Do you enjoy eating the seafood in the Seafood Capital of South Carolina? Give back and join us with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ oyster team to build an oyster reef in Murrells Inlet!
Should we need to cancel due to weather, an email will be sent the evening prior to the event. If registration is full, please send me an email at [email protected] and I will put you on the waitlist. If you need to back out before the event, please let me know, so I can fill your spot.
What to expect
While reef builds are a blast, they are labor intensive! Expect to get muddy and wet, be in the sun, and get some exercise. Volunteers should be capable of and enjoy working in soft pluff mud while lifting and passing up to 40-pound bags of oyster shell and wire cages.
We will meet at the Murrells Inlet Public Boat Ramp to sign volunteer waivers, meet SCDNR’s oyster restoration crew, learn about the importance of oyster reefs to our coastal environment, and hear the game plan for the day. Following the briefing, we will load the material onto the boats and head out to the site for the restoration.
What to wear/bring
- Closed-tie shoes. Rainboots/ muck boots are recommended. If you do not have boots, old sneakers will work. No sandals!
- Clothes you don’t mind getting muddy or stained.
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- Reusable water bottle – there will be a water cooler to refill.
- I recommend leaving a set of clean clothes in your car to change into after the build.
Please note, this is challenging, but rewarding, work. If this is not within your wheelhouse, please check out our other volunteer and event opportunities here!
The location: Murrells Inlet is the Seafood Capital of South Carolina generating over $40 million in sales per year. According to NOAA researchers, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island have some of the most imperiled salt marshes in South Carolina because of sea level rise, the smaller size marshes and the amount of development surrounding them. For all of these reasons, it is even more important to focus restoration efforts in this area to ensure we continue to have this habitat to support our fisheries and our coastal communities.
We hope to see you in Murrells Inlet for a day enhancing wildlife habitat and improving resilience of our local salt marshes and oyster reefs!
