New Environmental Education Center Opens at Cedar Beach

A Brookhaven Town-owned house on Cedar Beach that was once was in danger of being knocked down was opened on Friday as the new Mt. Sinai Harbor Marine Environmental Stewardship Center.

Randy Hagerman, , was instrumental in getting the town to save the house that was infested with mold and had serious structural problems. Two years after it was slated to be destroyed, the house will serve as a place where people can learn about the environment and the importance of the coastline of Long Island’s North Shore.

Town Supervisor Mark Lesko and Councilwoman Jane Bonner joined Hagerman along with parks department staff, volunteers, community leaders and residents to celebrate the grand opening.

Lesko said that he envisions the center as a place where people both young and old can interact and find out about marine habitats and the environment.

“It’s an opportunity to educate people that the coastline is more than just recreation,” he said.

This year the town also announced that a not-for-profit called Friends of Mt. Sinai Harbor, Inc. was formed to run the center. Bonner called it the most unique public/private partnership in Brookhaven to date. She was also instrumental in securing a $200,000 grant from New York State for the center.

The new center will house marine-based displays and provide marine stewardship education for residents, schools and private organizations focusing on the Long Island Sound.

Hagerman wants people in the community will come out to appreciate the new center.

“I hope everyone enjoys it,” he said. “It will be bigger and bigger every year.”