Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Day 4: Shell Shakin'

Today we went to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Restoration Center. There, we learned about the process of cleaning oyster shells to plant back in the bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation gets oyster shells from shucking companies and donations. Then, they are left outside for at least a year to allow the sun, rain, insects, and time clean them. Today, we shoveled those shells onto a device that allowed us to shake off the broken pieces and dirt. Then, we shoveled the remaining shells into bags. The bags were dunked in water to give them a final rinse. The work was strenuous, but satisfying. From there, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation uses these bags of oysters to provide substrate for more oysters to grow on. They also provide habitat for other organisms in the bay. We saw an old black and white photo of men standing on huge mounds of oyster shell that was left over from shucking operations. It is satisfying to know that things that were once waste products can be used to improve the quality of our water. Today we left our mark on the Oyster Restoration Center’s walls to sign our names, but we also left a mark on the Chesapeake Bay itself!

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