Oyster Planting and Harvesting at SSA

For quite a few years now, SSA has been supporting a program called Marylanders Grow Oysters by the Severn River Association, a mission to repopulate oysters in our rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. We have relied on volunteers over the years in the planting and harvesting of the 31 cages we set up each season. The task grew to be more of a challenge for our small group of volunteers and this year we partnered with local Scout Troop 396. The boys and girls of Troop 396 planted the cages last September and came out each month to maintain the cages. This August, the scouts harvested all 31 cages, cleaned the cages to prepare for a new planting this fall and with support of SSA Member, Nicholas Draper, brought the oysters to their new home in an historic oyster reef known as Traces Hollow on the Severn River. We hope to see this program grow to fill all of the docks with oyster cages in the coming years!