Vertical Oyster Gardens Workshop – Island Living Lecture Series

Join us for a Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG) hands on workshop and learn how to build a vertical oyster string and how they help keep our waters clean.

Enjoy appetizers and refreshing sips as we celebrate the role oysters play in keeping our island waters healthy. Come mingle, laugh, and learn – it’s sure to be a shell-ebration of oysters and clean water!

March 19, 2026 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Location: 290 Kettle Harbor Dr. Placida Florida 33946

We’re excited to partner with the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center at Alligator Creek Preserve and welcome Ashley Cook, Director of Conservation, who will share insights on oysters in Charlotte Harbor and how restoration efforts are making a difference.

Participants will build Vertical Oyster Garden (VOG) strings using oyster shells recycled from local restaurants. Strings can be installed on your own dock or donated for placement at other locations around the island.

Our goal is to install 300 oyster garden strings at 100 locations. All installations will be monitored over time, with follow-up beyond the workshop.

Oysters are natural water filters, capable of filtering up to 50 gallons of water per day. As dredging, pollution, and coastal development have reduced natural reef structure, Vertical Oyster Gardens help replace this lost habitat, supporting oyster growth, reef formation, and healthier water.

Come build an oyster garden, learn from a local expert, and be part of a hands-on effort to improve water quality in Charlotte Harbor and around our island.