Environment News » Fire Island News & Great South Bay News

May arrives at the Great South Bay with familiar signs of the season—the days are longer and friendlier, boats are returning to the water, and communities are easing into the peaceable rhythm of late spring. It’s a time when neighbors reconnect, when outdoor spaces fill again, and when our calendars begin to hum with the quiet anticipation of summer’s respite. However, May has yet another layer of significance: Mental Health Awareness Month. Once observed more quietly, it has become an increasingly visible part of community life across the South Shore, marked not just by clinical messaging, but by active conversation, education, and, perhaps most importantly, connection.

OP ED: May and its Meaning During Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on May 9, 2026

A walk past Argyle Lake in Babylon after the blizzards revealed the mute swans no going anywhere—massive white birds, with their reddish-orange bills and black face patches, gliding through half-frozen water as if it was just another day at the park.

Swan Story: Those Beautiful Birds Are Staying Put

Posted on May 3, 2026

Opening Friday, May 1 Awakenings The BAFFA Art Gallery will feature a multi-media exhibit by Women Sharing Art in May. The exhibit includes painting, photography, mosaics, sculpture, fiber arts, and mixed media. “Awakenings explores moments of transformation, discovery, and renewed awareness.” The show can be viewed at the Gallery, Thursdays through Sundays, from Noon to 4:00 p.m. An artists’ reception and awards for students whose work was exhibited at the student art show will take place on May 2 from 1 - 4 PMp.m. The BAFFA Gallery is located in the historic Gillette House at 47 Gillette Avenue in Sayville. This exhibition runs through May 31. The gallery is open Thursday-Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. For further information: www.baffa.org or www.womensharingart.org.

Books & Authors

May Day and More: Things To Do this Weekend and Week Ahead Along Great South Bay Long Island

Posted on April 30, 2026

Obtaining local, farm-fresh produce on Long Island became infinitely easier and more accessible when I joined my first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share in the early 2000s.

CSA Continues to Grow on Long Island

Posted on April 29, 2026

Saturday, April 25 (9-11 a.m.) Creek Defender Community Clean-Up with Save The Great South Bay Swan River & Mud Creek, East Patchogue: Caring for the Great South Bay begins on the land. Improve the quality of the water entering our bay by removing litter, debris, and invasive species through a group volunteer effort! Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience or age, to participate. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Clean-up gear will be provided. Meet at Pine Neck Boat Launch. Please wear eye protection, long sleeves, and pants; sturdy, water-resistant boots are recommended.

End of April, Come What May: Things To Do this Weekend and the Week Ahead

Posted on April 23, 2026

the summer. It’s not uncommon for people to point to a group of birds and say, “There’s a ton of plovers right there! Why does the beach need to be closed?” As a former “plover monitor,” I often see people mistake the wrong birds for piping plovers.

Is this a Piping Plover? Know Your Shore Birds!

Posted on April 21, 2026

Pained, fatigued, hot... unsure if she would survive... the would-be mother got moving. Rising from her rest, Florence had only one attempt left. If she failed, everything would be lost, including her young. But Florence did not fail. It might have been a mirage—glistening waters... swaying green branches... billowing cool wafts. Yes. She was home. Florence nestled down and gently moved forward. She released the first of the half-million eggs she would lay this spawning season. Florence knew her fluke line would continue after all.

Florence’s Forest: Rob Vasiluth Saving the Great South Bay, One Eelgrass Forest at a Time

Posted on April 20, 2026

A company founded by a Princeton University PhD has received a grant to test a new system to fortify Fire Island's soil and sand dunes, taking a fresh approach to combating accelerating coastal erosion. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $305,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to Foogly Corp. to use local food and solid waste to help prevent erosion of Fire Island dunes.

Fire Island Pines

Exploring a New Way to Fortify Fire Island’s Dunes

Posted on April 19, 2026

Ernie Fazio

Books & Authors

Ernie Fazio, Long Island Environmental Visionary (1939-2026)

Posted on April 18, 2026

The 105-acre former Brookhaven Dowling College of Aviation campus, located adjacent to Calabro Airport in Shirley, cleared the rezoning and variance hurdles for redevelopment on March 26.

Shirley

Dowling College Brookhaven Campus Rezoned for Proposed Industrial Development

Posted on April 17, 2026

Creek Defender Clean Ups

Fresh Air in April: Things To Do over the Weekend and the Week Ahead Along Great South Bay Long Island

Posted on April 16, 2026

Fresh off the presses, the April edition of Great South Bay News (GSBN) will be arriving at local newsstands before the coming weekend.

The Environment Issue of Great South Bay News Arrives on Newsstands Ahead of Earth Day

Posted on April 15, 2026

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