Sacking oyster shell in the summer heat is not for the weak or weary but on Thursday, June 29, a dozen Braskem team members as part of their company’s volunteer program.
(https://volunteers.braskem.com/en/AboutTheProgram) came to a county lot in Seadrift to do just that. The oyster shell has been sitting in a heap long enough to have congealed into an almost solid mass. With rakes and sharp-shooters the hard working folks clawed it loose and shoveled it into mesh bags. Each bag, weighing about 30 pounds, was then hauled to a storage pile. The bags of shell are destined for a restoration project.

No doubt area fishermen have noticed that small shell islands throughout Espiritu Santo Bay have been eroding. Many are no longer visible during normal high tide. These islands are important habitat for nesting birds like oystercatchers, terns, and skimmers, and lack of this habitat is threatening those bird populations. That’s why San Antonio Bay Partnership received a CMP grant to help restore some of the islands and the caring folks from Braskem spent a hot summer morning shoveling shell.

The effort is far from over, however. More oyster shell sacking workdays are being planned. Workdays include cold beverages, lunch, and presentations about nesting oystercatchers and the island restoration project. If you would like to participate contact Allan Berger, allanrberger@outlook.com