Under the guidance of trained team leaders, Ron Marino, Neal Axelrad, Richard Regula and Bill Higgins, volunteers will provide bi-weekly maintenance of crates by pulling them out of the water, rinsing and scrubbing them down. Samples are then taken of these miniscule creatures (Crassostrea virginica), also known as spat, from each crate and checked for survivorship and growth. It’s a great way to learn about the oyster life cycle with a hands-on approach.

The time commitment is approximately two hours every other week during the growing season which runs from early July until the end of September. At the end of the season, the grown-out oysters will be planted in the Great South Bay Oyster Project sanctuaries out in the Bay. The sanctuaries provide suitable sites for adult oysters to spawn, and promote wild settlement. Environmental superheroes, one mature oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day.

The Community Oyster Gardening program is run by West Islip resident and organization Board Member Andy Mirchel in collaboration with Demetrios Caroussos of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s SPAT program. We extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the Commodore Rhianna Quinn Roddy of Bay Shore Yacht Club, Commodore Phil Berdolt at Babylon Yacht Club and Commodore Sean Ellis at Unqua Yacht Club for providing space at their docks.

Get Involved!

Volunteer at www. savethegreatsouthbay.org/volunteer. Students and families are welcome. Community service forms available.

About Save The Great South Bay

It’s our bay, our heritage — and our legacy. It is up to all of us to protect it for today and for future generations to enjoy. Save The Great South Bay is a local 501(c)3 non-profi t that advocates for and implements real solutions that help protect and preserve the bay, and with that, strengthen our South Shore communities. Our volunteer-driven activities include the Creek Defender program, the Great South Bay Oyster Project and the South Shore Bays Collaborative Monitoring program and Report Card. To learn more about Save The Great South Bay, visit www. savethegreatsouthbay.org and follow us on social media.