Chesapeake Bay Oyster Reef Recovery Initiative volunteers Roy Cowdrey and Chris Walsh carry empty buckets ready to be filled with spat-on-shell, or oyster seed destined for a protected oyster sanctuary on the Tred Avon River. They were among 80 volunteers gathering at Eglseder Wealth Management Group, Inc. in Easton, Maryland to collect more than 750 cages of oysters that were delivered to Easton Point Marina and out to the sanctuary by boat.
Volunteers for the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Reef Recovery Initiative gathered at the offices of founding sponsor Eglseder Wealth Management Group, Inc. on June 2 to pick up oyster spat-on-shell from their 300-plus growers.
After coffee and doughnuts, 80 community volunteers collected more than 750 cages of oysters from the growers and delivered them to the Easton Point Marina. Captain Robert Crow and his first mate, Mark Massey, were at the dock waiting to load the oysters onto their boat and plant the 217,280 spat-on-shell in a protected oyster sanctuary on the Tred Avon River.
The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Reef Recovery Initiative was founded in 2011 by Eglseder Wealth Management Group, Inc., and, as measured by the number of growers in any group, has grown to be the largest group of oyster growers (for restoration purposes) in the State of Maryland.
Oysters help filter the Chesapeake Bay’s waters by removing excess nitrogen and incorporating it into their shells and tissue as they grow. Oysters also consume pollutants, rendering them harmless.
Born in Easton in 1960 and raised on Spencer’s Creek near St. Michaels, President of Eglseder Wealth Management Group, Inc. Scott Eglseder vividly remembers the abundance of life the Chesapeake Bay offered during his youth. He says since then he has witnessed the decline of that abundance—and the way of life associated with it—to a mere fraction of what it used to be.
“Now, I want my eight grandchildren to enjoy the incredible abundance the Bay has to offer through my support of this initiative, which is made possible through our grower and volunteer support,” says Eglseder. “My company is deeply committed to helping to make the abundance of my youth, once again, a reality for all to enjoy, and that includes more protected oysters growing on the Tred Avon River.”
The project is part of the state’s Marylanders Grow Oysters program to encourage people to become involved in Maryland’s oyster restoration efforts and clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay.
To learn how to become an oyster grower, please visit www.oystersforthebay.com or contact Suzanne Anderson, Program Manager, at 410-822-9143.
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