Tampa Bay Watch is recruiting volunteers to build a living shoreline through the installation of a series of oyster shell bars at MacDill Air Force Base. The shell bag installation involves shoveling fossilized and/or recycled shell into mesh bags and transporting them via dollies, trailers, or boats to be installed on the shoreline to create a series of oyster bars. Volunteers are encouraged to work in pairs to take turns shoveling and tying the mesh bags. In addition to shoveling, volunteers are needed to wade in the water on the shoreline to pass the bags for the installation. Lighter duty activities involve cutting the plastic mesh into bags, stretching the mesh, and tying the bags.
The goal of the project is to restore lost habitat systems to the bay, prevent further erosion of the shoreline and improve water quality through natural biological filtration. Click here to read more about living shorelines.
The deadline for volunteer registration is one week prior to the project date to allow time for security clearance, so you'll be pre-approved for entry. Your driver license information is required for MacDill to perform the clearance.