May Speaker Series: "Horseshoe Crabs: They've Outlive Everything, But Can They Outlive Us?"
Friends of the Bay’s Program Coordinator Christine Suter will explore the natural history of horseshoe crabs, current and historic threats to the species, their relationship to migratory shore birds, the use of their blood in the biomedical industry and conservation efforts for its May Speaker Series. The presentation, “Horseshoe Crabs: They’ve Outlived Everything, But Can They Outlive Us,” will be held on Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Free and open to the public.
Launch the Season 2022
Join us for light fare, live music, and a chance to win one-of-a-kind raffle/auction prizes
Did you know...?
Did you know the upper façade of the historic Oyster Bay Railroad Station is plastered with an oyster shell stucco called tabby?
Tabby, sometimes called coastal concrete, is made by burning oyster shells to create lime. The lime is then mixed with water, sand, and broken oyster shells. Tabby was originally used by Spanish settlers in North Carolina and Florida in the mid to late 1500s and then by British colonists in South Carolina and Georgia circa 1700. Most tabby structures exist along the southern coast of the U.S. but some can be found as far north as New York.
The original railroad station was built by the Long Island Railroad in 1889. After Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, the building was redesigned and expanded by railroad architect Bradford Lee Gilbert in 1902 to accommodate an expected increase in visitors to Oyster Bay. The tabby was not added to the facade until the redesign in 1902. It is believed that Gilbert added the oyster shell stucco in recognition of the town’s namesake.
The Oyster Bay Station building is home to the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum. The building will be open to the public in June. If you are visiting the Railroad Museum, be sure to take a close look at the western facing side of the of the building and you will be able to see the oyster shells. Unlike most oyster shell tabby which is rough-looking and made using fragments of oyster shells, Gilbert used a large number of oyster shell halves on the station’s façade giving it a more attractive finish.
During the building’s most recent restoration which began in 2016, the Railroad Museum’s Preservation Consultant, John Collins, collected additional oyster shells by hand from a Bayville beach to replace shells in areas where the stucco had been removed or worn away over time.
Fore more fun facts, follow our "Did you know" series every week on Facebook and Instagram, and every other week in the Oyster Bay Herald.
Oyster Bay Herald - 3/25/22
A Letter from Friends of the Bay on our
Declining Shellfish Population
11/3/21
This letter is an alert to all who appreciate the ecological and scenic value of Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor – those who enjoy the views, spend time on the beaches or cruising, sailing, fishing or paddling on the waterways.
Most residents know that regional water quality has been improving since environmental legislation was enacted in the 1970s, bringing upgraded sewage treatment and other strategies to reduce pollution.
But what many people in the area don’t know is that our shellfish population, particularly our namesake oysters, has suffered a serious decline. And fewer oysters and clams, which filter the water, means dirtier water and a threat to the livelihood of commercial harvesters and the health and enjoyment of recreational users.
To deal with the problem, several steps should be taken. Friends of the Bay’s leadership met recently with Town of Oyster Bay officials to share our recommendations on shellfish management. The town was very receptive to our suggestions and had already planned to implement many of them.
Friends of the Bay believes the following steps must be taken to improve the health of the bay and make the shellfish population sustainable for the long run:
Click here to continue reading.
By the Friends of the Bay Board of Directors
Most residents know that regional water quality has been improving since environmental legislation was enacted in the 1970s, bringing upgraded sewage treatment and other strategies to reduce pollution.
But what many people in the area don’t know is that our shellfish population, particularly our namesake oysters, has suffered a serious decline. And fewer oysters and clams, which filter the water, means dirtier water and a threat to the livelihood of commercial harvesters and the health and enjoyment of recreational users.
To deal with the problem, several steps should be taken. Friends of the Bay’s leadership met recently with Town of Oyster Bay officials to share our recommendations on shellfish management. The town was very receptive to our suggestions and had already planned to implement many of them.
