We at the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) have taken time over the past few months to reflect on how we, as a partnership of scientists, educators, public and private institutions, can act to change the racial disparity in our own small corner of the world and contribute to this change in the wider world. As a partnership-based organization, we strive to include members that represent all of our communities and work by policies of inclusivity and environmental justice that will result in integration in all of our communities. As a team, we are engaging in conversations throughout our partnership about issues of equity and race and hope that we can advance these conversations throughout the East End of Long Island.
At PEP, we are challenging ourselves to do more. We are reassessing all of our work in all of our communities to respond to this critical issue. We are forming a workgroup to formulate and implement a strategy of inclusion and environmental justice, both pillars of our organization that have yet been realized to their full potential.
We ask members of our community who wish to join us in this endeavor to reach out to (info@peconicestuary.org) and let us know of your interest in being involved in this workgroup; including all of your voices is important to us. We will keep you informed on the progress of this and announcements will be made throughout the process.
Abigail Costigan, PEP Marine Conservation and Policy Fellow
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Plastic bag ban is an instrumental step to making our environment cleaner and our wildlife safer.
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Watch this PEP presentation to learn about the projects we do and how you can get involved. During National Estuaries Week, we celebrate Estuary Day with Long Island Sound Study and South Shore Estuary Reserve to bring awareness to the work that we do as the Estuary Programs on Long Island and how you can...
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Suffolk County presents a workshop on the Septic Improvement Program at PEP’s August 2020 Citizens’ Advisory Committee Meeting. Learn what the program entails, how to apply, and feel equipped to take the next steps in upgrading your cesspool or septic system for cleaner water quality.
The Peconic Estuary Partnership, Seatuck Environmental Association, and Dr. Russell Burke of the Jamaica Bay Terrapin Project of Hofstra University hosted a virtual terrapin monitoring workshop where attendees learned about the importance of monitoring and how to identify terrapins and evidence of their activity. The workshop concluded with the unveiling of Seatuck’s Diamondback Terrapin Watch, which is an online survey...
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Watch our May 2020 Citizens’ Advisory Committee Meeting co-hosted with Group for the East End, with guest speaker Rusty Schmidt, President of Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI). Learn all about native plant species, where you can buy native plants, and how to get started on your garden. Native plants do not require fertilizer or...
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Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the PEP offices are closed and all in-person meetings, events and activities are postponed until further notice to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. PEP staff are working remotely and can be contacted via email. As always, we will continue to share information about the Peconic Estuary through our...
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2020 brings exciting news for the Peconic Estuary Program – a new name that better reflects the program and a soon-to-be launched revised Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan that includes fresh goals and actions for the next decade. As a National Estuary Program, the PEP brings together all members of the community – Federal, State and...
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The Peconic Estuary Partnership, in response to the adult scallop die-off in the Peconic Bays convened a group of scientists, regulators and experts to assess the known and unknown factors that may have contributed to the demise of the Peconic Bay scallops in 2019 in the Peconic Estuary. This group, the Peconic Bay Scallop Technical...
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February 21, 2020 PECONIC BAY SCALLOP TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE PROVIDES UPDATE ON THE 2019 ADULT BAY SCALLOP DIE-OFF In light of the recent information released regarding the work led by NYSDEC and the Marine Animal Disease Lab at Stony Brook University, the Peconic Bay Scallop Technical Review Committee would like to give the following update...
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