Tiana Bayside Facility To Host Open House and Community Stewardship Day

To kick off the second season of programming and stewardship projects to be conducted out of the Town of Southampton’s Tiana Bayside Facility, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is inviting the public to join in, rain or shine, on May 12 from 10 a.m. to noon for a free, fun, family-friendly “Open House + Community Stewardship Day.”

Participants at this event will learn about CCE’s many programs and projects from their educators, and have a chance to work side-by-side with researchers as they prepare for another field season of hard work on the water, and under the water, conducting research and restoration activities. Here’s what to expect:

• Marine Meadows Program staff, who conduct large scale coastal and marine habitat restoration projects throughout Suffolk County, will be leading the public in a coastal plant care workshop.  Participants are welcome to help split beach grass, and populate our nursery boxes with species including cordgrass, switchgrass, and goldenrod. These plants will be cared for on site until they are needed for habitat restoration and coastal resiliency plantings. Learn more at marinemeadows.org. 
• If you ever wanted to learn more about aquaculture and how to raise your own shellfish, here is your chance!  Our Suffolk Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT) Program teaches aspiring shellfish gardeners everything needed to know how to grow shellfish, and we operate a growing site right off of the Tiana Bayside Property. Learn how you can get involved and why this activity is beneficial to our bays. 
• Looking for something to do with the kids? Bring them along for this fun educational experience and visit our classroom and educational spaces to learn about what’s in store for this summer. The Youth Education Team will be on hand to offer some great marine science-based crafts and activities as well!
• Are you ready for our “Whale Tail Unveil’? Artist Cindy Pease Roe has created a sculpture, “Wishing Whale“, using marine debris (including derelict lobster traps retrieved by CCE Marine Program’s Fisheries Team as part of a large-scale abandoned fishing gear removal project), and CCE is proud to provide a permanent home for it at the Tiana Bayside Facility. 
• Did you know that CCE is working to restore 115 million clams to our local waters as part of the New York State funded Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project? Tiana Bayside Facility will be host to several floating nursery systems this summer and we welcome you to learn more about this effort and how you can help us!
• STEAM based programming is a big part of our education mission. CCE’s Art + Science educator Carolyn Munaco will be on hand with some fun art + science activities and will be sharing information on the Summer Art + Science Programming lineup, including our new “Buoys for the Bays Initiative“. 

To learn more about this event and the work of CCE’s Marine Program please contact Kim Barbour at 631.461.5294 or kp237@cornell.edu. Also, be sure to visit the website ccesuffolk.org/marine and find CCE Marine Program on social media for the latest information on our efforts and events.