Lecture: Envision Plum Island Preserved
Conservation biologist Louise Harrison will examine the campaign to preserve Plum Island, N.Y., in a lecture on Wednesday, December 2, at 7:00 pm at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
Harrison, the Long Island project manager and senior science advisor for Save the Sound, will explore why protecting this mysterious island off the North Fork is important in preserving our region’s biodiversity and opportunities for environmental research. She will discuss the implications of decommissioning the Plum Island Animal Disease Laboratory and how we can help keep the island in public ownership and ensure proper stewardship.
“Plum Island has been described as what could become ‘the last great conservation save in New York State,’” she said. “There’s just no other place like it. Hosting at least 111 species of conservation concern, the island begs for a response from government to keep it in the public domain, enjoying careful stewardship. The region must come together to ensure this biodiversity hotspot is protected in perpetuity.”
About Louise Harrison
Louise Harrison has served on Long Island in federal, New York State, and Suffolk County agencies as well as in leadership and consulting positions for not-for-profit environmental organizations. She has led task forces and community coalitions in protecting open space and co-chaired a broad community movement that saved Stony Brook’s last forest. She worked in Stamford, CT, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service liaison to the Long Island Sound Study, where she concentrated on stewardship of Long Island Sound’s ecosystems, habitat restoration projects, and invasive species control.
Harrison has extensive field experience working in Long Island’s coastal communities and natural ecosystems, from the boroughs of New York City to Montauk and Orient Point, and has received numerous awards for open space preservation efforts. She served for nine years after being appointed by the New York State Assembly to the commission that created the Long Island North Shore Heritage Area and was a key leader in that planning effort. In 2009, she was awarded the STAR award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for her leadership in Long Island Sound stewardship. She lives in the Town of Southold on Long Island’s North Fork.
About Save the Sound
Save the Sound brings together the strengths of three merged organizations—Save the Sound’s advocacy and restoration, Connecticut Fund for the Environment’s litigation and coalitions, and Long Island Soundkeeper’s on-the-water patrols—into one powerful, interdisciplinary, regional nonprofit organization.
The mission of Save the Sound is to protect and improve the land, air, and water of the whole Long Island Sound region. The organization uses legal and scientific expertise and bring people together to achieve results that benefit our environment for current and future generations.
Mini Sea Creatures with UpSculpt
“UpSculpting” is the combination of upcycling and sculpting to create environmentally conscious artwork. Our goal is to empower action surrounding the crisis of marine plastic pollution by engaging the public through art, science, and educational workshops.
Join us for a Marine Debris Upcycling Workshop focused on environmental action, upcycled arts, and sustainability! Participants transform marine plastics into miniature sculptures with guidance from Bri Sander, local artist and Director of Education and Outreach. Using debris collected from our shorelines, you’ll learn how to craft whimsical upcycled artwork while learning about the ocean pollution crisis and making a positive impact on our environment. Let’s turn waste into art together! Sessions begin with a brief introductory presentation and Q&A.
UpSculpt is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization based on Long Island, NY. Learn more at upsculpt.com
Saturday, January 16
11 am-12:30 pm
Adults & Kids 12+ $25/Members $22.50
Kids 5-11 $15/Members $13.50
REGISTER
A Journey Into the Art, Science, and History of the Written Word
ScribeCraft is a four-part creative adventure through the world of traditional writing arts. Each session explores a different ancient skill—from making your own writing materials to shaping the pages, scrolls, and bindings that once carried stories across centuries.
Every workshop stands alone, offering a fun hands-on project you can jump into at any point, and together they form a complete path from raw materials to finished works you craft yourself.
Whether you join us for one session or experience the entire series, ScribeCraft invites you to slow down, experiment, and rediscover the joy of making something meaningful with your own hands.
Adults & Youth 12+
$40 | $36 Museum Members
January 30: Papermaking
February 20: Ink
April 3: Letters & Seals
May 1: Bookbinding
Materials will be provided.
A Gift That Lasts All Year!
A Vanderbilt Museum Membership offers exciting and educational entertainment all year-round. Many people enjoy the unique combination of history, science, and outdoor splendor that the property has to offer.
Additionally, Upper-level members receive free admission and benefits at more than 1,541 museums in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program. Associate-level members and higher enjoy free laser show tickets to shows such as: Laser Bowie, U2, Depeche Mode, Grateful Dead, Prince, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Kiss, Taylor Swift and more!
