We are excited to be enjoying February here in Montauk, which is one of the busiest months for CCOM. We have much to report and announce in our newsletter this month and will be re-opening our office in March so we look forward to seeing you again in-person soon.

Thanks to those who were able to participate in our first virtual “open house” in February and we look forward to repeating it again in March. 

This month, in honor of Black History Month, please join us in celebrating Black environmentalists and their passion, voices and accomplishments. 

CCOM recently partnered with The Raciti Lab at Hofstra University who processed our select floating wetland plant samples to quantify the nutrient removal capability of this pilot project. Preliminary results indicate that nitrogen sequestration by the plants and their roots is similar to successful installations elsewhere in the country. Phosphorous uptake and denitrification are potentially much larger mechanisms of nutrient removal that were not studied in the first round, but hopefully can be quantified during the 2022 installation.

Be on the lookout for our upcoming May 2022 installation announcement – we will need volunteers!

Advocating for sustainability through clean energy and energy conservation is one of CCOM’s key environmental initiatives, and we are greatly encouraged by the current momentum of the South Fork Wind Farm (SFW) project.

On February 11th, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was joined by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, along with a host of local and regional dignitaries, who gathered in Wainscott’s LTV studios for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the onshore preconstruction activity that has begun since the wind farm’s final federal and state permits were granted. SFW represents the nation’s, and New York State’s, first offshore wind farm project.

Besides reducing our region’s reliance on fossil fuels by generating 130 megawatts of electric power, enough to power 70,000 homes, the project will help achieve New York State’s goal of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2035, and the nation’s goal of 30 gigawatts by 2030.

Click here for the YouTube video of the ceremony.  

Southampton Arts Center recently hosted a virtual, resource-rich, multi-day event, called “Drawdown Festival,” focused on ways that individuals can participate in “regenerating” the planet and reversing climate devastation. All sessions are available for replay here.

Project Drawdown’s mission is to help the world reach “drawdown” – the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change – as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.

Drawdown East End seeks to accelerate Drawdown climate solutions in our local communities.

We recommend:

“Instant Action 101”: Features a powerful, phone app (Climate Action Now).

“Our Landscape, Our Lives” with local East Hampton resident and landscape designer Edwina Von Gal on the benefits and basics of nature-based landscaping and actions homeowners can take.

If you missed our February 17th Montauk On My Mind open house event, not to worry, we have you covered! You can view the recorded February open house and register for the next  Montauk on My Mind, being held at 5pm on March 17th. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered by CCOM's President, Laura Tooman.

CCOM is excited to offer our annual Peter Lowenstein Memorial Scholarship to a local Montauk student.

The $1,000 scholarship honors Peter Lowenstein, a long-term and much beloved CCOM Board Member, and his legacy by investing in Montauk’s next generation of environmentalists.

Student applicants must be full-time Montauk residents in their senior year of high school that plan to pursue science or environmental studies in college or trade school, and must exhibit a commitment to improving the environment.

East Hampton High School students must contact the Guidance Office for application instructions. Eligible students enrolled in other local schools may contact CCOM directly for instructions. Deadline to apply is 3/11/22.

CCOM is thrilled to announce the recent hiring of Jaime LeDuc to fill the role of Program Support Specialist.

Jaime, originally from Minnesota, holds a Bachelor of Science from Bemidji State University and a Masters of Biological Sciences from Michigan Technological University. For the past 14 years she served as an Aquatic Biological Science Technician at Voyageurs National Park and the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network, where she was the laboratory manager and specialized in water quality, climate change, invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and fisheries management programs. She is also currently Chair of Surfrider Foundation’s North Shore, MN Chapter.

Jaime currently resides in Southampton. When not working, you can find Jaime catching waves along the East End and exploring the coastline with her pups. Welcome, Jaime!