GET INVOLVED! Grow Oysters for the Lynnhaven River

1. GET INVOLVED! Grow Oysters for the Lynnhaven River • NEW Citizen Gardeners • Contact the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at 757-622-1964 or rsvp@cbf.org to request an information packet and to register for our joint training seminar scheduled for July 25, 2007 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Central Library. • Attend the July 25th seminar to learn how to maintain your oysters and oyster garden throughout the year. You will receive your baby oysters at the end of the workshop. Baby oysters cost $25, payable to CBF. • Purchase Oyster Gardening Equipment from Taylor’s Do It Center (Hilltop & Haygood locations) or Phil & Chad’s Oyster Floats (757-340-0588, www.oysterfloats.com). • Grow your oysters from your pier or other water access in the Lynnhaven River from July 25, 2007 through July 2008. In July 2008, we will hold an “Oyster Round Up” to gather citizen-raised oysters and transplant them onto reefs in the Lynnhaven. “Float” Grow Out System from Phil & Chad’s. “Bag” Grow Out System from Taylor’s Do-It Center. • CURRENT Citizen Gardeners • Now that you have grown your oysters for a year in the Lynnhaven River, it is time to send them to their permanent homes on Lynnhaven River Oyster Sanctuary Reefs. • RSVP to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at 757-622-1964 or rsvp@cbf.org so that we know how many oysters to expect at the “Round Up.” • Bring your oysters to the “Oyster Round-Up” at First Landing State Park (64th Street Boat Ramp) on either July 21 or August 25 from 9 to 11 a.m. to send your oysters to the reefs. • CBF will provide new baby oysters for you to purchase and raise for the upcoming year for $25, payable to CBF.

2. Virginia Beach TEACHERS Take our APPLE courses this summer and teach your students about the Lynnhaven River next year! Introduction to Oyster Restoration (July 10) Joining the Effort: Oyster Gardening (July 10 & 11) The one-day introductory course is for teachers who want to better understand the anatomy of an oyster and an oyster reef, the historic significance of oysters in the Lynnhaven River, and the role that oysters play in water quality. The two-day course covers these topics and gives teachers the information and materials that they will need to join the restoration effort and grow oysters with their students during the school year. July 11 will feature a boat trip to a Lynnhaven River oyster sanctuary reef for a field investigation. Both courses are co-sponsored by Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia. Understanding Watersheds (July 17 & 18) This course will discuss the connection between watersheds and water quality, using the Lynnhaven River as the main example. On the second day of the course, teachers will take a boat trip to conduct a Lynnhaven River field investigation and use water chemistry tests to link Lynnhaven watershed land use with the river’s water quality. Teachers will leave this course with various materials to use in their classrooms to teach their students about the Lynnhaven watershed during the school year. Building a Rain Garden (July 24) The course will discuss the value of rain gardens for controlling and filtering surface run-off before it re-enters our waterways. Teachers will build a rain garden on school grounds in the afternoon and learn how to initiate a similar restoration project at their own school. The program will also include a tour the Lynnhaven Middle School Gardening Project. Starting a River Keepers Club (August 7) This course will give you the tools to start a River Keepers Club in your school. Learn from the experience of others and leave with a notebook of ideas to start your new program. Teacher Registration All of these courses are open to teachers in both public and private schools. Public school teachers should register for courses through the Virginia Beach School System’s APPLE registration website. If you are a private school teacher and would like to register for one of our summer courses, please contact our office at kforget@lynnhaven2007.com or 757-962-5398.