Upcoming 2013 Events
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - Wellfleet Oyster Tour - Free
Mass Oyster has been actively supporting an oyster project in Wellfleet. Our involvement has been financial, providing recycled shell, and this year funding a student intern. On June 18th, we will be delivering shell and getting a tour with one of the project leaders Curt Felix. In addition to serving on our Board, he also is Vice Chair of Waste Water for the Town. The tour will start at 12:30 PM. There is no charge. Email massoyster@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
Sunday, September 15, 2013 - Register here - MOP at Mayflower Brewery in Plymouth, MA from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. We will have $1.00 oysters from Big Rock Oyster Company in East Dennis, MA, free raffle prizes and a silent auction. The event will cost $15 and all money collected will go toward oyster restoration in Massachusetts. Register here. Here is a video from a previous MOP event at Mayflower.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
- June 9, 2013 - Mass Oyster had a booth on the Central Wharf at the New England Aquarium's World Oceans Day event.
- May 5, 2013 - Mass Oyster collected and recycled the oyster shells at the 5th Anniversary B&G Oyster Invitational. The B&G Oyster Invitational includes several types of oysters, incredible eating, drinking, and fun. Chef Barbara will be joined for the festivities by two special guests: Top Chef Season 10 winner Kristen Kish and finalist Brooke Williamson.
- April 24, 2013 MOP at Harpoon with Big Rock Oyster Company. Sold out event with 80 people enjoying oysters and beer and learning about MOP's work with oyster restoration in Massachusetts. 980 oysters were consumed. The shells are now being stored for one year before placed back in Massachusetts waters with Spat on the shells. Learn more about oyster shell recycling here.- March 27, 2013 - STORIES OF THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS
Suzanne Gall Marsh shares stories of the Boston Harbor Islands in her talk “Being a Genealogy Detective for Harbor Islands Stories.”
- March 13, 2013 - HISTORY OF THE HARBOR ISLANDS
Department of Conservation and Recreation Archaeologist Ellen Berkland presents the history of the Harbor Islands and explains why it can be considered a neighborhood.
2012
- November 10, 2012 - MOP toured The Division of Marine Fisheries Newburyport Shellfish Depuration Plant.
- October 13 & 14, 2012 - MOP had a vendor table at the very popular Wellfleet OysterFest.
October 7, 2012 - MOP teamed up with Mayflower Brewing Company, Big Rock Oyster Company and Imagination Island for craft beer, oysters and family fun time in Plymouth, MA.
August 26, 2012 - MOP oyster farm tour at Big Rock Oyster Company in East Dennis, MA.
July 18, 2012 - MOP and SHELLSHOCKED conducted a movie screening at the North End Library in Boston, MA.
July 17, 2012 - MOP and Friends of the Belle Isle Marsh feature SHELLSHOCKED movie screening and discussion.
June 16, 2012 - MOP Board Member Terri Baybutt spoke at Harborfest.
May 6, 2012 - MOP was at the B&G Oyster Festival collecting shells for recycling.
April 18, 2012 - MOP at Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA.
March 21, 2012 - Wine and Oyster dinner at Seaglass in Salisbury, MA.
March 10, 2012 – For the second time, MOP teamed up with Keri and Liz of Mercato del Mare, a North End Fish Market, for oyster shucking lessons from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. People learned how to shuck oysters and enjoyed beer from Mayflower Brewing Company and sushi. This is event was sold out.
2011
October 16, 2011 – MOP had a table at the Wellfleet Oyster Festival. The activity around the booth was robust and board member Ben Wigren made some important contacts and educated oyster lovers on our important work to return Massachusetts marine estuaries to their historic natures through the restoration of once native oysters.
October 1, 2011 – MOP volunteers placed oysters on the bottom at the mouth of the Charles River. Kids had the opportunity to see numerous creatures that inhabit our harbor including: eels, small fish, crabs, and starfish. Adult volunteers sorted oysters and dropped them in a marked location.
September 24, 2011 – MOP sponsored a beer tasting and oysters at the Mayflower Brewing Company in Plymouth, MA. Island Creek Oysters were sold for $1 each. We sold out of 500 oysters fast and will plan to bring many more oysters next time! See a video of the event.
