named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Monthly Beach Cleanups
Community-led cleanups held from February to November each year to remove trash and debris from local shorelines.
Oyster Habitat Restoration
Project to deploy and monitor oysters in Oyster Bay for restoration purposes, including the deployment of over 129,000 oysters in 2022.
Speaker Series
Free public events featuring experts on topics such as horseshoe crabs, water quality, and aquaculture, hosted in collaboration with local organizations.
Team Terrapin
Collaborative program with the Town of Oyster Bay to monitor and protect diamondback terrapin populations through nest surveys and beach cleanups.
Unified Water Study
Annual water quality monitoring program conducted in partnership with Save the Sound to assess conditions in the Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor estuaries.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Oyster and Shellfish Restoration 4 activities
- Advocate for shellfish sanctuary establishment and moratoriaAdvocated for permanent shellfish sanctuaries to support oyster recovery and larval dispersal, contributed to the establishment of sanctuaries in Oyster Bay, Mill Neck Creek, and Cold Spring Harbor, and achieved a temporary moratorium on shellfish harvesting in former Frank M. Flower & Sons lease areas to enable scientific assessment and restoration planning.
- Collaborate on environmental education and outreachCo-presents an environmental poster contest with the Town of Oyster Bay and The WaterFront Center and collaborates with the Oyster Bay Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee to raise awareness and host community meetings supporting volunteer oyster gardening.
- Restore hard clam populations through spawning stock enhancementLeads the Re-Clam the Bay project by stocking protected shellfish sanctuaries in Oyster Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, and Mill Neck Creek with locally sourced adult hard clams to support natural spawning and repopulation, including seasonal drop days for distribution.
- Support oyster reef restoration and shoreline resilienceSupports the SOAR program by identifying oyster deployment sites, establishing base stations, conducting shoreline profiling, and deploying over 129,000 oysters into Oyster Bay to assess long-term effects on shoreline morphology and erosion prevention.
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Beach and Waterway Cleanup Initiatives 2 activities
- Conduct monthly beach cleanups and support volunteer-led cleanup initiativesHosts monthly beach cleanups from February through November and organizes smaller cleanups with local groups, including events involving over 50 or 75 volunteers, while enabling small groups of up to four to conduct independent cleanups as part of its volunteer program.
- Remove abandoned lobster traps and raise public awarenessCollaborates with Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Town of Oyster Bay to remove over 500 abandoned lobster traps from local waters and hosts public awareness events about derelict fishing gear impacts in Long Island Sound.
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Lake and Watershed Monitoring & Assessment 2 activities
- Monitor and assess water quality in Oyster Bay and Long Island SoundConducts water quality monitoring from May through October at multiple sites, measuring parameters including pH, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliforms, and enterococci using standardized methods as part of the Save the Sound Unified Water Study and Pathogen Monitoring Network, with data entered into databases and posted publicly.
- Produce watershed assessments and action planningDeveloped and finalized a Watershed Action Plan in 2011 through collaboration with multiple local governments and produced the 2009 State of the Watershed report assessing environmental conditions across the Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary and surrounding watershed.
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Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocate for Long Island Sound protection and infrastructure policyMonitors demolition, cleanup, and development activities at the Commander Oil site for environmental impacts on the bay, launched a petition directed at Governor Cuomo opposing infrastructure projects in Long Island Sound, and advocates for Long Island Sound research and funding through engagement with federal legislators.
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Ecological Habitat Restoration 1 activity
- Maintain rain gardens and support habitat connectivityMaintains two rain gardens on the Western Waterfront in Oyster Bay through volunteer-led tending activities including weeding, planting, and mulching, and built a fish ladder at Beaver Dam on Mill Neck Creek (2015–2017) in partnership with The Nature Conservancy to support fish passage.
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Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
- Monitor diamondback terrapin populations and support conservation effortsEngages volunteers to monitor and record diamondback terrapin distribution in the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor region, including through the Team Terrapin initiative at Centre Island Beach, and partners with Seatuck to collect data using Survey 1-2-3 reporting.
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Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
- Support administrative and volunteer operationsEngages volunteers in administrative tasks including updating mailing lists, organizing files, tracking memberships, sending mailers and thank you letters, and processing financial transactions securely via third-party providers.
