Tiana Bayside Facility is a marine education center on Dune Road in Hampton Bays, located between the calm waters of Tiana Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Cornell Cooperative Extension runs three summer programs here, each focused on the nearby habitats.
Bayside Adventures · Ages 7–9 and 10–14
This five-day marine science program covers all the habitats at Tiana, including salt marshes, eelgrass meadows, mudflats, ocean beach, and dunes. The week takes kids through seining, coastal hikes, birdwatching, species identification, and microscope work in the lab. Every camper has their own fish tank to care for throughout the week. Creative observation and art are part of the program as well. Kids should be capable in the water and ready for active fieldwork including seining.
Ages 7–9 run July 13–17 and ages 10–14 run August 24–28, both Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. The program costs $715 for residents and $740 for non-residents.
ArtSea · Ages 7–9 and 10–13
A week that blends marine science with hands-on art. The art side is led by local artist Carolyn Munaco, with projects in painting, drawing, sculpture, and collage all inspired by the marine environment right outside. Each day also includes outdoor habitat exploration, touch-tank time, and science lessons from CCE educators. Kids collect what they find outside and use it as the starting point for their work.
Ages 7–9 run July 20–24 and ages 10–13 run August 17–21, both Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. The program costs $715 for residents and $740 for non-residents.
Seahorse Art & Science · Ages 10–14
This week focuses entirely on seahorses: their biology, ecology, and behavior. Each day, students seine in the eelgrass meadow as part of CCE's Seahorse Conservation Initiative, capturing, photographing, and measuring live seahorses in their natural habitat. Kids also snorkel over the meadows, run experiments, help with eelgrass restoration, and work on seahorse-inspired art with Carolyn Munaco. Kids should be confident swimmers, comfortable getting in the water up to waist height.
The program runs two sessions, July 27–31 and August 10–14, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. The program costs $770 for residents and $795 for non-residents.
Registration opens May 5 through the Southampton Town Parks Department. Create an account in advance at nysouthamptonweb.myvscloud.com.