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Former corporate party planner and now an ardent conservationist, Ellen Federico has written, Butterfly Island and the Invincible Crew, a children’s book on the plight of Fire Island’s endangered monarch butterflies. Forced to shift their migratory patterns, they have lost their habitats due to chemical overuse and a changing climate that prevents them from flourishing.

Books & Authors

The Butterfly Lady of Fire Island Writes a Children’s Book with a Message for All of Us

Posted on September 7, 2025

Lifeguards are trained to save the lives of human swimmers. Still, one Dunewood lifeguard recently went above and beyond by helping to rescue two baby animals during a single August 5 shift.

Swan and Deer Saved by Dunewood Lifeguard

Posted on September 3, 2025

Help Wanted

HELP WANTED: Do You Have the Right Stuff? Great South Bay News Seeks Contributors

Posted on September 2, 2025

Over the last eight months, as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to slash the federal bureaucracy, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has targeted the National Park Service (NPS) with unprecedented funding disruptions and staffing reductions. These abrupt cuts have sown chaos across the National Park System, and Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) has not emerged unscathed. FINS staff are stretched thin and existentially stressed; the Fire Island Lighthouse renovation has been delayed by years, and the seashore has been pushed into unprecedented territory.

National Park Service Cuts Push Fire Island National Seashore Into Uncharted Waters

Posted on August 31, 2025

Babylon Village Farmers Market Babylon Village Gazebo, 244 West Main St. Sundays, 8 a.m.-noon May-November, rain or shine. Bay Shore Farmers Market Bounty by the Bay at Chef JoJo’s CookShop, 1895 Union Blvd. Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., from June 15-October 26. Bellport Village Farmers Market 471 Atlantic Ave. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. July-October. Islip Hamlet Farmers Market Town Hall Parking Lot, 655 Main St. Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon June-November. Patchogue Village Farmers Market East side of Patchogue LIRR Parking Lot Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. June-October. Sayville Farmers Market The Islip Grange, 10 Broadway Ave. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May-October.

Find Your Farmers Market Along the Great South Bay

Posted on August 30, 2025

A competition of sand castles! This years theme is Renaissance Architecture. Build anything: the Florentine Duomo, St. Peter’s Basilica, or anything with a such style! Castles are judged based on detail and creativity. You get a plot of beach and get to build anything. Drinks and water will be available.

Labor Day Weekend and Past Tumbleweed Tuesday: Things To Do Around the Great South Bay and Fire Island as August Ends and September Begins

Posted on August 29, 2025

Enjoy Labor Day Weekend with the last issue of Fire Island News for the 2025 season at the beachside or on your breakfast table, with 64 pages of rich summer reading. Here, you will find the latest news updates, events happening on Fire Island and in the Great South Bay neighborhoods over the weekend and into September, as well as thoughtful essays on a range of subjects.

Fire Island News Closes Out 2025 Summer Season with Labor Day Weekend Edition

Posted on August 28, 2025

The United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, ruled on August 22 that the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) can move forward with plans to construct fencing in the Sunken Forest and employ both lethal and non-lethal methods to control the white-tailed deer population within it, according to a report released by Courthouse News Service.

Second Circuit Court Approves Deer Culling and Fencing in Fire Island’s Sunken Forest

Posted on August 25, 2025

The Fire Island Lifeguard Tournament is always a favorite event to cover. Still, this year, Ocean Beach Police Officer Andrew Becher sent us something a little different – a view from above. A licensed and talented drone operator, Becher's photographs have won Fire Island News journalism awards in past years, and he may do so again, as he caught all the action from a different perspective. This year, the Golden Torpe went to the Town of Islip, a machine that is hard to beat, but Ocean Beach and Saltaire Village have taken home their share over the past summers for sure. The skills of all these brave men and women are evenly matched, making for a competitive and close match every time. It's a sport developed in the interests of saving lives along the water. Congratulations to all!

Fire Island Lifeguard Tournament from the Bird’s Eye View

Posted on August 23, 2025

By 1 p.m. this afternoon, Fire Island National Seashore announced beach closures at Watch Hill and Sailors Haven until Saturday, August 23, due to hazardous swimming conditions as Hurricane Erin brews offshore. Further west, the Ocean Beach Village Lifeguard Department called it quits by 3 p.m., after red flag conditions all day, and started dismantling equipment as the ocean surged well ahead of high tide. We have no doubt that Saltaire and Town of Islip Lifeguard departments were doing the same.

Beach Closures Begin on Fire Island Ahead of Hurricane Erin

Posted on August 19, 2025

A large yellow buoy that floated ashore in Atlantique over the weekend of August 9 has become the most photographed backdrop for beachgoers. Measuring about 14 feet by 6 feet, the bright buoy lay stranded along the high-water line, partially buried in sand.

Mystery Buoy Washes up in Atlantique

Posted on August 19, 2025

For South Shore of Long Island residents, the Great South Bay (GSB) is a staple in life. It serves as a cultural hub, an important ecological area, and has local economic means. Unfortunately, some people disregard the importance of this remarkable waterway by littering, dumping, and treating it with disrespect. That is where organizations like Operation SPLASH. come into play.

Operation SPLASH: Quiet Defenders of the Great South Bay

Posted on August 18, 2025

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