Oyster Shell Recycling Event

CRCL Restoration Headquarters – Violet, LA

6207 E St Bernard Hwy

Saturday, April 20, 2024

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

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.

Not sure what to expect? Check out this video!

Registration: 

• Everyone must sign our release and waiver of rights upon registration. Volunteers 17 years old and younger must have a parent or guardian complete the registration on their behalf.

• Please note the minimum age for volunteers is 13. No one younger than 13 will be allowed to participate. Minors are required to have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian and must be accompanied by an adult.

• If you register and later discover you are unable to attend, please notify by email at volunteers@crcl.org so another volunteer can take your slot.

Communications:

• Please be sure to provide a good email address during registration. This is the address that will be used to communicate any last-minute event details.

• Registered volunteers will receive an additional email 2 to 3 days prior to the event with SPECIFIC driving directions and additional event details. If it is the day before the event and you have not received this email, check your spam folder. If it is not there, email volunteers@crcl.org.

• If you are interested in carpooling, please post to our carpool board. If you can offer a ride, please include the capacity of your vehicle, departure and return times, and where you are driving from. Please carpool at your own risk and discretion.

Day-of Logistics & Safety:

• Volunteer check-in will be from 8:45 to 9:15 am.

• We will begin the intro speech and logistics discussion at 9:15, so please arrive promptly.

• Snacks, lunch, water, sports drinks and all necessary equipment (including work gloves, sunscreen, bug spray, etc.) will be provided to volunteers. Please bring a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste.

• Volunteers MUST wear closed-toed shoes.

• If you have a severe allergy or dietary restriction, please email sofia.giordano@crcl.org, and we will do our best to accommodate you. We are currently unable to accommodate gluten-free or vegan volunteers. If you are gluten-free or vegan, please bring a lunch. If you have a severe allergy that requires an EpiPen, please be sure to bring it with you.

• CRCL staff members are wilderness first aid-certified. If you get injured during any activity, please report it to a CRCL staff member immediately.

• What to bring:

  • Reusable water bottle

  • Closed-toed shoes

Volunteering on our coast is a wonderful way to spend a day and we would like to ensure that everyone gets a chance to have a great experience. We require that all volunteers please register to let us know if you plan to attend.

If any additional members of your family/friends are attending, then they must also register.

If, after registering, you find you are unable to attend, please notify us of your cancellation.

For inquiries about any of the above, you can contact us at volunteers@crcl.org