Billion Oyster Project and Attentive Energy team up to expand waterfront education opportunities in the New York area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

NEW YORK — September 28, 2022: Billion Oyster Project is excited to announce that Attentive Energy will provide critical support to the organization’s ambitious mission — with a particular focus on hands-on learning through the lens of oyster restoration. 

“Partnering with a local renewable energy company makes a lot of sense for Billion Oyster Project” said Ann Fraioli, Director of Education at Billion Oyster Project. “Our team is training the next generation of environmental stewards, and we’re glad that Attentive Energy shares our passion for restoring New York Harbor and leveraging this natural resource as an outdoor classroom.”

Billion Oyster Project aims to engage one million people in the effort to restore one billion oysters by 2035, and is currently on pace to introduce its 100 millionth oyster to the waterways around New York City in 2022. 

In the coming year, Attentive Energy’s funding will allow Billion Oyster Project to:

• Get more Oyster Research Tanks into classrooms

• Train nearly 100 New York City teachers to lead Oyster Research Station monitorings along New York Harbor with their students

• Facilitate 60+ classroom field visits to on-water oyster field stations

• Host an Annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Symposium on Governors Island for local students.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Billion Oyster Project to support their critical, hands-on, programming that brings communities and students closer to our natural environment” said Damian Bednarz, Managing Director of Attentive Energy. “From local classroom support and teacher capacity building to strengthening the resiliency and future of the New York, the Billion Oyster Project’s mission aligns with Attentive Energy’s values of bringing deep experience and a community-first approach to local investment.”

Through a multi-year partnership with the National Science Foundation, Billion Oyster Project’s Education team recently developed the Human Harbor curriculum — a collection of K-12 science units that directly connect students to their natural environment. Housed under four Harbor themed sections, or “packages'', the curriculum is provided, free of cost, to teachers who want to implement it in their classrooms. 

Billion Oyster Project is grateful for the generous support of Attentive Energy that can help students become stewards of their local environment while learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in their own backyard. Future support may include workforce development for offshore wind programs, partnering with Attentive Energy’s storm restoration efforts, and more.

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About Attentive Energy 

Attentive Energy is an offshore wind developer at the forefront of the emerging offshore wind industry in New York and New Jersey. Since 2018, their team has taken a community-first approach in our offshore wind project to ensure the environmental and economic benefits of the industry can benefit all New Yorkers. To learn more about their project and approach to meeting our shared clean energy goals, please visit attentiveenergy.com.

About Billion Oyster Project

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. The organization has collected nearly two million pounds of discarded oyster shells from 75+ NYC restaurants and has engaged 11,000 volunteers in preparing those shells to be seeded with oyster larvae. The project has introduced 100 million oysters across 18 restoration sites and 16 acres of New York Harbor with the help of more than 8,000 students.

Media Contacts:

Billion Oyster Project: 
Helene Hetrick, Communications Director, hhetrick@nyharbor.org

Attentive Energy: 
Oriana Holmes-Price, External Affairs Associate, oriana.holmes-price@totalenergies.com