*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.

Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Team planting, transplanting and weeding our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery!

Please come prepared in clothes & shoes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).

Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!

This event counts toward community service hours!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature and fellow gardening enthusiasts. See you there!

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays Initiative for a Marine Meadows Workshop! Participants will learn about the importance of eelgrass, our native species of seagrass that provides essential habitat and services, and then will have the opportunity to weave eelgrass into discs of burlap to prepare them for planting into the South Shore Estuary. This program is made possible by funding from the South Shore Estuary Reserve Program. Community service hours will be provided upon request.

Welcome to Tiana Coastal Garden!

Come join us at the beautiful Tiana Bayside on October 16, 2025 at 4pm for native seed collecting and SEAd Bomb making!

We will search the grounds of Tiana Bayside for any native plants with seeds ready to be harvested and we will use them along with other sourced seeds to create SEAd Bombs... small soil balls with native perennial plant seeds. The plant species in the SEAd Bombs are plants that will support rain gardens, maintain swale structure, help prevent erosion and provide nectar and food to insects and animals .

Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!

Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Team planting, transplanting and weeding our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery!

Please come prepared in clothes & shoes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).

Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and sequester carbon in their soil and roots. Less carbon in atmosphere, less climate change!

This event counts toward community service hours!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature and fellow gardening enthusiasts. See you there!

Did you know the Northern Lined Seahorse is native to Eastern Long Island? Unfortunately, loss of habitat has led to significant decline in their populations. Come to this interactive workshop to learn about the life cycles + behaviors of seahorses from CCE Marine's experts, and then work together as a group to construct a "Seahorse Hotel" artificial habitat based on what you have learned--your creation will be deployed in local waters and utilized in our new seahorse restoration + monitoring efforts!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Meet our Quogue Back to the Bays Jr. Ambassadors at the Quogue Association’s Duck Race Fundraiser. They will be there promoting our work and engaging their local community in our mission.

Help CCE's Back to the Bays Team deploy a spat-on-shell oyster reef off of Tiana Bayside!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Did you know the Northern Lined Seahorse is native to Eastern Long Island?  Unfortunately, loss of habitat has led to significant decline in their populations.  Come to this interactive workshop to learn about the life cycles + behaviors of seahorses from CCE Marine's experts, and then work together as a group to construct a "Seahorse Hotel" artificial habitat based on what you have learned--your creation will be deployed in local waters and utilized in our new seahorse restoration + monitoring efforts!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

CANCELED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT!!

Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Habitat Specialists and Educators in a unique hands-on experience managing our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery! We will be working with native plant species and learning about their many important roles throughout this experience.

Please come prepared in clothes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).

This event counts toward community service hours!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Welcome to the Buoys for the Bay Art Exhibit Opening Celebration + Auction! Join us at Borghese Vineyard for a night of art, wine, and community. Get ready to bid on unique buoys transformed into stunning works of art by local artists. This in-person event is the perfect opportunity to support our beautiful bay while enjoying a fun evening out. Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind experience!

Reclaimed fishing buoys have been transformed into artwork by local artists and community members. Buoys will be featured in a silent auction to benefit Back to the Bays!

Celebrating 10 years of the Back to the Bays initiative: Take a retrospective look at 10 years of species artwork by local artists available for purchase.

Did you know the Northern Lined Seahorse is native to Eastern Long Island?  Unfortunately, loss of habitat has led to significant decline in their populations.  Come to this interactive workshop to learn about the life cycles + behaviors of seahorses from CCE Marine's experts, and then work together as a group to construct a "Seahorse Hotel" artificial habitat based on what you have learned - your creation will be deployed in local waters and utilized in our new seahorse restoration + monitoring efforts!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

Learn about oyster aquaculture and CCE Marine's restoration efforts. This will be followed by an oyster planting at Back to the Bays sanctuary site in Southold Bring your own paddle board or kayak, or let us know if you need to borrow one. Dress appropriately, as you might get wet. Please ONLY register for this event if you are a strong swimmer and have experience paddle boarding or kayaking.

This event is open to Back to the Bays stewards only. If you have not already registered, you can do so here. Rain date is scheduled for July 18 from 4 - 6 PM.

Join CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays Habitat Specialists and Educators in a unique hands-on experience managing our demonstrative coastal rain garden and coastal plant nursery! We will be working with native plant species and learning about their many important roles throughout this experience.

Please come prepared in clothes that you are ok with getting dirty. Also, bring gardening gloves and hand shovels if you have (some will be provided, but supplies are limited).

This event counts toward community service hours!

We encourage you to register as a Back to the Bays Steward beforehand which you can do at this link. We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your participation!

All that attend will be entered into a raffle to win 5 Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower), a native great for pollinators.