May 22, 2011 – Oyster shucking lessons were provided by Liz and Kari of Mercato del Mare on Salem Street on the North End. We plan to this event again 2012! See a video of the event.
February 16, 2011 – MOP sponsored a beer tasting at the Harpoon Brewery at 306 Northern Avenue in Boston from 5:30-7:00 pm. Island Creek Oysters were sold for $1 each. Oysters, beers and great people made for a wonderful night.
2010
December 15, 2010 – Congratulations to Hannah Dale, who will be matriculating at Barnard College next year. Hannah has been active in the Oyster Project since the early days. She wrote our first successful grant application to the New England Grass Roots Environmental Fund and has volunteered at various events measuring oysters and collecting petition signatures.
November 7, 2010 – Volunteers met at the Constitution Marina in Charlestown to physically move oysters and to measure oysters. Refreshments, gloves, souvenir t-shirts and tools were provided. A special Thank you to Constellation Energy for providing a $5000 grant toward this placement.
November 2010 – MOP made a presentation on our efforts to restore oysters at the International Conference on Shellfish Restoration.
November 2010 – The Siemens Caring Hands Foundation Grants MOP $1000. We were happy to learn that a foundation affiliated with the global conglomerate has made a grant to Siemens. The company is a leader in medical technology, industrial automation and renewable energy including windpower. To learn more about the many programs funded by the organization you can click on Siemens Caring Hands Foundation.
2009
July 2009 MOP establishes Mass Oyster Blog as an easier and faster way to communicate with our base.
July 2009 – MOP presents a paper and a poster at the NOAA Coastal Zone Meeting as well as a poster at the CESN Meeting at UMass Boston..
June 30, 2009 – Our MET Grant is denied. However, they did fund an oyster effort in Wellfleet. If at first you don’t succeed…
May 3, 2009 – Oyster event at B&G Oysters raises $675 in a terrific event. The staff and attendees of the event are super!
May 2, 2009 – They Are Alive! About half the oysters survived the winter. According to growers, this is a typical survival rate. Our oyster samples had grown 8% on average with a P value of .05. Here is the Globe’s write-up.
- Oyster Follow-up Article (Boston Globe article, May 3, 2008)
April 15, 2009 – Decision on MET Grant delayed until early May. Keep your fingers crossed!
February 26, 2009 – Shuck-off Event Draws Over 100 and raises $500. A great time was had by all.
2008
November 8, 2008 – Volunteer divers check on our oysters and they are doing fine! With less than one percent mortality, we are cautiously optimistic. Please visit the followup page for more details.
October 25, 2008 – The Oysters are in and press coverage is excellent! All three local news stations are there along with the two major newspapers and several regional papers.
- Oyster Placement Article (Boston Globe article, October 26, 2008)
- Island Creek Oyster Article (Duxbury Clipper article, October 28, 2008)
October 23, 2008 – The Boston Globe previews the placement event.
- Oyster Placement Preview (Boston Globe article, October 23, 2008)
September 12, 2008 – MOP files grant application with Massachusetts Environmental Trust (whale tail license plate funds) to place oysters in the Mystic River and Chelsea Creek. Response expected by October 30. We also have been invited to submit for another MET Grant focused on water and restoring species.
Our grant proposal was written up in the Globe- We are getting noticed…
- Mystic Grant (Boston Globe article, August 31, 2008)
August 30, 2008 – Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries OKs Charles River Placement. Oysters to return to Boston Harbor! On October 25th at 2:00 we will be placing 100,000 seed oysters off the Constitution Marina. A brief reception will be held. To RSVP email Oyster Introduction
June 12, 2008 – Massachusetts Oyster Project presented to the Mystic River Watershed Association and discussed future projects in the Mystic and techniques for water quality monitoring.
May 13, 2008 – Massachusetts Oyster Project leadership presented to the Charles River Watershed Association. The brown bag lunch was very well attended with members as well as staff. The CRWA provided some very constructive advice and contacts.
April 15, 2008 – The Massachusetts Oyster Project submitted a proposal to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Follow-up conversations are encouraging.
Here is a link to a similar project in New York.
- New York City oyster planting project (New York Times article, February 24, 2008)