CRCL is excited to have you join us in Violet, LA! Launched in June 2014, CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program recycles shell from participating New Orleans-based restaurants and uses that shell to restore oyster reefs and shoreline habitat across Coastal Louisiana. As a volunteer, you will help prepare the shell for future restoration. Volunteers will shovel oyster shells into mesh bags to contribute to our next reef build project. Volunteers will also help clean up our shell pile and remove trash and plastics as we bag.
By helping prep the shell, volunteers will play a role in creating a new oyster reef that will allow for the growth of new oysters, create new fish habitat, and act as a wave break which will knock down storm surge and allow new land to build up behind the reef. Bags of oyster shells weigh about 30 lbs on average, if this is too strenuous for you, there are many support roles available - such as cutting the mesh bags.
