A River Runs Through Us//Walking the waters home

As this country commemorates 250 years on the 4th of July, we seek to offer another commemoration – to the waters that made and will continue to make this land again and again.

Join us for a water walk from Pier 26 or Catherine Slip to Collect Pond Park, where we will gather to ceremoniously fill the fountain at the site of the former Collect Pond.

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Collect Pond was once a freshwater oasis that appeared at the end of the last ice age, circa 11,000 BCE. The glacier in retreat left behind a landscape diverse with forests, fields, hills, streams and freshwater ponds, that came to be known as Manahatta/Manhattan. The natural diversity that once existed here still echoes in the people who have come and continue to come to live here, albeit through many layers of history that tell the tale through colonialism, violence, resilience and a longing for the waters that sustain us.

Waters from the Collect Pond originally flowed through streams, past salt meadows, and into the North River that drained to the Hudson, and to the East River. At exceptionally high tide, the waters of the two rivers mingled into Collect Pond. Today, the underground springs continue to flow below New York City’s streets and buildings, including many munipal courts of justice and the proposed megajail.

Beyond the red, white and blue, the fireworks and bbqs - there's a longer story, a great conversation* of our living landscape.

Come walk with us .

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Date: July 4th, 2026

10:30am: MEET

At the Hudson River (Pier 26)

Or the East River (Catherine’s Slip + South St.)

11am: WALK the waters back to Collect Pond

11:15am: GATHER at Collect Pond Park

- RAIN OR SHINE

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What to Bring:

A small container/vessel to carry water from the river to the fountain (a 20-minute walk)

Water to drink, a snack, sun protection and/or an umbrella if inclement weather is upon us

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The West walk from the Hudson will be loosley led by artist Jo Wood-Brown, connected to her project Excavations of Canal Street and Julia Meeks, co-director of Holes in the Wall Collective

The East walk from the East River will loosely be led by beth maria as well as Dhira Rauch, co-director of Holes in the Wall Collective

At Collect Pond, we will be joined by Noelle Ghoussaini of SacredSpace.

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*The Great Conversation refers to geologian Thomas Berry's lament "We are talking only to ourselves. We are not talking to the rivers, we are not listening to the wind and stars. We have broken the great conversation."

Find out more about Jo Wood-Brown's work at Jowoodbrown.com

Find out more about Holes in the Wall Collective at holesinthewallcollective.org