Join us and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ oyster team to build an oyster reef in the middle of the Charleston Harbor on Shutes Folly Island!
We will take a boat to Shutes Folly where we will do our work. Due to space limitations on the boat, the event is capped at 15 volunteers. 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.
This oyster build is special because we will be adding bagged oyster shell and wire reefs onto our 2019, 2021, and 2022 Shutes Folly oyster builds, a reef which is currently around 223 linear feet!
What to expect: Meeting at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Campus located on James Island, we will 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.
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 reefs.
Please anticipate getting muddy, wet, and being in the sun. While reef builds are a blast, they are also labor intensive – it is important to start hydrating the day before the event.
What to wear/bring:
- Closed-toe shoes. Rainboots/muck boots are recommended. If you don’t 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.
The location: Shutes Folly is located in the middle of the Charleston Harbor and is a crucial nesting ground for shorebirds while also providing refuge, nursery habitat, and feeding grounds to many of our recreationally and commercially important finfish and shellfish species.
We hope to see you for a day enhancing wildlife habitat and improving resilience of our local salt marshes and oyster reefs!