Mastic Beach Conservancy

AN EXCITING DAY ON THE WATER AWAITS Mastic Beach Conservancy is excited to bring you Race The Narrows, a water race that will bring together paddle enthusiasts of all levels to support conservation efforts in the Mastic Beach community. All proceeds will go toward Mastic Beach Conservancy's mission of preserving the more than six miles of publicly accessible waterfront parkland around the Mastic Peninsula and protecting the natural beauty and biodiversity of the area. RACE THE NARROWS: Saturday, July 11, 2026 • Early bird pricing through June 2 • Bring-a-friend discounts • Free registration for ages 14–18 • NEW Guided Nature Paddle for all experience levels • Kayaks available to borrow while supplies last • After party Whether you’re racing or paddling for fun, come experience the beauty of Mastic Beach while supporting local conservation efforts. Register today — click the link in bio.

Due to the weather, the Spring Festival / Native Plant Sale has moved locations, and will be mostly indoors. Join us for our annual Native Plant Sale tomorrow at the MMS Community Library Main Branch during the Spring Festival! NEW LOCATION: MMS Community Library Main Branch 407 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY Saturday, May 9 12 PM – 4 PM Spend the afternoon exploring native plants, local flora and fauna, environmental education, unique vendors, crafts, and delicious food trucks. Support local conservation efforts while finding plants perfect for your garden.

Great workshop today with @masticbeachconservancy ’s Ecology Art Lab, led by graphic designer and master gardener Emily Harrison. We spent the afternoon learning how to build gardens that actually give back to the ecosystems around us, spaces that function as food sources, support local life, and are beautiful to live with. Thank you to Emily, everyone who came out to support the conservancy, and @mmscommunitylibrary for continuing to hold space for community gatherings. If you’re interested in native plants, join us next weekend at the MMS Community Library Moriches branch for their spring festival and annual plant sale. If you’d like to volunteer at our tent, send us a DM.

Join us for our annual Native Plant Sale! DETAILS Saturday, May 9 at 12 PM – 4 PM UPDATE: due to weather the location will now be MMS Community Library, Main Branch 407 William Floyd Pkwy Join us at the library’s Spring Festival and don’t miss our annual plant sale! Enjoy an afternoon outdoors filled with gardening, local flora and fauna, hands-on environmental learning, unique vendors, crafts, and delicious food trucks. Bring your friends, explore, shop, and celebrate the season with us—there’s something for everyone!

SPRING MIGRATION BIRD WALK with AUDUBON NY Saturday, May 9, 9:00 am – 10:30 am Marina 5, 732 Riviera Dr, Mastic Beach Please join us for our Spring birding walk through the Mastic Beach wetlands with guides from Audubon New York! We’ll walk along the “Little Saltie Trail”, led by wonderful guides from Audubon New York @audubon_ny First we’ll congregate in the parking lot at Marina 5 in Mastic Beach, before walking through the Sheepen Creek peninsula. Andy Payne, Audubon’s Senior Manager of Coastal Resilience, will be there to talk about salt marsh plants, sea level rise, marsh migration all while observing shorebirds and other species in our precious wetlands before their southern migration. Binoculars will be provided! Space is limited, registration is required to attend.

We are so thankful to everyone who came out Saturday morning for our Earth Day cleanup—just beating the rain! Each cleanup in these areas is making a visible difference, with less trash and less dumping every time. That’s what happens when people keep showing up and caring for our wetlands and shoreline. Thank you to everyone who collected, carried, and cleared debris—you made a real impact. Big thanks to @tendcoffee for keeping everyone going with much-needed hot coffee and to Legislator Jim Mazzarella @jamesmazzarella for his continued support. We also appreciate @brookhaventown for assisting with trash removal, the Shirley @homedepot for donating supplies, Girl Scout Troop 2144, and the William Floyd HS Environmental Club @wf_environmentalclub led by Amanda Huff for being part of this effort. Photos by @femmesole @johnnypanessa @adetoth @christiejonesstudio

Ecology Art Lab – Native Plant Workshop A healthy earth starts at home. Join us for a hands-on Native Plant Design Workshop with Emily Harrison, exploring how to transform yards, gardens, and even small container spaces into ecosystems that support pollinators and local wildlife. Saturday, May 2, 2026 1:00–3 :00PM Location: MMS Community Library Main Branch Learn: – What plants are native to Long Island – How to choose the right plant for the right place – Practical ways to transition to low-impact, natural landscaping – Where to source plants locally No yard required. Participants are encouraged to bring dimensions of their space if available. Registration is required, link in bio. Space is limited.

