Featuring...Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater

Each summer, environmental advocates and music fans look forward to the popular "Clearwater Festival."  Do you know the history of the group that organizes the event?

Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater (MCFC) is a nonprofit, grassroots organization staffed and run by volunteers.  MCFC has been active in pollution issues since 1975 in Raritan Bay and along the  Jersey Shore.  The origin of MCFC was inspired by Pete Seeger, who formed the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater  organization 26 years ago.  Seeger and his friends built a replica of a 19th century sloop, the "Clearwater," and sailed from town to town on the Hudson River to build awareness about pollution, spreading the word for a cleaner environment by word, music, and action.  

Locally, popular folksinger Bob Killian, formerly of Atlantic Highlands, NJ, founded MCFC two decades ago based on the efforts along the Hudson.  Today, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and MCFC are over 8000 strong and have a record of successful lawsuits against polluters and promotes many educational programs for students of all ages. 

Clearwater also organizes and participates in clean-ups, environmental watches, political action, and education programs, which includes an exciting, hands-on  Traveling Environmental Festival for schools and youth groups.  MCFC works with other organizations on environmental issues.  For example, Ben Forest of the MCFC Environmental Policy committee is Treasurer of COA’s Board of Trustees.

The huge volunteer-run event, the "Clearwater Festival," is MCFC’s annual open-air music and arts festival celebrating the spirit of people working and singing together for the environment.  The finest in music and dance combines with environmental activism to celebrate our waterways.  See what MCFC is all about:

29th Annual MCFC Festival

August 21 and 22

11:30AM - 7:00PM

Sunset Park, Asbury Park, NJ

Rain or shine

Call (732)872-9644, or

visit www.clearwatermc.org.

Adapted from MCFC website.