The Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to restore oyster reefs to New York Harbor through public education initiatives. Why oysters? Their reefs provide habitat for many marine species, have the ability to filter water and help shield New York City shorelines from storm damage. Founded on the belief that restoration without education is temporary, and observing that learning outcomes improve when students have the opportunity to work on real restoration projects, Billion Oyster Project collaborates with public schools. The crew designs STEM curriculum for NYC schools through the lens of oyster restoration and engages Urban Assembly New York Harbor School students in large-scale restoration projects, collects discarded oyster shells from nearly 70 NYC restaurants, and engages the local community. The project has introduced 122 million oysters across 19 acres and 18 oyster restoration sites, with the help of 11,000 students and more than 15,000 volunteers.

Join Billion Oyster Project Divers, Tanasia & Zoe as they walk us through the project, explain the goals and how they hope to achieve them. They’ll also talk about their end-of-season event which I’m told is an AWESOME party!

Social Media/Links:

Billion Oyster Project
National Geographic
Prince William and the East River
Billion Oyster Party