Year: 2017
Project(s):
Relevance
The Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program is a volunteer-based project that focuses on education, restoration/enhancement and research by bringing the reef to the people. Since the program began in 2001, oyster gardeners have produced more than 800,000 oysters (enough to restore approximately 40.5 acres) for restoration and enhancement efforts within Mobile Bay. Additional volunteers and funding were needed to support these restoration efforts.
Response
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant launched The Oyster Trail, an interactive scavenger hunt through Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama. The Oyster Trail currently has 28 5-foot-tall oyster statues that local artists have painted. A business, group or nongovernmental organization pays a yearly fee to sponsor an oyster on their property or in a public space. Each fiberglass oyster statue includes a fact plaque that displays information about oysters or estuaries. Maps and a scavenger hunt form (which includes a list of questions about the oyster facts) can be found around town or on The Oyster Trail's website. Proceeds from oyster sponsorships go to support the ongoing restoration efforts of the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program.
Results
Twenty-eight businesses, groups and NGOs are active sponsors of The Oyster Trail. Statues placed in 28 locations around Mobile Bay provide a visual reminder of our connection to the estuarine environment. They generated $103,742 in gross proceeds to support the trail and the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program. In addition to the sites in Alabama, the Trail has expanded to include sites in Virginia and New Jersey, where local restoration efforts have capitalized on the success of the trail. Proceeds go toward material and logistical and equipment costs associated with gardening and planting efforts in Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound.
Recap
The Mississippi-Alabama Oyster Trail raises awareness and funds for the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program's restoration efforts. (2017)