Help clean the Gowanus by diving in...to their restaurants

Eating pie at 4 & 20 Blackbirds will help clean the Gowanus. Sweet. via 4 & 20 Blackbirds

Cleaning up the once-beautiful and biologically diverse Gowanus Canal is an ambitious project, to say the least. The infamous Superfund Site has been catching the runoff of New York industry since the second Industrial Revolution, and in addition to the canal proper, the watershed extends for miles. Obviously the Gowanus needs to be cleaned, but it’s a big dirty job that sounds a intimidating and messy. But on August 16, by merely picking up a fork and eating at restaurants on the Gowanus, you can help clean the canal, at Dive In Gowanus.

EPA estimates put the cost of cleaning up the Gowanus at over a half billion, but believe the project could actually be completed by 2020, so here’s a chance for you to make a dent in that price tag. The Gowanus Canal Conservancy, an amazing organization that works for the green development and restoration of the Gowanus Canal, are the brains behind Dive In, a regional sampling of eateries native to the Gowanus watershed. The growing roster includes such stellar gastronomies as 4&20 Blackbirds, Applewood, Brooklyn Cured, The Pines, Littleneck, my personal favorite—Dinosaur BBQ, and more. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to the Conservancy, and representatives will be available to diners for information on the canal and ways to get more involved.

The Gowanus Canal is restorable, so why not gorge on some of the best food in Brooklyn to help make it beautiful again?