In late September, I conducted a wild oyster survey. This adventure to find naturally recruited oysters led to the discovery of thousands of young-of-the-year oysters! These glistening bivalves—attached to rocks, bulkheads, and bridges—weren't in the Chesapeake or along the coast of Long Island, but right here in New York Harbor, mostly in the Hudson and Harlem Rivers.
Read MoreJoin us virtually or in-person for a self-guided audio tour of Billion Oyster Project’s headquarters, Governors Island. This 8-part audio tour was created by Kathryn Robling and produced by John Ribaudo with support from Con Edison!
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.
Monday, July 20, was a BIG day at Billion Oyster Project! The installation of 96 bags of shell, with nearly 29,000 oysters in the form of "spat", was completed by an all-women crew along the warm, but picturesque waterfront in Bayswater Point State Park.
Read MoreToday, the Billion Oyster Project crew is FINALLY back in the field preparing for our biggest field season to date! We intend to restore more oysters in the next few months than we have in all the years prior.
Read MoreOn Friday, June 12, nearly 190 people across the Billion Oyster Project community gathered virtually to celebrate the work of students across New York City. Although we were disappointed to miss the opportunity to speak with students in person, we were blown away by the creativity and thought that went into more than 70 student projects submitted from 10 different schools.
Read MoreAs we attempt to process the inequities, fear, and violence we have observed over the last week, we are anguished and angry about the systemic racism that Black Americans continue to face. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
Read MoreAt Billion Oyster Project every day is a new opportunity to celebrate the nature around us, but this week is extra special. This Wednesday 4/22 marks the 50th Annual celebration of Earth Day! Although this celebration is bound to look a little different than those in years past, it can be full of hands-on experiences, learning, and appreciation.
This week, we will be introducing a new activity or virtual event every day!
Read MoreWe’ve experienced less than two weeks of COVID-19 quarantine here in New York City, but the Billion Oyster Project crew is already eager to get back on Governors Island — the headquarters we share with the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. In anticipation of being reunited, we want to take this opportunity to explain the unique partnership between Billion Oyster Project and our flagship public school.
Read MoreMany members of our community are feeling the devastating effects of COVID-19. Two heavily hit crews are NYC's restaurant industry and Oyster Farmers nationwide, both of which are the backbone of the Billion Oyster Party. Please do whatever you can to support these groups as well — whether that’s buying a gift card to use at a later date or ordering oysters directly to your door.
Did you know that oysters are great immune-system boosters! Here is a list of farms that can ship directly to you:
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