Restoring the Waters That Raised Us
The Great Island Foundation is a volunteer-run nonprofit working to rebuild the ecological health of the Connecticut River estuary — one of the most important tidal marsh systems in the northeastern United States.
Support Our WorkWhy We Do What We Do
The mouth of the Connecticut River is a place of extraordinary ecological significance — a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and the anchor of Connecticut's National Estuarine Research Reserve. It is also our home.
The Great Island Foundation was formed by people who grew up on these shores, who learned to sail in these currents, and who watched the health of this estuary change over the course of their lifetimes. We are engineers, ecologists, attorneys, educators, and entrepreneurs — all volunteers — united by a belief that this place is worth fighting for.
Our Mission
Established in 2022, the Great Island Foundation focuses on restoring the Connecticut River mouth and Long Island Sound ecosystems through education and eco-friendly economic initiatives.
Our mission is to increase awareness among local, regional, and national stakeholders on the vital role of the river and its estuary. We are building partnerships with local nonprofits, educational institutions, businesses, and government agencies to make that happen — starting in Old Lyme and the surrounding coastline communities who benefit most directly from cleaner waters, coastal erosion protection, and the regeneration of the town's estuaries and shoreline.
Our initial efforts focus on foundational pilot projects along the Connecticut River side of Great Island, Griswold Point, the Back River, and Black Hall River — demonstrating the benefits of restoration through oyster bed recovery and eelgrass replanting in areas with documented historic populations.
Our Work
Oyster Restoration
ActiveWe collect and recycle oyster shell from restaurants across southeastern Connecticut, map historic oyster beds in the Connecticut River, and work with regional nonprofits and state partners to build long-term restoration plans.
Eelgrass Recovery
ActiveWe fund academic research and fellowships in marine ecology, develop restoration proposals grounded in international best practices, and build partnerships across the region to bring eelgrass back to Long Island Sound.
Reef Habitat Construction
In DevelopmentWe are designing reef ball deployments to create durable underwater habitat structures that support shellfish colonization and protect against shoreline erosion in the estuary.
Mussel Bioextraction
In ProgressWe are building and deploying ribbed mussel rafts that harness the natural filtering power of native mussels to remove nitrogen from the water column and improve water clarity.
This Place Needs You
The Great Island Foundation is entirely volunteer-run. We have no paid staff and no overhead — every dollar goes directly to conservation work in the Connecticut River estuary. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply spread the word, you help protect one of New England's most important coastal ecosystems.