Town of Hempstead Conservation Biologist, Stephen Naham, joined Maureen Dunn of the Seatuck Environmental Association for a guest lecture titled, "Recovering Oyster Shells: From The Bay, To The Dinner Plate, and Back". The presentation took place at the newly constructed Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center located in the west end of Jones Beach State Park. The lecture covered topics including how oysters are grown locally through aquaculture techniques before being consumed in restaurants and oyster bars, and how the waste shells are then recovered from restaurants and utilized to create wild oyster habitat in Long Island’s coastal bays. This very process is carried out in the Town of Hempstead's own shellfish hatchery and is used to convert discarded shells from local restaurants into thriving oyster reefs. For those who could not attend the event we plan to host more presentations in the future. Group tours can also be scheduled at the shellfish hatchery for those interested in learning more about the shellfish restoration process.
