VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Now that summer is over, so too is oyster gardening season for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, but the good news is the organization hit a record number this year.
Up until August, nearly 700 volunteers were able to plant just shy of 150,000 oyster larvae into cages that will eventually grow their own shells.
"We've planted 146,533 approximately adult oysters into the Chesapeake Bay waterways this season, that's super exciting," Jessica Lutzow, with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said. "Last year, we had I believe about 85,000."
Mature oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, adding to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the animals living in it.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation attributes the accomplishment to the number of volunteers who helped out this year.
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"We've worked with some high school service clubs, we have state park rangers growing at their locations, so it's just become a kind of community effort which has increased our numbers tenfold," Lutzow said.
The oysters planted this year will contribute to the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance's goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Chesapeake Bay by 2025.
Lutzow said next year they are looking to add more public spaces for volunteers to grow oysters.
She said if you would like to be a part of their program next summer to be on the lookout for information in April.
