NEWS & EVENTS

Who We Are

The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor (CSHH) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986. CSHH is dedicated to identifying and eliminating environmental threats in and around Hempstead Harbor.

 
  • Our mission is to advance the public interest in restoring the harbor to its full ecological potential and to promote sustainable practices that will ensure the protection and resiliency of Hempstead Harbor and surrounding communities.

    The fundamental force behind CSHH’s efforts is the belief that concerned and informed citizens can make a difference in events that shape the future. We seek to increase awareness of environmental issues and promote a greater appreciation of the local environment. Most important, the public is encouraged to participate in local conservation issues.

  • We use citizen science, advocacy, and planning to address the environmental challenges faced by Hempstead Harbor and its surrounding communities. This includes our long-term water monitoring program, initiating restoration and cleanup efforts, community engagement and education, and working directly with other environmental organizations and government agencies.

  • The CSHH relies on community support! Donations of any amount help us to sustain our mission and run programs that help protect Hempstead Harbor. We welcome volunteers and offer a wide variety of opportunities to get directly involved in our conservation and protection efforts. See more about how you can help here.

Water Quality

CSHH developed a citizens water monitoring program for Hempstead Harbor in 1992 motivated by chronic sewage spills and failing waste-water treatment plants.

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Habitat Restoration

From oysters to small-scale native plantings in critical watershed areas, CSHH is focused on improving habitat conditions around the harbor.

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Policy & Planning

CSHH's advocacy includes participation in local and sound-wide policy and planning committees.

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Shoreline Cleanups

CSHH regularly organizes shoreline cleanups and has been participating in the International Coastal Cleanup since 1992 including our first harbor-wide cleanup in 2022.

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Community Oyster Gardening

CSHH launched its first season of community oyster gardening in 2022, inviting volunteers to directly participate in restoring their local waters by raising oysters in cages across three locations. The addition of a fourth site at the North Hempstead Beach Park in 2023 made this a harbor-wide program. At several locations around Hempstead Harbor, volunteers meet biweekly from July through September to clean the cages and track the oysters’ growth, learning about the benefits of a healthy shellfish population and engaging with their environment through hands-on community conservation work.

 Latest News

Calendar of Events

 

35 Years of CSHH

The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has been working tirelessly to protect and restore our harbor and surrounding communities since our founding in 1986. In celebration of our 35th anniversary in 2021, we look back at what harbor conditions used to be, how they’ve changed for the better, and we look forward to doing the critical work that will protect the harbor’s future.

 

Thank you to the talented Patrick Wright, Katie Taber, and Allen Moore, along with CSHH’s own Charlie Weinstein, for creating this incredible video. Original music soundtrack created and donated by Dave Diamond.