All members receive free admission, Planetarium daytime shows, Mansion tours, and discounts in our gift shop!
See the Vanderbilt Mansion’s Decked Halls
Each year, local designers, garden clubs, and the Museum’s curators deck the halls of the historic Vanderbilt Mansion. The decorators add lighted trees, boughs, garland, ornaments, poinsettias, ribbons, and wreaths. Their beautiful work brings a delightful touch of holiday magic to the estate. Jazz from the 1920s and ’30s will be playing in the library and throughout the house.
Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan, Executive Director of the Museum, said, “These generous volunteers use their time and talent to create an atmosphere of holiday grandeur and sophisticated living. We’re grateful to them for bringing magic to this historic house.”
Decorators include the Centerport, Three Village, Asharoken, Nathan Hale, and Dix Hills garden clubs, and Centerport designer Gabrielle O’Reilly Hoffman of All Set by Gabrielle.
Starting the day after Thanksgiving, visitors can explore the charming transformations – and enjoy a trip back in time – on self-guided strolls through the century-old, Spanish Revival-style home. To see all the decorated rooms, guests can join guided tours of the Vanderbilt family’s private living quarters.
Guests in the grand waterfront home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, once included famous Americans and British royalty.
Special Candlelight Tours
The highly anticipated, annual Candlelight Tours will be offered on these dates:
- Saturday, December 5 | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Saturday, December 12 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Saturday, December 19 | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Tours depart every 15 minutes, with the final tour beginning at 7:30 pm.
These special evening hours offer the public a rare opportunity to experience the Mansion after dark—the only time this is permitted during the year.
Admission & Tickets
- General Admission: $14
- Seniors (62+) & Students (with ID): $10
- Children (ages 12 and under): $8
Please note: Tickets are available exclusively online.
Celebrate the Winter Solstice
Children in Kindergarten-Grade 4
10 am – 12 pm
$25/$22.50 Members
Children will have fun in workshops celebrating the winter solstice. Learn about cultural traditions and how wildlife adapts to shorter days.
Beth Laxer-Limmer, associate director of education, said, “Winter is a magical time. The Vanderbilt’s workshops celebrate the beauty and activity in nature as winter begins.”
Monday, December 28
Nature & Collections Walk & Woodland Crown
Tuesday, December 29
Solstice Lantern & Planetarium Show
Exhibition: Forging the Vanderbilt Empire
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum has curated a new exhibition, Bonds, Steel and Steam: Forging the Vanderbilt Empire, which will run through the end of December. The exhibition is installed in the lower level of the Memorial Wing of the Vanderbilt Mansion.
Exploring an era fashioned by the Gilded Age and shaped by the economic phenomenon of Railway Mania, the exhibition tells the generational story of the Vanderbilts, examining how each of their lives was affected by booming technological investment and grand displays of wealth.
Bonds, Steel, and Steam highlights a display of selected bonds and stocks as well as photographs of key family members, railroads, and trains. Through the individual stories behind each document, the exhibition traces the rapid expansion of American railroads and their rise as the backbone of the Industrial Revolution.
Visitors will learn how the Vanderbilts profited from this growth by acquiring control of existing railroads and how the family kept leadership and influence within their circle. Each of these stories also reveals the extreme financial growth of one of the Gilded Age’s wealthiest families.
“Bonds, Steel, and Steam inaugurates a new temporary exhibition program at the Vanderbilt Museum, designed to bring hidden artifacts out of our archives and into the public eye,” said Dr. Roberta Casagrande-Kim, Director of Curatorial Affairs. “I am delighted to launch this initiative through a stimulating collaboration with Dr. Michael Leroy Oberg, Distinguished Professor of History at SUNY Geneseo, and director of the Gardiner Foundation Semiquincentennial Student Fellowship Project.
“Thanks to Michael’s efforts in introducing SUNY undergraduates to the layered meanings of American independence, Stony Brook student Kira Diaz was able to join us for the summer and bring a unique perspective to our bond collection. We look forward to continuing this partnership, opening our doors to the next generation of scholars, and providing them a platform to reframe Mr. Vanderbilt’s extensive collection through their own viewpoints and expertise.”
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Bonds, Steel and Steam: Forging the Vanderbilt Empire, directed by Roberta Casagrande-Kim and curated by Kira Diaz, was made possible by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Semiquincentennial Summer Fellowship Program.
