Fresh AIRE

"Oyster Gardeners" Rebuild a Once Thriving Population in the Chesapeake Bay

Photo: Sam Beebe / Ecotrust

Scientists say that the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population has dramatically declined to 5 percent of what it was when European settlers first inhabited the area, according to an article in Reuters. Unsustainable fishing practices, diseases like MSX and Dermo, loss of habitat, and pollution have all led to a plummeting population. But Chesapeake Bay "oyster gardeners" are working against the grain to rebuild this crucial species.

Oyster gardeners, motivated by a love of oysters and the Chesapeake Bay, are working to revive a species that has been on a fast decline for years, growing ever more dramatic in recent decades.

"If you look at the time of first contact, when the original oyster population had been in place for hundreds of thousands of years, they were able to filter the entire Chesapeake Bay, which is a huge volume of water, in about three or four days," Tanner Council, a coordinator for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which runs an oyster gardening program in Virginia said to Reuters.

Oyster Gardening 
According to Reuters, "volunteer gardeners," an estimated 300 in all, plant baby oysters in the late summer and fall.

Arlington Launches Retail Doors Campaign

Shops and restaurants can now participate in the Arlington Green Games by joining a new Retail Doors Campaign. The Campaign is a voluntary effort through which retailers pledge to keep their doors closed if the air conditioning or heat is running.

According to EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, for retail establishments a 10% decrease in energy costs is equal to increasing sales by more than 1.25%.  Arlington is asking retailers to make this commitment to close their doors, which will help them save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create a more comfortable indoor environment for staff and customers.  

Interested retailers may now pledge at www.arlingtongreengames.com.  Participating retailers will receive a window cling as well as recognition on the Green Games website.  Residents may also show their support by 'liking' the Retail Doors facebook page and shopping at stores that make this commitment.