Get muddy for conservation! Join Lowcountry Land Trust and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) for an oyster reef deployment.
Volunteers will work together to load pre-filled bags of oyster shells onto a boat at Wappoo Cut Boat Landing. From there, the oysters and volunteers will travel by boat to the deployment site, where volunteers will create an assembly line to place the oyster shell bags into a reef formation along the shoreline.
Date: July 24, 2025
Time: 12 to 3pm
Location: Wappoo Cut Boat Landing; Tranquil Dr, Charleston, SC 29412
Oyster reef deployments are placed along muddy shorelines that will benefit from an oyster reef. During the summertime, microscopic baby oysters (called spat) travel throughout salt marsh waterways, searching for a hard substrate to land on and begin growing. By deploying these oyster reefs in vulnerable areas, we encourage wild oyster reef growth in the areas that need it most by giving spat a place to land and grow. Oyster reefs are an essential building block of the salt marsh ecosystem, adding stability and habitat and filtering the waterways we love.
Oyster reef deployments are a blast, but they are labor-intensive! Please be prepared to repeatedly lift and carry 20 to 40-pound bags of oysters while standing in pluff mud. Teamwork truly makes the dream work - this is an excellent opportunity to make new friends and work together!
Gloves, arm protection, sunscreen, bug spray, and a water refill station will be provided. Please bring a reusable water bottle, and arrive hydrated. We recommend wearing closed-toed shoes that can get muddy (no sandals), shorts, a long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses, and hats. See you in the marsh!
