Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Councilwoman Michele Johnson, in partnership with the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee and Friends of the Bay, invite residents to volunteer as “oyster gardeners” to help raise their own oyster brood in Oyster Bay Harbor. Raising oysters has numerous environmental benefits as it improves the local water quality, enhances the marine habitat, and supports a sustainable shellfish population. A volunteer training session will be held on Thursday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Friends of the Bay’s office (2 Townsend Square/111 South Street, Oyster Bay).
“The Town of Oyster Bay is proud to work with our residents to keep the oyster in Oyster Bay, making sure our favorite shellfish is not just part of our storied history but a vital part of the Town’s future,” Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “The North Shore Oyster Gardening program is a perfect complement to the Town of Oyster Bay’s restoration plans which include our shellfish hatchery that is producing millions of clams and oysters annually to further strengthen our waterways, protect spawning areas, and enhance bottom habitat.”
Councilwoman Michele Johnson added, “Together with the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee, the Town of Oyster Bay is excited to offer residents the opportunity to raise their own Oyster brood right in Oyster Bay Harbor. Families, scouts, church groups, and students are raising oysters to improve our local water quality, as an adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, enhances the marine habitat, and supports a sustainable shellfish population.”
Heather Johnson, Executive Director of Friends of the Bay said, “With oyster harvests plummeting more than 99% and no local oysters being served at the Oyster Bay Oyster Festival we are at a critical point of the health and history of the bay. Friends of the Bay is excited to be a part of the success of this program in actively engaging residents in demonstrably improving our local waters.”
Since 2017, hundreds of local residents have raised and released more than 500,000 oysters in and around the Cold Spring Harbor conservation management area as part of the North Shore Oyster Gardening program. The program is led by the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee with support from Friends of the Bay, the villages of Laurel Hollow and Bayville, the Town of Oyster Bay and Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County.
As a participant, you’ll work with fellow gardeners to clean oyster cages and measure a sampling of your oysters each month from July through September. The training is free and open to the public. Registration is required by visiting https://www.friendsofthebay.org/sign-up-for-event.html.
For information about the oyster gardening program, go to: https://www.oysterbaycoldspringharbor.org/index.asp?SEC=8E5BFD5A-F37B-48EF-8BF0-FE6053367B99 or contact Rob Crafa at rob@oysterbaycoldspringharbor.org.