Our 2023 Educational Activities and Events

This document is a summary of Friends of Bellport Bay’s community outreach programs from last year. We would like to thank all of our supporters for a successful 2023!

Prepared by Maria Slavnova and Thomas V. Schultz, October 2023

Friends of Bellport Bay (FoBB) made significant progress towards our broader goals during the 2023 season. This summary will include details about FoBB’s activities outside of water operations, including but not limited to educational seminars, press, collaborations, and summer programs.

July 2023:

Mastic Beach Conservancy “Bash by The Bay” - July 15th, 2023

Our interns and Co-Directors represented FoBB at “Bash by the Bay”, hosted by Mastic Beach Conservancy. We were able to share our literature and experiences with community members from Mastic Beach, Shirley, and the broader Suffolk County area, as well as sell some of our merchandise to raise funds for our mission.

Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society Event - July 22nd, 2023

FoBB hosted a children’s event on habitat restoration for the Bellport Brookhaven Historical Society at Mother’s Beach in Bellport. About 10 children and their families spent the morning learning about the various marine species that call Bellport Bay home. Students received their own species identification guides that they used to identify the various fish they caught during seine netting. Concluding the event, students planted 15,000 juvenile clams into Bellport Bay.

Bellport Day - July 30th, 2023

FoBB interns and Co-Directors shared literature and information about FoBB at Bellport Day with community members from Bellport and the broader Suffolk County area, and sold some merchandise to raise funds for our mission.

Family Night - July 29th, 2023

FoBB collaborated with Bellport Village Program Fund for “Family Night”, hosted on Mother’s Beach. FoBB team members educated visitors on the importance of habitat preservation and restoration, and gave a brief presentation on how to use seine nets to capture, identify, and release marine organisms. Concluding the day, attendees planted 15,000 juvenile clams into Bellport Bay. Approximately 100 people attended the event.

August 2023

South Country Library’s Community Resource Day - August 3rd, 2023

FoBB Co-Directors attended Community Resource Day, demonstrating Bay habitat in a tank on-site with live oysters and literature. We shared our experiences with community members from Bellport and the broader Suffolk County area, as well as NYC.

FoBB Camp Collaboration - August 14th - 17th

Funded by the David M. Duffy Foundation, FoBB partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Bellport, and The Center for Environmental Education & Discovery (CEED) for a FoBB marine Camp. The “Bellport Bay Restoration Team” of young Boys and Girls Club members engaged in FoBB’s water operations; learning how to seine net, collecting data on oysters, and planting 10,000 oysters into the Shellfish Management Area. Concluding the week Katia Read held a clay sculpting workshop where students created templates for living seawalls.

Day One: Students learned about the vital role oysters play in the environment, took a tour of the two-acre Shellfish Management Area, and were shown how to take samples and accurate measurements of various shellfish. Concluding the day, each student had the chance to operate the FoBB Boston Whaler boat.

Day Two: Students explored along the shore of Bellport Bay, seining to collect various species of crabs, fish, and other marine organisms. We collected our specimens into tanks in order to identify them using our FoBB Species ID pamphlet.

Day Three: Students teamed up to help move over 10,000 oysters out of our under-dock cage system and into the two-acre Shellfish Management Area. By planting these oysters, our students officially made their mark on the future health of the Bellport Bay.

Day Four: Concluding the week, FoBB Co-Founder Katia Read led a clay workshop. Students created “Living Seawalls”— structures that are attached to bulkheads to provide habitat and protection for small marine organisms. The panels are currently on display at the Bellport Boys and Girls Club.