“Plum Island Plunge for Plovers” to be Held this Weekend in Old Saybrook

OLD SAYBROOK, CT – Students from Old Saybrook High School and a regional environmental organization are joining forces this Saturday to raise awareness and support for protecting rare bird habitat on Long Island Sound.

Connecticut Fund for the Environment and its bi-state program Save the Sound will devote the proceeds of the “polar plunge”-style fundraiser towards the organization’s multi-year battle to save Plum Island from sale and private development, according to a release.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Old Saybrook Town Beach on Great Hammock Road.

Plum Island, an 840-acre, federally-owned island in the eastern end of Long Island Sound, is home to threatened and endangered birds like the piping plover and roseate tern, as well as other rare species.

Seventy Connecticut and New York organizations work together as the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, partnering with grassroots activists and champions in Congress to halt sale of the island. CFE/Save the Sound has also brought an action in federal court claiming that the government’s decision to sell the island violates numerous federal environmental laws.

A press conference featuring local, state and likely federal elected officials will kick off the event, followed by a dash into the frigid Long Island Sound. Prizes will be awarded for the most funds raised and for best costume.

“Plum Island Plunge for Plovers” is open to the public. Members of the public are encouraged to register and set up their own fundraising pages here, or to support the students’ efforts.

Image via Shutterstock.