the Park for International Coastal Cleanup Day, where they worked side by side with Conservancy staff and community volunteers to remove 25 trash bags of litter and 3,300 bottle caps from the shoreline. Our fall partnership culminated with the check presentation on October 17th at the Little Red Lighthouse during the inaugural Riverfront Ramble, a cross-river walking adventure and scavenger hunt between Fort Washington Park, Fort Tryon Park, and Palisades Interstate Park via the newly reopened pedestrian-only path on the George Washington Bridge.
“Riverside Park is an important part of the shoreline we walk and love throughout the year. So for Shorewalkers, choosing Riverside Park Conservancy as the beneficiary of our Fall Challenge fundraiser was a natural fit,” said Pam Cress, President & CEO of Shorewalkers. “We were delighted that our members could share in the Little Red Lighthouse Festival, the International Coastal Cleanup, and the Riverfront Ramble, while supporting the Conservancy and its mission.”
The Greenway Cleanup Crew
In spring 2026, Riverside Park Conservancy launched the Greenway Cleanup Crew, a dedicated maintenance team that focuses on trash removal along the Greenway. On an average day, they remove 10-15 bags of trash and bring 9-12 bags of organic waste to our Compost Compound, where the material is processed and returned to the Park.
Every day, thousands of people come to the waterfront to walk, run, bike, or simply enjoy the river. Keeping these shared spaces clean takes steady, hands-on care. The Shorewalkers’ gift helps put that care into action, supporting the crew members who return day after day to pick up litter and keep the Greenway welcoming for everyone. See their work in the before-and-after photos below.
“Anyone who walks along the Hudson knows how much joy there is in being close to the water,” said Merritt Birnbaum, President & CEO of Riverside Park Conservancy. “There’s a great deal of daily care behind that experience, and we’re so grateful to Shorewalkers for helping make it possible. Their members have shown their love for this shoreline with their footsteps, their generosity, and their willingness to roll up their sleeves.”
Thank you to Shorewalkers and everyone who walked, picked up litter, and celebrated with us this fall. You’re helping care for a waterfront that brings so many people together, and we look forward to more adventures along the river!
