Volunteers are needed to help restore dead oyster reefs for an oyster reef restoration project in the Indian River Lagoon. The project is coordinated by The Nature Conservancy, University of Central Florida and NOAA, and is funded by a grant from the National Partnership between the NOAA Community Based Restoration Program and The Nature Conservancy and partners throughout the Indian River Lagoon. Download a fact sheet about the oyster reef restoration project.

Oyster mat deployment opportunities:
Volunteers will install 18-inch square mats, zip tied with oyster shells that serve as the building blocks for oyster reefs. When weighted down on the dead reefs, the mats encourage new oysters to settle, increasing oyster growth and other wildlife that depend on the reefs.       

• July 21 and 24
• See more oyster reef restoration volunteer opportunities. 
   
• Location: Canaveral National Seashore in New Smyrna Beach
• Contact Anne Birch at (321) 956-7711 to RSVP for these dates. Additional information and details will be provided when you sign up. 
• Volunteers will be transported to the reefs via the UCF boat.
• Space is limited and we can only take up to 20 volunteers/day. 
• The hours are approximately 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. per day. 
• Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older. They will need to bring water, old hard-soled sneakers, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
   

Oyster mat-making opportunities:
Contact Michelle Peters-Snyder at (321) 956-7711 or mpeterssnyder@tnc.org to RSVP for the following mat-making events. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions carefully and work with their hands.

• Saturday, July 19, 1 p.m. – 3 pm, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville
• Tuesday, July 22, 10 a.m. – noon, Enchanted Forest, Titusville
• Thursday, July 31, 10 a.m. – noon, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville
• Friday, August 15, 10 a.m. – noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Friday, August 15, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Tuesday, August 19, noon – 2 p.m., Lagoon House, Palm Bay
• Monday, August 25, 10 a.m. – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
• Friday, September 12, 10 a.m. – noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Friday, September 12, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Thursday, September 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Lagoon House, Palm Bay
• Tuesday, September 23, 10 a.m. – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
• Wednesday, October 8, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Lagoon House, Palm Bay
• Thursday, October 16, 10 a.m. – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
• Thursday, October 23, 10 a.m. – noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Thursday, October 23, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Thursday, November 6, 10 a.m. – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
• Friday, November 14, 10 a.m. – noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Friday, November 14, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Tuesday, November 18, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Lagoon House, Palm Bay
• Friday, December 5, 10 a.m. – noon, Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Friday, December 5, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Barrier Island Sanctuary, Melbourne Beach
• Tuesday, December 9, 10 a.m. – noon, Erna Nixon Park, Melbourne
• Friday, December 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Lagoon House, Palm Bay

Schedule a Volunteer Opportunity: We need your help! Civic groups, schools, clubs, boating groups, recreational clubs, church groups — any group looking for an easy and fun way to help the lagoon.

To meet the goal of restoring 20 additional acres of oyster reefs in Mosquito Lagoon, volunteers are needed to help make approximately 4,500 oyster shell mats. Each mat is made up of 36 oyster shells attached vertically with zip ties. The mats are attached to each other forming a large quilt-like structure.

A Nature Conservancy representative will bring all materials and give a presentation to your group about oyster reefs, the lagoon environment and instructions on how to create the oyster mats. Conservancy staff will then collect the completed mats, which will be “planted” in the Mosquito Lagoon to serve as the building blocks for new oyster reefs.

Contact Michelle Peters-Snyder at (321) 956-7711 or mpeterssnyder@tnc.org to schedule a mat-making event. Volunteers must be 12 years of age or older, accompanied by an adult, able to follow instructions carefully and work with their hands.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © The Nature Conservancy (restored oyster reef); Photo © Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (volunteers making oyster mats), Photo © Linda Walters (restoring oyster reefs).