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

Scott Eglseder

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

Kelsey Spiker

Mike Violette

Alex White

Kim White

Mike Windsor

Samantha Windsor

Michael Windsor Jr.

Mike Payne

Jim Reilly

Harrison Renshaw