Oyster gardening season is about to begin for volunteers in Mississippi and Alabama, but our oyster gardening programs are also preparing to launch a new way for the public to learn about oyster benefits and how to get involved.
The new effort will feature new displays: 50-gallon barrels equipped with a display screen! The barrels will be painted by local high school students from Saint Stanislaus in Mississippi and Gulf Shores High School in Alabama. Each barrel will be unique and have an oyster theme.
They will be kiosk-style displays that will be placed in high-traffic areas throughout Mississippi and Alabama. Screens on top of the displays will go through a slideshow that will highlight different areas of oyster education, including their ability to filter the water, protect our shoreline from coastal erosion and provide habitat for over 300 species! The displays will also talk about how the oyster gardening method increases water flow, oxygen and food, while decreasing predation, which is beneficial to these oysters during a critical time in their development.
Each program, Mississippi Oyster Gardening and Alabama Oyster Gardening, will have contact information listed for viewers to get involved!
If you can think of somewhere you would like to see one of these displays, we would love to hear from you! We hope that these informational displays will help to increase awareness about oyster benefits and the programs that local residents can get involved in.
Oyster gardening season starts in a few weeks, and Mississippi has a few spots open for volunteers. If you are interested in getting involved in restoration on the Gulf Coast, have 30 minutes to spare every 7-10 days, and have access to a pier – send us an email at [email protected].
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