Join us at Whales Tale - Hampton Bays, for a fun-filled day of oysters, live music, art, and activities, to give Back to the Bays!

Relish in peak summer season with us at our annual Back to the Bays Day Fundraising + Awareness event.

Enjoy live music by Roots Foundation, local oysters, extensive Back to the Bay Stewardship Drive Raffle, kids activities, Basket Auction (values up to $500), and more!

Pre-registering for this event is appreciated, but not required. Bring friends and family! Registering ahead of time in Eventbrite automatically enters you into a special door prize raffle! *Pre-reg. will end at 10pm the night before event, August 7th, but all are welcome join!

Back to the Bays Stewardship Program

Much of what we do through CCE Marine Program's Back to the Bays Initiative is centered around stewardship - the act of caring for of our natural environments. The work we accomplish annually at our Back to the Bays Stewardship Sitesis having a meaningful impact on water quality improvement, marine and coastal habitat restoration, clam and bay scallop population enhancement, and expansion of oyster reefs in our bays.

Hear from Kate Rossi-Snook, CCE Aquaculture Specialist + Stewardship Site Manager, on the Marine Program’s current shellfish restoration efforts, the challenges with which we are faced in a changing climate, and recent successes.

This presentation is hosted by Peconic Landing and is open to the public. For more information, call 631-477-3800 or send an email to info@peconiclanding.org

*CANCELLED

Due to unprecedented winter weather conditions, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 4th Annual North Fork Polar Bear Plunge for this year. We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, generosity, and support shown by our plungers, sponsors, and community. While we won’t be gathering at the beach this year, the impact of your participation is still very real. All funds raised directly support two vital causes:

• CAST - providing food relief, education, and essential support services to North Fork and Shelter Island residents in need

• CCE Marine Program and our Back to the Bays Initiative - restoring marine habitats and strengthening shellfish populations on the East End

You can still pickup plunge merchandise and prizes at CAST - 53930 Main Rd. in Southold. Visit Treiber Hall using the entrance off the Main Rd. The first 50 people to pick up their items will receive a free sweatshirt! Prizes will also be awarded to the top teams and individual fundraisers.

Merch + prize pickup dates and times:
Thursday, January 29: 12:00–4:00 PM
Wednesday, February 4: 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Thursday, February 5: 2:00–5:00 PM
Saturday, February 7: 1:00–3:00 PM

To learn more about cold water plunging, visit the North Fork Polar Bears at northforkpolarbears.org. There is still time to add your support for Team Back to the Bays HERE. Thank you, and stay safe and warm!

Help us plant native coastal grasses & shrubs in our designated restoration areas on the beach, and create SEAd Bombs to replenish the natural buffer between the beach and parking area at Long Beach. Work side by side with Cornell Cooperative Extension's Habitat Restoration Team and learn about the importance of coastal plant restoration while playing a hands on role in planting efforts. Please bring work gloves, dress for the weather and join us beginning at 10am on Saturday December 6th. Service hours available, please contact a staff person at the event if you require documentation.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to interact and engage fully. We will make reasonable accommodations to enable participation in our programmming. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact us at backtothebays@cornell.edu at least one week prior to the program or event date.

Back to the Bays will be participating in partnership with the Shelter Island History Museum to spread the awareness about our Shelter Island Stewardship Site!

Recycled oyster shells from this event will contribute to our Shell Collection Pile at Sylvester Manor to go on to be used in our remote setting tank to create spat-on-shell oysters to be planted at our Shelter Island Stewardship Restoration Sites.

For more information and for tickets, please visit: https://www.shelterislandhistorical.org/programs-and-events.html