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Real-Time Environmental Monitoring and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Use technology for environmental monitoringUses donated underwater drones to monitor disturbances on the bay bottom as part of broader environmental protection and research efforts.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$359K
Contributions & grants$229K64%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$15K4%
Other revenue$116K
expenses
Total expenses$271K
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$144K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$464K
Cash$424K
Investments$0
Liabilities$5K
Net assets$459K
Liquid reserves18.8 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +8.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTINE SUTER | EXECUTIVE DI | 35 | $75K |
board members · 13
- BETSY LAWRENCE — DIRECTOR
- BILL BLEYER — PRESIDENT
- CAROLYN KENAVAN — DIRECTOR
- DAVID RELYEA — DIRECTOR
- ERIC SWENSEN — SECRETARY
- GLENN KEMPA — TREASURER
- JOHN TAYLOR — DIRECTOR
- MATTHEW MENG — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL HELD — DIRECTOR
- MITCH KRAMER — VICE PRESIDE
- RICHARD APPELL — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT BRUSCA — DIRECTOR
- THOMAS THORNTON — DIRECTOR
relationships · 49
Who they work with
- Adelphi University Partner — Collaborates on research projects funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Adelphi University Partner — Partnered on a two-year oyster habitat restoration and monitoring project in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor.
- Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS) Partner — Co-hosts cold-stunned turtle training sessions and participates in joint advocacy efforts
- BRC Insurance Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Coalition Against an UnSound Crossing Partner — Friends of the Bay serves on the board of this coalition opposing the Cross-Sound tunnel project.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Partner — Partnered to remove over 500 abandoned lobster traps from local waters
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk's Marine Program Partner — Supports the program’s abandoned lobster trap removal efforts by hosting public awareness events
- DeSocio Law Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Douglas Elliman Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Empire Electric Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Fuss & O'Neill Partner — Consulting partner in developing the 2009 State of the Watershed document and the 2011 Watershed Action Plan.
- Greening Your Fleet Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Hive Market Partner — Collaborates on fundraising events including craft nights and movie screenings
- Hubbard's Sunken Meadow Audubon Society Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Interstate Environmental Commission Partner — Collaborates on the pathogen monitoring network to collect bacteria data from under-monitored waterways.
- Lessing's Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Long Island Sound Study Government — Provides funding for the pathogen monitoring program.
- Marino Wealth Management Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Government — Funding source for the Unified Water Study through a Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant.
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Government — Primary funder of research and monitoring projects through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Government — Provides funding for the Unified Water Study through a Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant.
- North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association Partner — Worked with Friends of the Bay and the Town of Oyster Bay to restart clamming in local waters through the Re-Clam the Bay project.
- OBMC Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Oyster Bay Brewing Company Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- Oyster Bay Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee Partner — Collaborates to promote community oyster gardening by raising awareness and hosting community meetings
- Pew Charitable Trusts Funder — Co-administered the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration (S.O.A.R) and S.O.A.R 2.0 projects with The Nature Conservancy.
- Pew Charitable Trusts Partner — Participates in the SOAR program coordinated by Pew Charitable Trusts to support oyster aquaculture and reef restoration
- Pure Green 24 Partner — Business sponsor of Friends of the Bay
- SOAR Partner — Collaborates on oyster sorting and deployment for bay restoration
- Sabrina Navaretta Memorial Foundation Funder — Sponsors the Re-Clam the Bay project.
+ 19 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Engaged Environmental Stewardshipmethodology: community-based environmental stewardshipBy involving community volunteers in citizen science, cleanups, and species monitoring, we increase local ownership and long-term protection of estuaries, because sustained engagement fosters stewardship behaviors and generates actionable ecological data.
- Science-Driven, Standardized Environmental Monitoringmethodology: standardized_monitoringBy using standardized methods and equipment across organizations, we produce consistent and comparable water quality data, because reliable, evidence-based monitoring strengthens conservation advocacy and enables coordinated ecosystem management.
- Shellfish-Based Ecosystem Restorationmethodology: shellfish-restorationBy restoring native shellfish populations through protected sanctuaries and restocking with adult clams, we improve water quality and rebuild marine ecosystems, because shellfish act as natural filter feeders and support larval dispersal for broader ecological recovery.