Earth Day celebrations in New York City get an early and unforgettable start this year with a special film screening aboard the historic tall ship Wavertree at the South Street Seaport Museum.
On Wednesday, April 15, at 6 p.m., filmmaker Jon Bowermaster will present his latest documentary, “The Keeper,” which chronicles the remarkable life and work of John Lipscomb, the longtime Hudson River advocate who spent 25 years patrolling America’s first river.
Lipscomb, described as cantankerous, charismatic, and deeply committed, logged more than 80,000 miles aboard his wooden boat while serving as both watchdog and defender of the Hudson. Once a vital waterway turned dumping ground during the nation’s industrial growth, the river faced decades of pollution from factories and cities. Lipscomb stood at the forefront of its remarkable recovery, confronting industrial polluters, navigating setbacks, and celebrating hard-won environmental victories.
The film takes viewers through the Hudson’s environmental history and its lasting global importance. It also shines a light on the more than 300 “keepers” working to protect rivers and waterways around the world. Organizers call it a story of resilience, activism, and the continuing fight to safeguard our most precious natural resources.
The screening will unfold in the intimate tweendeck of the 1885 tall ship Wavertree, creating a one-of-a-kind maritime setting that brings the film’s river theme to life. A question-and-answer session with Bowermaster will follow the showing, and the evening will wrap up with a reception offering wine and seltzer.
Bowermaster is a veteran writer, filmmaker, and adventurer who has received six grants from the National Geographic Expeditions Council and is recognized as one of the Society’s Ocean Heroes. His first National Geographic magazine assignment in 1989 documented a 221-day dogsled crossing of Antarctica. He founded Oceans 8 Films and the One Ocean Media Foundation, which produce films focused on climate issues both in the Hudson Valley and worldwide. His podcast, “The Green Radio Hour with Jon Bowermaster,” has released more than 150 episodes featuring environmental activists and community leaders.
For the past several years, Bowermaster and his team have concentrated on a series of short films exploring environmental challenges and hopes for the Hudson River Valley, widely regarded as the birthplace of the American environmental movement.
The Wavertree itself adds historic weight to the evening. Built in Southampton, England, in 1885, the iron-hulled, three-masted full-rigged ship circumnavigated the globe at least three times during its sailing career. Today, it serves as the centerpiece of the Seaport Museum’s “Street of Ships” and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors from around the world come to see this last surviving example of its kind, which symbolizes New York City’s maritime heritage and the role sailing ships played in shaping the modern metropolis.
Tickets for the screening are available now through the South Street Seaport Museum website. Please note that general admission to the museum’s historic ships and exhibitions is not included with the event ticket. Those wishing to explore the Wavertree, the 1908 lightship Ambrose, current gallery shows in Schermerhorn Row, or the immersive Maritime City exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co. can purchase general admission tickets in advance or inquire on site. General admission is offered Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The South Street Seaport Museum, founded in 1967 and located in the heart of New York’s historic seaport district, preserves the story of the city as a great port. Its collections, exhibitions, working print shops, and active fleet of historic vessels all help tell the tale of “Where New York Begins.”
With Earth Day just around the corner, this waterfront event offers New Yorkers a meaningful way to reflect on local environmental progress while enjoying an evening aboard one of the city’s most iconic ships. For more information and to reserve seats, visit the South Street Seaport Museum website.
