Hops For Habitat Exhibition Supports East End Eelgrass Restoration Program

Hops for Habitat, an art and awareness exhibition benefiting Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Meadows Program, is set to debut at Montauk Brewing Company. Opening on Friday, October 2nd and on view through Sunday, November 1st, the show features marine inspired art, all of which is available for purchase.

“We are happy to be partnering with Montauk Brewing Company for our 3rd Annual Hops for Habitat event,” shared Kimberly Barbour, Marine Program Outreach Manager at Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center. “They have been so supportive of our work, and are truly great community partners who care about the environment and our effort to ensure our marine resources and protected and restored.”

Featured local artists will include Susan Bradfield, Mindy Carmen, Carolyn Munaco, Rachell Neville, Chris Paparo, Amanda Paulsen, Sarah Tallett, and Mimi Thayer.

Proceeds from Hops for Habitat will support the Marine Meadows Program’s restoration efforts of eelgrass meadows in East End bays. Although the population of eelgrass has seen a decline in recent decades, CCE’s Marine Meadows Program has worked incredibly hard to successfully restore its habitat through extensive fieldwork, research, and volunteer involvement. The rehabilitated meadows provide a habitat and spawning grounds for several key elements of the East End ecosystem, including shellfish and finfish species like scallops, fluke, and bass. It also helps keep local waters clear of sediments and aids in the protection of our shorelines against erosion.

An Opening Reception for Hops for Habitat will take place on Friday, October 2nd from 5 to 8 p.m.

Montauk Brewing Company is located at 62 South Erie Avenue in Montauk. For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Meadows Program, visit www.marinemeadows.org.