2019 ACE Basin Oyster Project and Discovery Boat Ride

Roxbury Park Oyster Restoration Work / EIOLT 

The month of July is a great time to be at the beach or on the saltwater nearby to soak in all the daily happenings in the marine ecosystem. Don’t forget that July will mark the start of the sea turtle hatchlings season that will run into the fall. Oysters play a natural role by filtering the saltwater and volunteers can join in the artificial oyster reef project in Meggett on July 16. The Carolina Coastal Discovery marine education program returns to Edisto Beach State Park on July 24, offering and educational boat ride on ACE Basin Appreciation Day.

            

Coastal Discovery Pontoon Boat

The site of the oyster restoration project is Roxbury Park, a property owned by the Town of Meggett on Highway 174 just before Edisto Island. Toogoodoo Creek and the intertidal zone all around Roxbury Park make it an excellent nature preserve and it is open to the public for hiking and bird watching. Oysters are one part of the natural resources that come under strain from overharvest, but it is clear to scientists how to rebuild oyster populations. Replacing spent oyster shells to the estuary allows for new oysters to cultivate using the same shells, in a natural form of recycling. The Roxbury Park project on Tuesday, July 16 from 1 – 3:30 is collaboration between several conservation groups.

The educational boat ride on Wednesday July 24 from 10 – 12 is free, but space is limited. Participants need to visit the SCDNR website and claim one of the spots. And passengers must be 10 years of age or older. The purpose of the trip is the teach others to appreciate the ACE Basin, and that education begins at the Environmental Learning Center at Edisto Beach State Park. Participants assist in data collection during the cruise, since the SCDNR staffers record every creature encountered plus the water salinity levels. They also place an emphasis on connecting local conservation issues with larger concerns such as global warming.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view a past blog entries about Edisto Island Open Land Trust click 2018 I Love Edisto Auction - 2018 Coastal Geology Lecture - 2017 Oyster Roast - 2017 Lowcountry Landscape Lecture with Richard Porcher - 2017 I Love Edisto Auction - 2017 Tomato Open - 2016 Oyster Roast - 2014 Oyster Roast - 2014 Spring Birding - 2013 Oyster Roast - 2012 ACE Basin Mtg. - 2009 Spring Birding with Patrick McMillan