LET’S CLEAN UP MASTIC BEACH! Year after year, we gather to care for the beauty of our community—working together to protect and restore our local wetlands. Join us this Earth Day and be part of this collective effort. Saturday, April 25, 10 AM – 12 PM Rain date: Sunday, April 26, 10 AM – 12 PM Location: Marina 5 732 Riviera Drive, Mastic Beach, NY We’ll meet at Marina 5 and fan out along Sheepen Creek, including the Little Saltie Trail and surrounding waterfront parkland, to remove toxic plastic, debris, and waste left behind by winter storms and flooding. Parking is available along the street and in the Marina 5 lot. What to bring: Bags, gloves, and pickers will be provided. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing and waterproof shoes or boots. No sign-up required. All are welcome to join, whether you live in the community or not. Bring a friend and help protect our wetlands. Check out our events page on our website for more ways to get involved this spring.

Please join our COMMUNITY MEETING this SATURDAY, April 4, 1 – 3pm at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley! (All are welcome, not just members!) Come gather with Mastic Beach Conservancy Board and fellow community members for our first meeting of 2026. We’ll share updates on ongoing conservation efforts, highlight ways to get involved this year, and hear from local non-profit Balloon Mission. This year, we’re hoping to grow our impact—and we truly need more helping hands to do it. We’d love to help you get involved in meaningful ways that support our community. DETAILS: Saturday, April 4, 1 – 3pm Location: Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge 340 Smith Rd, Shirley, NY 11967 What to Expect: • 2026 calendar of events • Presentation from Balloon Mission @balloon.mission • Volunteer opportunities for the year ahead • Light snacks and beverages provided RSVP:Encouraged with link in bio, but not required. Open to the public. Can’t make it but want to contribute? Visit masticbeachconservancy.org to donate or become a member!

What a beautiful afternoon at today’s @masticbeachconservancy Ecology Art Lab with Jules Small. Thank you to everyone who came out, showed up with curiosity, and continues to support and grow with this community. It truly means so much. Thank you Jules @smallhome.nyc for sharing your beautiful story, and for bringing your expertise and patience into the space with such care. A special thank you to our volunteer crew— Anjli, Sophie, and Ray your help with setup, breakdown, and yes… the snacks—makes these gatherings feel easy, welcoming, and genuinely joyful. And always, a huge thank you to the team at MMS Community Library for creating space for our amazing community.

Mastic Beach Conservancy Ecology Art Lab Presents Embroidery As Repair, Ritual and Gathering with Julia Small March 28 | 12–2 PM MMS Community Library — Moriches Branch, 201 Montauk Hwy, Moriches, NY 11955 Please note: this workshop has been moved to this new location. Join us for a hands-on embroidery workshop with artist Julia Small @smallhome.nyc using the Saltmarsh Sparrow as a guiding motif. Together, we’ll explore foundational stitching techniques for mending and extending the life of textiles, while connecting to our local coastal environment. Julia’s perspective is rooted in traditions of handwork passed down through generations, this session draws from decorative patterns, cultural memory, and practices of care. Through simple, accessible techniques, participants will translate motif into stitch—bridging personal mark-making with shared forms. Open to all levels, this workshop invites you to slow down, work with your hands, and gather in community. Free to attend Registration required For teens and adults, ages 10+ Join us for an afternoon of creativity, learning, and connection to our local environment. Sign up with the link in our bio!

Sold out in 2 hours. 23 participants including 6 young creators under 10. From Mastic Beach to Glen Cove, our growing community showed up for art + ecology 🌊✂️ Huge thank you to Sue @violetcoveoysterco for grounding us in an eelgrass-roots perspective, to Nathaniel @athelredunready for guiding the storytelling process for the Zine Workshop, and to everyone who donated magazines esp Alison @nature.ny and @barnabyblack (those vintage National Geographics were GOLD). We’re also compiling the community pages into a zine that will live at the @mmscommunitylibrary — a small but mighty artifact of what happens when people gather with intention. Momentum is building. More soon. Follow us!!! @masticbeachconservancy #EcologyArtLab #CommunityArt #LongIslandCreatives #EnvironmentalArt #ZineCulture. Credit @michelle_hennemeier zine page Reel image