Neighbor News
NY/NJ Baykeeper and Finlandia Vodka Host Oyster Volunteer Day with Marriott Westchester Volunteers
Volunteers monitored active oyster reef followed by a luncheon
NY/NJ Baykeeper in conjunction with partners including NYC Parks and Finlandia Vodka hosted a clean water oyster volunteer day with Marriott Westchester staff volunteers August 3rd. Volunteers participated in monitoring NY/NJ Baykeeper’s active oyster restoration project at their reef in Soundview Park in the Bronx, NY. Participants wore waders to enter the reef site and gathered information crucial to determining the health of the reef.
“This project teaches our volunteers about the importance of restoring important species like oysters back to our waterways, how an oyster reef functions, and the ecology of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary,” said Dr. Allison Fitzgerald, Oyster Program Research Assistant at NY/NJ Baykeeper. “Volunteers have the unique experience to monitor both the growth and survivorship of oysters as well as observe and report on various other species like fish, crabs and shrimp that use the reef as a home.”
NY/NJ Baykeeper partners with NYC Parks, the Bronx River Alliance, Hudson River Foundation, and various other non-profit and scientific partners in this research.
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“Pure water is as essential to life as it is to Finlandia Vodka. Without pure water and initiatives around the globe to preserve pure water habitats and quality, there would be no Finlandia. Committed to supporting local clean water projects, Finlandia is proud to partner with NY/NJ Baykeeper and greatly appreciates the opportunity to support habitat and oyster restoration projects,” said brand manager, Chris Doyle.
Following the monitoring and cleanup, EcoVolunteers enjoyed a luncheon organized by Finlandia at Spice Union Square.
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“It has always been part of Marriott International’s philosophy to give back to the communities in which our hotels do business, as well as to support the local environment,” said Dan Conte, general manager of the Westchester Marriott. “We also extend that philosophy in our restaurant, Cooper’s Mill, by offering dishes with locally sourced sustainable ingredients. So we are proud to participate with NY/NJ Baykeeper for this special event – planting oysters in our New York waterways is a great example of local sustainability and we are happy to be part of it.”
About NY/NJ Baykeeper’s EcoVolunteerism Program
Oysters are a valuable piece of a healthy, functioning aquatic ecosystem. Functioning as filter feeders, oysters are able to effectively remove pollutants and clean water. While oysters living in the New York Harbor are functionally extinct, NY/NJ Barkeeper works to restore them back to urban waters. In 2012, NY/NJ Baykeeper established the EcoVolunteer progam, designed to allow adult volunteers in the area a chance to get up close and personal with actual scientific research and restoration of an oyster reef. EcoVolunteers assist in all aspects of the reef, and are instrumental in the success of the project, working side by side with NY/NJ Baykeeper researchers and other members of the scientific community, learning about the ecosystem and restoration while having fun.
Beginning in 2010, The NY/NJ Baykeeper, along with the Hudson River Foundation, NYC Parks, Bronx River Alliance, New York Harbor School and other partners, placed 125 cubic yards of shell at the site in order to create the largest expanse of sub-tidal habitat in the lower Hudson River Estuary. The reef provides substrate for new oysters to attach to, and helps to propagate a self-sustaining reef to improve water quality and increase habitat in the area. The oyster reef restoration site at Soundview is approximately one acre, and is currently the largest sub-tidal oyster restoration in New York City.
About NY/NJ Baykeeper
NY/NJ Baykeeper is a non-profit environmental organization whose mission is to protect, preserve and restore the Hudson-Raritan Estuary and greater New York Bay. NY/NJ Baykeeper is well known for its oyster restoration, land preservation and environmental advocacy in northern New Jersey and southern New York. To learn more, click here.
NOTE: PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.dropbox.com/l/wp6y7VDXmeSaAbpz3ilOetPlease credit photos to Tyler Hollinger
