Peconic Estuary Program's 'Toast the Coast' Unfolds Saturday

Thousands of people are expected  to ”Toast the Coast” around the country on Saturday — and Long Island residents are invited to join the celebration.

Staffers at the Peconic Estuary Program are asking residents to join in the nationwide salute to the 25th annual National Estuaries Day on Saturday.

“The toast is a nationwide show of support for protecting and restoring the estuaries and coastal areas that provide us and the environment with invaluable benefits,” Alison Branco, Director of the PEP, said. “Whether you are raising a glass of fresh water straight from your kitchen tap, or a glass of beer from one of Long Island’s many microbreweries, if it was made on Long Island it relies on keeping our water resources clean and healthy.” 

The PEP is part of a network of 28 National Estuary Programs striving to improve and restore the nation’s most important estuaries – including the Peconic, which is located between the North and South Forks.

The East End economy also relies on the Peconic’s beautiful bays and marshes, PEP reps said.

The PEP invites supporters to toast the coast anytime on or before Saturday by taking a photograph, preferably with the bay in the background, of their toast and hash-tagging #ToastTheCoast and #PeconicEstuaryProgram on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photos should be posted on the Peconic Estuary Program’s Facebook page, too, and the photo with the most likes by Monday will win a prize.