Vertical Oyster Gardens Workshop – Hands On Initiative
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.
This is our second hands on workshop. Whether you missed the first one or would like to join the excitement again, you are warmly invited to participate. Bring your friends and be part of the growing community effort to improve water quality right from your own dock.
Come mingle, laugh, and learn as we continue working together to support cleaner water and healthier habitat around our islands.
April 24, 2026
Time: TBD
Location: Palm Island Firehouse, 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.
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