In this issue:
Let’s make a positive impact on World Refill Day—June 16! Celebrating and participating in World Refill Day means having an impact that is lasting and far reaching. Choosing to reduce, reuse, and refill means choosing to give back to our communities and our environment with less waste, less litter, and limiting single-use items.
We celebrate World Refill Day to encourage the shift from single-use plastics and other single-use items to refillable alternatives. We can embrace refillable alternatives in our daily lives by using our reusable water bottles or coffee cups (use the cups you already own, don't worry about what is trendy). When shopping, BYO bags and fill them with loose fruits and veggies. When dining out, BYO containers for leftovers. Additionally, instead of buying big bottles of non-refillable cleaning supplies, consider finding refillable options or creating a DIY cleaning solution using ingredients in your home.
A recent win in the fight against plastic pollution was the acquisition of 4 water refill stations at some of the coastal parks on Long Island. These water refill stations provide opportunity for park users to make more sustainable decisions by supporting reusable water bottle use. The refill stations have already been purchased by both the Town of Hempstead and Sunken Meadow State Park with funds supplied by the Mid Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO). This collaborative work wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated partners from DEC Division of Marine resources, NYS Department of State, MARCO, Town of Hempstead, and Sunken Meadow State Park staff.
Join the World Refill Day celebration by:
Educating and inspiring friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues by showing them easy steps they can take to refill more and throw away less.
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Giving a positive review or social media shout out to businesses in your area that are supporting reuse and refill.
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Sharing resources with businesses that may be interested in supporting reuse and refill options at their establishment.
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Looking for new ways to reduce waste. Spark new ideas by checking out a directory of businesses that offer different types of reuse and refill options. Some may offer options near you!
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Getting ready for Plastic Free July. World Refill Day is the perfect time to start making a plan!
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Email us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov to show us how you choose to reuse!
DEC Staff at a Newly Installed Refill Station
Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) are found in the local bays and estuaries of the marine district. This turtle species plays an important role in maintaining the health of saltmarsh ecosystems that many of our other marine species rely on. Unfortunately, terrapins enter crab pots in search of food. Once inside a crab pot, terrapin cannot find the exit; they cannot surface or breathe, and they drown inside. Installation of Terrapin Excluder Devices (TEDs) (PDF) on crab pots keep terrapins out and let blue crabs in. Do your part to help diamondback terrapins by installing TEDs on all the entrances to your pots.
A small number of TEDs (provided by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Seatuck Environmental Association) will be available to crab pot fishers on a first come/first serve basis at no cost. Please contact us at 631-444-0444 or NYBlueCrab@dec.ny.gov for more information.
An interactive map of the marine district is available, that shows all the areas where Terrapin Excluders are required.
Dead sharks and sturgeon will occasionally wash ashore. These mortalities can occur due to fishery interactions, boating, predation, parasitism, or other natural causes. The DEC collects information on the location, species, length, sex, and condition of these deceased individuals. If possible, the carcass is retrieved by DEC staff and a necropsy (animal autopsy) will be conducted to identify a potential cause of death. Biological samples are collected and shared with several academic and scientific researchers in New York and across the country to facilitate multiple ongoing biological studies. These efforts improve our understanding on these mortalities which can help inform fisheries management.
If you encounter a dead shark or sturgeon, please do not handle the fish and leave it where you found it. Possession of these individuals are prohibited. You can help the DEC salvage program by reporting observations of these deceased animals to DEC’s Marine Life Incident Report online survey or by calling:
- 845-256-3073 for sturgeon found in the Hudson River Region.
- 631-444-0444 for sharks and sturgeon found in New York’s marine waters.
When reporting a shark or sturgeon: Please specify the exact coordinates, estimate the total length, describe the condition (fresh or decomposed) identify if there are any signs of trauma present, and take photographs of the entire individual.
Photo Courtesy of NOAA: Atlantic Sturgeon
Do you need help writing a grant application?
Apply to the Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program! This funding opportunity is open on a rolling basis to municipalities and community organizations to facilitate the hiring of a grant writing contractor to assist with the development of a grant proposal for sustainability and resilience focused projects that will impact a community(ies) within or partially within the Long Island Sound Coastal boundary. Funding is to be awarded up to $9,950 per application directly to the applicant's selected contractor on a cost reimbursable basis and match is not required. Find all the program details under Track Two: Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program on the LISS website. Applicants who are looking for assistance with their Consolidated Funding Application are encouraged to apply to the LIS Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program by June 15, 2024. For more information, contact: LISresilience@gmail.com.
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), read the FAQ Document.
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