Eastern Shore Master Naturalists Support Oyster Restoration
–Contributed by Ann Quigley, VMN Eastern Shore Chapter
On June 21, Eastern Shore Master Naturalists turned in the oysters they have tended for the last year as part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s oyster gardening program. ESMN oyster gardeners include Kathy and Ed Augustine, Joette Borzik, Debbie Belote, Abby Gale, Patty McLaughlin, Virginia Morgan, Kellie Piekarsky, Ann Quigley, and Marlene Richard. Collectively they have devoted hundreds of hours to this important effort over the last few years, and they turned in thousands of oysters at the June 21 event.
Over the last year the group suspended their oyster cages off their personal docks or similar locations and conducted periodic checks of the cages to help ensure that the cages are free of predators such as crabs and flatworms. They also ensure that the cages get a sufficient flow of water and are fully submersed when the air temperature drops below freezing. Over the course of the year the oysters grow from larvae into mature oysters.
The CBF program is intended to help restore the Bay’s oyster population which has declined substantially since its peak due to weather, disease, and habitat loss. Oysters that are tended and have a chance to grow before being placed on a reef have a greater chance of survival. In addition to being “filter feeders,” oyster reefs provide important habitat to hundreds of species and can protect fragile shorelines from erosion.
According to Jessica Lutzow, CBF Oyster Restoration Specialist:
“By participating in Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Gardening program, the ESMNs are tangibly making a difference in their water system! Just this season alone the ESMN gardeners returned approximately 2,525 mature oysters. In the right conditions, each one of those mature oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, so they helped grow enough oysters to filter about 126,250 gallons of water a day. All the returned oysters from this event were planted onto a shoreline on the Bay side of the Eastern Shore!”
These and other efforts are making a difference. For example, CBF and partners recently announced restoration of oyster habitat in six Bay tributaries as part of a larger effort involving more than 1,000 oyster reefs in what is considered the largest oyster restoration effort globally.
To participate in the program, first-time oyster gardeners attend a short seminar to learn how to maintain their oyster garden over the coming year. Then they take home spat-on-shell oysters (baby oysters set on recycled shells) and two 18″ x 9″ cages to grow them in. Gardeners grow and care for their oysters in the cages for about one year and return the mature adult oysters to CBF at an Oyster Roundup the following summer. For more information go to https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening/index.html.
The ESMNs share dedication to this program for various reasons. Abby Gale enjoys growing oysters because its a “great way to help local water quality and it helps [her] be more knowledgeable when volunteering with school children during field trips.” Kellie Piekarsky, who is starting her fourth year as a gardener, finds it very satisfying to see the oysters grow knowing what an important impact they will have on the Bay.
All look forward to tending this year’s batch!