Creek Defender Program
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Defend Our Creeks!
The Great South Bay will only be as healthy as the creeks and rivers that flow into it. There are some 50 creeks that flow into the bay along the 16 communities along the South Shore. The Creek Defender Program calls upon people in each of those communities to become local stewards, healing our creeks as we heal the Bay. They are led by a Creek Defenders who acts as a local steward, organizing and guiding their communities, leading cleanups, habitat restoration projects, and native planting initiatives. They spread our message that our care for the Bay begins on the land, and the quality of that water entering the bay
Meet Our Creek Defenders
“Defending our creeks has to be fun, educational and rewarding for everyone involved. There is so much more that can be done and we are only scratching the surface so far…..people WANT to help, our role is to organize it all.”
Tom Kain
Creek Defender Chairperson
He is a lifelong lover of our oceans, sounds, beaches, bays, canals, lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks. He grew up in Babylon, swimming, skating and fishing in Sumpwams/Shore Road canal, Southards Pond and Argyle Lake and spent many childhood summers in Peconic living in a cottage on the bluffs of the LI Sound. He and his wife once lived in Friday Harbor, WA in the San Juan Islands of the Puget Sound.
Tom’s four sons and daughter were all Jones Beach Junior lifeguards and three of his sons are presently NYS Ocean lifeguards. A 1984 graduate of Babylon High School, he also attended SUNY Stony Brook and Suffolk Community College – where his favorite course was Oceanography taught by Ken Ettlinger. Tom has worked for TD Bank for almost 15 years and is a senior residential loan officer. All his family loves our beaches, they love to fish, surf, bodysurf, boogie board, kayak and paddleboard and enjoy all of the NY ocean beaches that are probably the finest in the country.
Massapequa
Tom Dempsey
Amityville
Dennis Siry
Copiague
In partnership with Venice Civic Assoc.
Lindenhurst
West Babylon
Babylon
West Islip
Bay Shore
Tom Kain
Islip
in partnership with Keep Islip Clean
Oakdale
Sayville
Bayport
Blue Point
Patchogue
Bellport
Mastic Beach
Paddle Tribe
Data Collection
Water Quality Testing
Volunteer
Map Of Long Island Tributaries
Photo Gallery
More About Creek Defending
Picking It Up On The Penataquit
On Saturday, October 17th, as part of the 35th Annual International Coastal Clean Up movement, Save the Great South Bay (STGSB) and Keep Islip Clean (KIC), two local environmental groups, teamed up with community members, including many Bay Shore High school...
One Creek, One Tree at a Time
We all want to make a difference. It feels good when you do! We saved trees recently. Those trees are helping us save the Great South Bay. As Sayville Creek Defender, I helped lead Save the Great South's first wide-scale invasive removal. It was a pilot. Thanks to the...
Land Ho! Mayor’s Cup Makes Waves
It was a perfectly beautiful day for sailing and much befitting the prestigious 2020 Mayor's Cup Charity Regatta benefitting Save The Great South Bay which took place on Saturday, September 12th. Hosted by the South Bay Cruising Club and run by Race Committee Chair...
Restoring Habitat Along Carll’s River
On the banks of the beautiful Carll’s River in Babylon Village, just where it crosses under Park Avenue, you will find the Carll’s River Native Forest, a Save The Great South Bay habitat restoration project established in April 2019 as a collaborative effort with the...
Summer 2020 GSB Scavenger Hunt
New Date! Sat Aug 15-Sun Aug 16 Join our Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt between July 24-26th when teams of up to four players compete for a treasure chest full of goodies by completing missions, such as taking a selfie at a favorite spot on the Bay, or ….. well, we don’t...
Do Good, Drink Well.
It's back & more refreshing than ever. It's Blue Point Brewery's remarkable (and limited edition) label, Drink The Bay Clean, created to support Save The Great South Bay in its mission. This year's rendition, as a delicious Helles Lager, and the establishments...