Long Island affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation, Robins Island Foundation, recognizes the importance of protecting New York’s breathtaking coastlines, diverse wildlife habitats, and historic natural and working landscapes. From protecting critical conservation lands through donated conservation easements to safeguarding Long Island’s waterways and supporting habitat protection programs, Robins Island Foundation has built thriving partnerships that work hand-in-hand with the community.

Clean Water Advocacy

The foundation partners to support the protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystems of the Peconic and South Shore estuaries of Long Island. Efforts primarily focus on conservation, management, and improvement projects; public education and organizing; research initiatives; and environmental reviews of projects and activities that threaten the vitality and health of the bays, such as sprawl or unsustainable development. Current focus areas range from mobilizing beach cleanups and mitigating nutrient runoff to monitoring algae blooms and implementing a broad septic system improvement program.

Balancing Development and Building Protection Programs

Advocating for responsible development practices and coastal management policies, Robins Island Foundation partners to protect and restore Long Island’s fragile coastal environment through education, citizen action, and advocacy. Focus areas have included saving Plum Island from development, efforts to halt both the expansion of a sand mine and The Hills in East Quogue to protect critical groundwater and fragile environments, and advocating for lasting protection programming for recovering osprey populations.

"Robins Island Foundation exemplifies the importance and commitment of community stewardship that is so greatly needed to preserve our local environment.” – Kim Tretrault, CCE Marine

Land, Habitat and Natural Resource Preservation

Long Island is faced with intense development pressures as land valuations rise each year. Robins Island Foundation is focused on supporting the critical and expert partners on the ground who work with community members to preserve and expand the natural, historic, and, in particular, agricultural resources that contribute to Long Island’s unique rural character and local farming future through custom conservation easements and other financial mechanisms.

Coastal Restoration Efforts

Many priority bird and aquatic species depend on salt marsh habitat and coasts, and are threatened by our changing climate. With partners, we are committed to advancing water quality protection initiatives, bird and shellfish habitat improvement projects, and research and restoration across the North and South Forks. We support youth and community education, encouraging young people’s stewardship of marine life on Long Island.

Community Support

We are proud to support the vitality of communities on Eastern Long Island and their role as environmental stewards. Partner initiatives include advocacy, research, habitat preservation, and environmental education programs. 

Long Island News & Impact

Robins Island Foundation helps Peconic Community School move to new location

A grant from the Robins Island Foundation, The Moore Charitable Foundation’s Long Island affiliate, will help the Peconic Community School move to a new location

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Robins Island Foundation Supports Innovative Research for Scallop Preservation

Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s Marine Program has identified a potential solution for the recent heightened die-offs of Peconic Bay scallops—shifting the spawning season from the

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Back to the Bays of Long Island

In Long Island, The Robins Island Foundation supports CCE Marine’s Back to the Bays initiative, a stewardship outreach effort to increase community engagement in water

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