2015 Oyster Cage Delivery Recap
Our volunteers arrived early on the morning of October 1st, armed with rain boots, rain jackets and smiles on their faces—despite the fact that the effects of Hurricane Joaquin were keeping the Eastern Shore very wet! Under the shelter of a tent and our umbrellas we went over the strategy for the assembly line we would be using to fill cages and buckets with spat-on-shell. New growers receive cages filled with the spat and our existing growers (who retained their cages during the off season) got their spat delivered in 5 gallon buckets. We discussed the game plan further over donuts and coffee, teaming volunteers up with each other and answering questions as the arose.
The Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) arrived and we promptly unloaded two trucks—one filled with cages for our new growers and one loaded with cages and spat-on-shell. Once the goods were off of the trucks, we got to work preparing the cages for their foster homes for the next 6 months. After the cages were filled for new growers, and buckets filled for existing growers, we started loading our volunteer’s trucks and sending them out to their delivery routes. We sent 33 people out to run 21 routes, 20 by vehicle and one by boat, with some people delivering to more than one route. Without a question, a project like this would not be possible without our dedicated and ever-willing volunteers who go above and beyond!
This year 839 cages were filled with oyster spat-on-shell for 256 Oyster Reef Recovery Initiative growers. Last year, 167 growers received spat-on-shell from us, so we expanded by 53%! What an accomplishment to continue to deliver to our growers in a timely and organized manner and it couldn’t’ be done without the collaboration of our partners, volunteers, growers, and of course the hard work of our Program Manager, Kelsey Spiker!
Here’s a list of this years volunteers…your dedication is very much appreciated!
Bart Abbott
Carolyn C Abbott
Bob Barton
John Bayliss
Edward G. Boyer
Marian Thomsen Brown
David Cadell
Neil R Clark
Gene Walter Counihan
Lloyd Devigne
Norman Franck
Jeanne Gordinier
Mark Gross
Bob Higgins
Jane H Holly
Bruce M. Holly Jr.
William James
William James
Bruce Jones
Chris Judy – DNR
Kathy Miller
Doug Rollow
Doug Slocum
Kay Slocum
Meredith Smith
Mike Violette
Alex White
Mike Windsor
Samantha Windsor
Michael Windsor Jr.
Mike Payne
Jim Reilly
Harrison Renshaw