Get muddy with us and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ oyster team (SCDNR SCORE) to build an oyster reef in the middle of the Charleston Harbor on Shutes Folly Island! This oyster build is special because we will be adding bagged oyster shell and wire reefs onto our 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Shutes Folly oyster builds!
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 SCDNR’s Marine Resources Campus on James Island 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: 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!
