Back to the Bays has a new base in Sag Harbor!

Nov 6

This week we had the opportunity to officially celebrate the opening of our new Back to the Bays Center for Education + Stewardship at Redwood Marina in Sag Harbor.

We are honored to be the stewards of this new site. Embarking on these efforts would not have been possible without the ongoing support of Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore, the Town Council, Town Community Preservation office, and our partnership with Sag Harbor Village. The overarching support of our organization by Suffolk County and New York State has also played an integral role in our ability to serve our communities here on the East End.

(Left to right): Dan McCormick & Emily Efstration (Town of Southampton CPF office), Kim Barbour (CCE Back to the Bays Director), Jacqui Fenlon (CPF Director), Chris Pickerell (CCE Marine Program Director), and CCE Back to the Bays staff: Kim Manzo, Kate Rossi-Snook, Carolyn Munaco, and Kelsey Ketcham

A little history on our new spot….

Redwood Anchorage was operated as a private marina for decades, and when it’s longtime owner Gerry Schwenk decided it was time to sell, he was committed to ensuring that the property would be preserved in a way that would keep marina rates accessible to locals, and see a beneficial use of the property rather than a massive development project. Southampton Town led efforts, in partnership with Sag Harbor Village, to acquire the property through the Town’s Community Preservation Fund. The Town closed on the property earlier this year, and entered into an operating agreement with Sag Harbor Village, at which point they extended the invitation to CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Initiative to become stewards of the property.

Kim Barbour (CCE Back to the Bays Director) and Chris Pickerell (CCE Marine Program Director) speaking to a crowd of press and supporters about the new CCE-operated Redwood Marina Facility.

A new education + outreach center for the East End

Under our Stewardship Agreement that we entered into with the Village this summer we have been designated to utilize the marina building as our new Back to the Bays Center for Education and Stewardship at Redwood Marina! We share the building with the Village’s Harbormaster and Dockmaster who occupy the top floor, manage the marina operation, and have been very welcoming to us.

Expanding habitat + shellfish restoration in Sag Harbor waters

In addition to having space for our educational programming in the building, we also have access to areas of the marina where we are cultivating shellfish, and throughout the beautiful grounds we will be transforming a portion of the land into a coastal plant nursery, featuring several native plant demonstration gardens. We also have plans for an outdoor classroom and art exhibition space, along with educational signage for guests to enjoy a passive learning experience as they tour through the property.

A ribbon-”shucking” ceremony, in full Back to the Bays style

It wouldn’t be a Back to the Bays ribbon cutting ceremony without a comedically large clam knife, made by resident artist, Carolyn Munaco.

We had a marvelous time gathering in celebration of our new facility at the Ribbon Cutting event we hosted on November 2nd, joined by many of the elected officials and community partners that have been championing efforts to get us into this space. In true CCE Marine Program fashion we cut a coastal themed ribbon with a giant shucking knife, made by our resident artist Carolyn Munaco, and then welcomed everyone into our education space to mingle and enjoy refreshments donated by Grindstone Donuts.

What a great day, and way to kick off a new chapter for CCE’s Back to the Bays Initiative! We look forward to serving the community, inspiring stewardship of our waters, and educating the public on how they can help give back to the bays at Redwood Marina.

Learn more about the work and public engagement opportunities that have already begun by reading these about our Shellfish Nursery‍, ‍Marsh Restoration Rafts‍, ‍Oyster Reef Planting‍, ‍& Redwood Facility Plans.

We want to hear from you!

To help inform our 2027 operation plan, we are holding an Information and Community Input Session on November 19th, 2026 at 5:00PM for anyone interested in checking out the space and learning more about what we have in store.

We’ve also launched a community input survey and facility improvement campaign that will both be integral to guiding our vision and executing our plans in 2027 and beyond! Please consider participating in this survey and giving to this effort here. We are already almost half way to our $100,000 goal thanks to donations pledged thus far, including a $25,000 matching donation to help us meet our fundraising target by the end of the year!