About Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County (CCE Nassau) is committed to building healthy lifestyles and sustainable communities by conducting high quality educational programs that connect Cornell University knowledge and research to community needs for all people in the county.

An educational, not-for-profit organization founded in 1914, CCE Nassau has served many thousands of Nassau families through “hands-on” community based educational programs focused on the environment, nutrition, health & wellness, sustainable food systems, horticulture, renewable energy, and positive youth development (through 4-H).

CCE Nassau is funded by Nassau County, New York State (through Cornell University), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other grant collaborations and programming fees.

Restoring Our Native Ecosystems

Prior to the 19th century oyster reefs were so populated surrounding Long Island that they were referred to as oyster forests. New York was “The Big Oyster” before it was “The Big Apple”.

  • The 19th century brought urbanization and industrialization. Along with this came poor water quality due to pollution. As the city continued to grow, and as climate change progressed diseases became more prevalent contributing to the decline.

  • There are many ways to help restore oyster populations around Long Island.

    1. Advocate for your community to have better policies in place to improve water quality.

    2. Get involved with citizen science projects and community oyster gardening.

  • Through programs such as oyster gardening, we can restore ecosystems back to abundance by improving water quality, stabilizing habitats, and providing erosion control through reef production.