From staff reports
The Coastal Conservation League (SCCCL) is hoping a few good citizens will work on building their muscles while building an oyster reef. The SCCCL and SCDNR’s oyster team will work from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, April 25 to build an oyster reef in the Beaufort River.
Volunteers will meet at the Port Royal Boat Landing, 1 Sands Beach Road, Port Royal. Organizers and volunteers will take a boat to the site in the Beaufort River where they will work.
Due to space limitations on the boat, the event is capped at 15 volunteers. Volunteers must register at https://bit.ly/3DH6mwO. If registration is full, email rachelh@scccl.org to be put on the waiting list. If anyone needs to back out before the event, send an email so organizers can fill the spot.
At the Port Royal Boat Landing (The Sands), volunteers will sign waivers, meet SCDNR’s oyster restoration crew, learn about the importance of oyster reefs to our coastal environment, and hear the game plan for the day.
Volunteers should be capable of and enjoy working in soft pluff mud while lifting and passing up to 40-pound bags of oyster shell and wire reefs.
Please anticipate getting muddy, wet, and being in the sun. While reef builds are a blast, they are also labor-intensive — it is important to start hydrating the day before the event.
Volunteers should wear/bring:
Closed-toe shoes. Rainboots/muck boots are recommended. If you don’t have boots, old sneakers will work. No sandals.
Clothes you don’t mind getting muddy or stained.
Hat.
Sunscreen.
Reusable water bottle — there will be a water cooler to refill.
It’s recommended to leave a set of clean clothes in your car to change into after the build.
The restoration site is located off Cat Island in the Beaufort River and is a crucial nesting ground for shorebirds while also providing refuge, nursery habitat, and feeding grounds to many of our recreationally and commercially important finfish and shellfish species.
WANT TO HELP?
What: Port Royal Oyster Reef Build
When: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, April 25
Where: Meet at the Port Royal Boat Landing, 1 Sands Beach Road, Port Royal
Registration: https://bit.ly/3DH6mwO
