Watch the Digital Desk segment with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in the video player.
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is looking for oyster foster parents in the Commonwealth.
Be an oyster gardener and help the foundation clean and restore the state’s tidal waterways. Did you know adult oysters can filter up to fifty gallons of water per day?
Oyster Restoration Manager Jackie Shannon and Oyster Restoration Specialist Jessica Lutzow joined the Digital Desk to discuss oyster gardening, restoration and how to get involved. Watch the segment in the video player on this page.
The effort will support the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance‘s goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. So far, about 6 billion new oysters have been added to the Bay, according to Lutzow.
Shannon says, one of her favorite sayings about oysters is that they are like the living water treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay.
“The accumulative impact of getting billions of oysters out annually is very significant in terms of helping to clean and filter the water,” said Shannon. “They’re also wonderful habitats for hundreds of other species, and they’re also very commercially valuable too.”
The Oyster Restoration team in Virginia performs hands-on work with the help of volunteers to strengthen the species in our waterways.
Part of their mission is engaging citizens, students and more to assist in this monumental effort. They host events all across the Virginia watershed.
Are you interested in participating?
Registration is now open for participants to join the almost 700 oyster gardeners already working across the state.
“Oyster gardening is a hands-on experience and allows you to interact with the Bay environment in such a positive way,” said Lutzow.
There are a few ways to participate.
As a new gardener, when you sign-up, first you attend a 45-minute seminar.
Nine workshops will be held throughout the summer in coastal Virginia. The first one will happen from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 in Virginia Beach.
In the workshops hosted by CBF, oyster gardeners will learn everything they need to know, from getting started to maintenance to future planting on sanctuary oyster reefs. The process takes about a year.
The workshop is also where you pick up your baby oysters, spat-on-shell. Each gardener will be given two cages, line, and reusable zip ties.
Cleaning supplies for the crate, like sponges or brushes are left to the gardener, to choose what works best for them.
“When you sign up to be an oyster gardener, you’re taking home live animals,” said Lutzow. “So, that’s why the seminar is very important because we obviously want everyone to feel really prepared with what they’re getting into.”
Signing up for a seminar does not mean you have to commit. CBF encourages “Listen and Learn” registration. This is for those looking to find out more information. See if it is something you might be interested in. It is free to sign up for this exploratory option.
Where do the oysters grow?
One option is for participants to raise oysters in cages suspended from a dock. CBF can also find you a public growing space to raise oysters, such as marinas or parks, that partners with the program.
The workshops will continue in cities across coastal Virginia through the beginning of August. Click here to view the full list of workshops and sign-up. It costs a $35 fee for being a new gardener. It is free to bring a guest, or sign up for the “Listen and Learn” option.
Find out more about the oyster gardening program and volunteering for future events at cbf.org.