Friends of the Bay believes the following steps must be taken to improve the health of the bay and make the shellfish population sustainable for the long run:
Click here to continue reading.
By the Friends of the Bay Board of Directors
A very special thank you goes to our 2021 Sponsors.
PROTECTOR OF THE BAY ($25,000)
Betsy Lawrence
BAY BENEFACTORS ($10,000)
Bahnik Family
David Relyea
ESTUARY GUARDIANS ($5,000)
Donna and Rich Appell
Beth and Kevin Costello
Lindsay and Thomas Thornton
HARBOR MASTERS ($2,500)
Anastasi Family
Carolyn and Joe Kenavan
SITE MONITORS ($1,500)
Bill Bleyer
Deborah and Michael Held
Donna and Mitch Kramer
Colleen and Barry Lamb
Claire-Louise and Matt Meng
COVE CUSTODIANS ($1,000)
Dawn and Glenn Kempa
Rus Lundstrum
Lorie and Steve Minicozzi
Linda Pons
Eric Swenson
ECOSYSTEM KEEPERS ($500)
Patty Anglin and John Taylor
Elayne and Gregory Bradley
Rob Brusca
E Maxwell Geddes, Jr.
Marilyn and Neil Moritt
Carla Panetta
Irwin Selden
Artie Sillman
Cynthia Stebbins
CONSERVATIONISTS ($250)
Christine and Jeffrey Roberts
Marcella and John Specce
PROTECTOR OF THE BAY ($25,000)
Betsy Lawrence
BAY BENEFACTORS ($10,000)
Bahnik Family
David Relyea
ESTUARY GUARDIANS ($5,000)
Donna and Rich Appell
Beth and Kevin Costello
Lindsay and Thomas Thornton
HARBOR MASTERS ($2,500)
Anastasi Family
Carolyn and Joe Kenavan
SITE MONITORS ($1,500)
Bill Bleyer
Deborah and Michael Held
Donna and Mitch Kramer
Colleen and Barry Lamb
Claire-Louise and Matt Meng
COVE CUSTODIANS ($1,000)
Dawn and Glenn Kempa
Rus Lundstrum
Lorie and Steve Minicozzi
Linda Pons
Eric Swenson
ECOSYSTEM KEEPERS ($500)
Patty Anglin and John Taylor
Elayne and Gregory Bradley
Rob Brusca
E Maxwell Geddes, Jr.
Marilyn and Neil Moritt
Carla Panetta
Irwin Selden
Artie Sillman
Cynthia Stebbins
CONSERVATIONISTS ($250)
Christine and Jeffrey Roberts
Marcella and John Specce
Scenes from Launch the Season
Many thanks also go to Rus Lundstrum of Cooper Bluff/Coach Meeting House fame for hosting us. Kudos to our star event coordinator Kelsey Costello for her vision and execution of the event, and to Beth Dalton Costello for her outstanding management of it. As always, we are eternally grateful to all our volunteers including Maureen Walsh, Carolyn Core-Kenavan, Nikole Holowat, Anne Schaentzler, Bea Bagdzuinas and Felicia Anastasi. Last but not least, our raffle baskets were made extra special thanks to the generosity of Lifetime Brands, Colors of Cold Spring Harbor, Damm & Steuer, Mort Künstler, Billy Joel, Massage Therapist Helen Lind, Integrated Body Works, Old Tappan Brewery, Bayville Seafood, Long Island Picture Frame & Art Gallery of Oyster Bay, Susan Dembo Acupuncture, Christine Berge D.C., J. Jaget Customs, Christina’s Epicure, Butera's and Red Tomato.
Photos by Joe Catalano
Photos by Joe Catalano
*NEW ITEMS AVAILABLE * VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE
* Your Choice is Free When You Become a Member at the $100+ Level*
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND SOUND
by Jennifer Wilson-Pines
-Originally published in The Island Now
Photo credit: Jennifer Wilson-Pines
