Give Back by Restoring New York Harbor. Volunteer with Us this 2025 Field Season.
/Learn more below about our 2025 volunteer opportunities, upcoming field season activities, public waterfront initiatives, and how contributing to the health of their local waterways has impacted three of our volunteers and Billion Oyster Project Ambassadors, Geoffrey Roskin, Jordan Cox, and Julian Bauman.
“I want to give back. I live here as a transplant [from Georgia.] The mission is inspiring, and the work is easy to do. It’s fun, and I have developed a community. I don’t think I would have gotten to know as many New Yorkers without Billion Oyster Project. It’s been a great opportunity to get to know people and explore the city. ”
We rely on and are very grateful to the thousands of New Yorkers who offer their time, expertise, and curiosity, working alongside us and our community partners every field season as “restoration practitioners.” They help us do the hands-on work of marine ecosystem restoration, directly contributing to our mission and, more importantly, to the health of New York City. Teachers, students, artists, professionals, parents, and retirees—everyday New Yorkers join us as public volunteers, community scientists, and ambassadors, committed to doing their part to care for New York Harbor for generations to come.
Since 2014, over 14,195 public volunteers, 514 Community Scientists, and 114 Ambassadors — have helped us improve the health of New York Harbor at nine field stations and over 119 Oyster Research Station sites. Thanks to all of you who have joined our volunteer community. Restoration of New York Harbor doesn’t happen without you.
Our volunteer activities this year include shoreline cleanups, monitoring our Oyster Research Stations, water quality sampling, measuring wild oysters, fabricating our oyster reef structures, cleaning our shell pile, and more. But don’t sweat it. You don’t have to be a scientist or marine biologist or have any prior experience to get involved. People join us from every borough, background, and varying knowledge of oyster reef restoration. We provide on-site training and hands-on guidance, and our team is available to support various accessibility and learning needs.
Geoff Roskin, retiree and fourth-year volunteer with us, describes his experience:
“It’s not hard work, plus it’s very rewarding because you’re doing something positive to restore the water quality of the New York harbor. You can get a little dirty and sometimes a little wet, but shell washing is also a good way to stay cool on a hot summer’s day on Governors Island.”
We are excited to announce that our field season officially launched on March 14th and runs through November 21st! Field season is an annual time when we implement our harbor-wide restoration efforts and waterfront science initiatives across various parts of New York Harbor. Our monitoring and community water initiatives also start back up and are in full swing in March, with additional opportunities beginning April 22, Earth Day.
Depending on your interest and availability, you can join us for one-off events across the city, commit solely to your local waterways, or dive in for the long term and help us lead our public education and oyster reef restoration initiatives. Regardless, you’ll enjoy time exploring New York City’s coastlines, learn the behind-the-scenes operations of marine ecosystem restoration, and connect with our caring, diverse stewardship network. You’ll also inspire curious New Yorkers, too.
“When we are out monitoring the Oyster Research Stations, and pulling up the cages, often the public will walk by and stop to see not only the oysters but other creatures like sea horses, blennies, and crabs. They see all the living aquatic creatures that they never expected to find in the Harbor,” explains Julian Bauman, marine biology student and a Community Scientist and Ambassador with us for two years.
Here’s a breakdown of our volunteer programming, Community Scientist opportunities, and how to become a Billion Oyster Project Ambassador:
To start, volunteers are not required to take any training to participate. Anyone 16 years or older can participate in shoreline cleanups, wild oyster surveys, oyster reef fabrication, and cleaning shells. Community Scientists test New York Harbor water quality and contribute to our day-to-day restoration efforts by monitoring Oyster Research Stations. Billion Oyster Project Ambassadors, like Jordan and Julian, commit to a longer-term volunteer opportunity. Ambassadors can join in all volunteer activities and additional activities that require training, like supporting our Field Stations & Community Reefs.
Community Water Quality Testing: Originally started by Rob Buchanan, Nancy Brous, and the New York City Water Trail Association, we are proud to carry on the hard work and dedication. For 20 weeks of the year, volunteers, alongside 15+ community partners, test surface water for sewage pollution typically caused by combined sewage overflows. This data, paired with rainfall and tide information, is used to make informed decisions about water quality and its potential impact on human health throughout the NY - NJ Estuary. Learn more about our water quality efforts and how to get involved as a volunteer. Don’t wait to sign up, as our volunteer intake closes in mid-April! Subscribe to our Community Water Quality Testing Newsletter for weekly water quality results when the season starts.
Oyster Research Station Program: Oyster research stations— 8 x 8 x 18-inch cages containing up to 200 oysters—expand our restoration work and data collection across the five boroughs. We aim to gather data on NYC oyster restoration and oyster reef ecosystems across the city. Participants learn how to monitor an Oyster Research Station and submit their data monthly with hands-on training, access to digital resources, and field supplies.
Billion Oyster Project Ambassador: Ambassadors help us proactively lead our public engagement and restoration efforts. These super-star, long-term volunteers dive into specialized areas of our operations and are trained for hands-on fieldwork. At least three public volunteer events are required to be eligible to train and become a Billion Oyster Project Ambassador.
If you’re interested in community coastal stewardship but are looking for more of a one-off or occasional daytime volunteer opportunity, check out a few ways you can get your hands a little dirty with us:
Fabrication & Shell Pile Maintenance: Our oyster reef restoration starts at our shell piles. As a volunteer, you can help us craft reef balls from clay, mortar, and broken shell pieces to assemble reef structures and support the curation of our shell piles.
Geoff most enjoys helping us build our oyster reef structures: “My father was an auto mechanic, and in addition to teaching me how to repair cars, he also taught me carpentry, plumbing, and electrical wiring. Like my father, I always enjoyed working with my hands to fix and build things. I started my first year at BOP building wire mesh gabions, and last year, we switched to building concrete reef balls. There's nothing like the instant gratification you get when you know you did something right, especially when it's for a good cause like Billion Oyster Project."
Oyster Research Station Events: Every Monday and bi-monthly on Saturdays, join us in collecting scientific data about the growth and mortality of our oysters and survey accompanying biodiversity.
Shoreline Cleanups: Join us and our partners for regular trash pick-up, shoreline clean-up, and waterfront volunteer opportunities across the city. We’ll provide the trash bags, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and other gear you need.
Register for all upcoming volunteer events on our Events Page.
Newer to our work? If you’re not quite ready to commit to volunteering but want to get a closer look at how we turn millions of pounds of shell from NYC restaurants into urban oyster reefs, join us for a public tour or schedule a custom tour experience.
Take a Tour & Visit Us on Govenor’s Island: For five dollars, you’ll experience our working shell pile and reef fabrications and visit our exhibit house. Open walking tours are hosted every Saturday, starting May 31st. Sign up online.
Schedule a Custom Tour Experience: If you're interested in attending a curated learning experience with your college, graduate students, community group, company, or nonprofit organization, our team can craft a specific and customized tour for a minimum of 10 people. Learn more here.
Visit Our Exhibit House at Building 16 on Governors Island: We will soon be opening our newest space and offering quarterly exhibits, guest lectures, networking events, Oyster happenings, and hands-on oyster opportunities. Stay tuned!
If for no other reason(s)— like exploring New York City’s coastlines, learning about the multi-faceted oyster, discovering new creatures, enjoying the fresh air, and getting to know other New Yorkers who care about the Harbor as much as you—we hope you’ll join us this volunteer season! Get in touch with our Community Engagement team and explore our impact, partnerships, and growth over the last decade.
