Billion Oyster Project will receive $500,000 to design and install a one-acre oyster reef in Flushing Bay, Queens, thanks to U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Read MoreLast month, we had the great fortune of welcoming Prince William to our project and shining a light on our grassroots effort to inspire climate action. If you happened to miss the splash, the kicked off Climate Week by stopping by Billion Oyster Project before his meeting with the UN Secretary-General and hosting his own Earth Shot Summit. Surreal headlines aside, this visit wasn't just about a prince wading into the East River. It was about acknowledging the ongoing efforts of those working to solve our greatest challenge by starting small; making a rippling impact at the intersection of environmental conservation and community involvement.
Read MoreThe waterways surrounding New York City are the cleanest they’ve been in over a hundred years. Did you know that much of the Harbor is safe for primary human contact (read swimming) most of the time? If it was a beach, the Harbor would be open for more than half the year.
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This past weekend we lucked out with cool and sunny summer weather for City of Water Day and the annual Jamaica Bay Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12!
As part of the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Park Conservancy’s virtual festival, Tanasia Swift, our Community Reefs Regional Manager, joined Alex Zablocki at JBRPC to talk about the large oysters growing in Paerdegat Basin near the Sebago Canoe Club.
“We’re not growing oysters for consumption,” explains Tanasia. “We’re growing them so they can provide habitat for animals, which increases biodiversity. Oysters are also filter-feeders so they take in nutrients and suspended particles [as they eat] — clearing the surrounding water.”
If you missed this session, you can still view the recording on our Facebook page.
At roughly the same time, BOP staff and volunteers were on the opposite side of Brooklyn in Domino Park — getting ready to pull up an Oyster Research Station! Passersby in the waterfront park got to examine Billion Oyster Project oysters up close, as well as the crabs and fish that make their home on and around clumps of oysters.
Photos by Hana Isihara
“City of Water Day in Domino Park was a blast” said Agata Poniatowski, Education Outreach Coordinator at BOP. “It was really great to meet folks from the neighborhood who are curious and excited about the Billion Oyster Project’s work in Domino Park, with support from Two Trees!
To learn more about our education programming and upcoming events, visit our STEM Education page and Events page.
On Thursday, Feb. 20 and Tuesday, Mar. 10, Billion Oyster Project, together with Delmonico’s Restaurant and P.J. Clarke’s Sidecar, will host “Back to the Future” — a chef collaboration dinner series celebrating the diverse seafood that was once abundant in New York Harbor.
Read MoreIn mid-December, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School held its annual Professional Advisory Committee meeting on Governors Island. Among 60+ industry partners, who attended on behalf of the school’s seven Career & Technical Education programs, was Harbor School grad Awa Sylla. Awa (pictured below) graduated from the Marine Systems Technology CTE program, and has since landed a job at Ironworkers Local 580.
Read MoreOn Sunday, November 3, five runners will brave 26 miles around New York City in support of the Billion Oyster Project. Click here to meet and support our 2019 TCSNYC Marathon squad.
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