Shinnecock Indian Nation and Cornell in Suffolk Partner to Restore Hurricane Damaged Sound Shoreline

An eelgrass “tortilla-making" volunteer workshop was held at the Shinnecock National Cultural Center and Museum in mid-March in Southampton. This hands-on workshop using burlap mat and wooden forms as models showed participants how to create planting disks that will be used to restore eelgrass populations on the tribal shoreline.

Eelgrass serves as an essential habitat to many local marine species, helps protect shorelines and improves the overall health and productivity of the area’s bays and The Long Island Sound. As part of the Shinnecock Indian Nation’s coastal restoration project, eelgrass plantings along the Reservation’s coastal area will create a new marine meadow.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County presented the program that showed attendees how to use tortilla presses to make the burlap tortillas. The tortillas will serve as anchors for eelgrass shoots that are woven into the burlap, and later planted in waters off the tribal lands in the fall.

Hurricane Sandy has left the Shinnecock Bay shoreline within Southampton severely degraded and susceptible to sea level rise and future storm impacts. Along with other measures that will be put into place, the eelgrass plantings will decrease erosion and increase habitat.

The workshop attendees included a couple mother-daughter duos as well as facilitators from Shinnecock Nation and Cornell. Heather Rogers, CHRP Director at Shinnecock Indian Nation said: “We enjoyed participation from one of our funders Lynn Dwyer from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the other guests. We are thrilled that the group produced a hefty amount of tortilla disks that morning. We are looking forward to the next volunteer gathering and ultimately seeing the eelgrass re-established in the waters.”

PHOTO CAPTION:

Shinnecock Nation Coastal Habitat Restoration Project (CHRP) Project Director Heather Rogers, Shinnecock Nation CHRP Project Communication & Outreach Coordinator Matthew Ballard, Shinnecock Nation Grants Compliance Andrea Godoy, Shinnecock Nation tribal member Beverly Gwathney, NFWF Assistant Director, Northeastern Regional Office Lynn Dwyer, Hilke Wtorkowski, Jamie Wtorkowski, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Habitat Restoration Assistant Rachel Neville, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Marine Program Assistant Christine Tordahl, Shinnecock Nation tribal member Sequoyah Diaz and daughter Sanai Clifton. Vincent (age 4) & Aiden (age 3) Godoy.