Bring Floating Garden to life - Swale’s next chapter!

A floating food forest for public foraging, hands-on learning, and climate resilience. Free and open to everyone.

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Why your gift matters

Public food access should be a public good. Swale turns waterways into living, edible parks where people can learn, gather, and harvest fresh produce at no cost. Swale is a creative space that also asks people to dream, about a better tomorrow. Your support keeps this work public, practical, and within reach.

What your gift funds

·       Edible gardens on the water: perennial, culturally significant plants grown for public foraging.
·       Workshops & youth stipends — hands-on learning that connects food, water, and climate to daily life.
·       Safety & access — safety equipment, and ADA improvements.
·       Barge retrofit & movement — build‑out and the ability to show up where communities invite us.

Our 2026 goal & timeline

We’re fundraising to outfit, insure, and program the new Floating Garden barge. Every contribution moves this forward.

Timeline:

·       August 2025 — Barge purchase
·       Sept 2025–May 2026 — Build‑out and retrofitting
·       June 2026 — Opening and public programming in Medina, NY
·       Fall 2026 — Voyage on the Erie Canal to NYC

Ways to give

·       One-time donation.
·       Major gifts & sponsorships (contact us).
·       In‑kind (plants, soil, lumber).
·       Tax-deductible via our 501(c)(3) sponsor (NYFA). You’ll receive a receipt for your records. [Donate via NYFA]

In Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, with your help, Swale is building out our second, more permanent barge. We’ve purchased the vessel and are currently beginning build-out on the Erie Canal. Help us with this initiative and with designing and building a permanent floating food forest to launch June 6, 2026 on the Erie Canal in Medina, NY.

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Join Major Supporters

Creative Time R&D Fellowship
Crossed Purposes Foundation
Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation
Guggenheim Foundation
Rockefeller People and Planet Fund
Urban Soils Institute

 

  • A: Yes. Donations go to our nonprofit, NYFA, a 501(c)(3). You’ll receive an emailed receipt for your records. If you give by check, we’ll send a written acknowledgment.

  • A: Yes. Recommend a grant to New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) for the benefit of Swale / Floating Garden. Please include our project name in the grant notes. If your DAF portal needs details, email studio@marymattingly.com.

  • A: Yes. We can accept domestic and international wires via NYFA. Email studio@marymattingly.com to receive the routing details.

  • A: Yes. Many employers will match charitable donations. After you give, submit the match request through your employer’s portal. If they need verification, we’ll happily provide it.

  • A: We recognize donors online and onboard at certain levels. You can also give anonymously—just tell us in a note.

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