Watch the Full Sturgeon Moon

BY TARALYNN REYNOLDS, GROUP FOR THE EAST OUTREACH AND EDUCATION MANAGER

This month we see the peak of some of our favorite veggies like tomatoes. If you haven’t had a Long Island grown tomato, you’re missing out. Stop by a local farmstand and enjoy all the summer has to offer. Our flower gardens are in full bloom and the summer heat has set in. Enjoy nature at Downs Farm Preserve in Cutchogue or Arshamomaque Preserve in Greenport. Don’t forget to observe this summer full moon. The Full Sturgeon Moon appears in tonight’s sky!

I hope you pause for a moment to look up into the night sky and look at the brilliance of a full moon. It’s been a crazy couple of months and many of our summer plans were put on hold, but we have a full month of summer left and hopefully spending time outdoors is part of your plan.

Sturgeon moon refers to the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain that were most easily caught during this part of the summer. Sturgeon are a family of fish native in the Great Lakes region. They grow very large, some up to 240 pounds, live a long time (55 years), and show up in the fossil record as far back as 200 million years ago. Sturgeon were an extremely important food source for Native peoples. Because of their large size, one fish could feed many people.  

Other names for August’s moon include, “Full Green Corn Moon,” indicating this is the peak time to harvest this important crop, “Wheat Cut Moon,” “Moon When All Things Ripen,” and “Blueberry Moon.” 

Daylight hours are shortening and fall is on its way so get outside, take a walk, stop and smell some flowers, bask in the sunlight on your favorite beach and just enjoy your time. Find us on social media and learn more about our online programming and future events. We hope to see you soon.