Click HERE to view the Registration/Sponsor Form

Click HERE to view the Program Flyer

March 13th, 2020 – The Town of Islip Department of Environmental Control is inviting students, teachers and adults 18 years and older, to be a part of an exciting oyster restoration initiative by learning how to become an Oyster Gardener.

Oysters are a keystone species within the marine environment, playing a vital role in the formation of a stable ecosystem, yet due to destruction from natural events, wild oyster populations in the Great South Bay have seen a decline to historic levels.

Participants in the program will attend 3 instructional seminars on the history and science of oyster aquaculture, then will head out into the field to apply that knowledge, helping to garden the world famous Blue Point Oyster. A single adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day. If just 20 participants keep a personal oyster garden of 1,000 oysters, once reaching full adulthood, their gardens could collectively filter up to 1,000,000 gallons of water each day, rejuvenating the waters of the Great South Bay and the surrounding ecosystem.

The program will begin with Lecture 1: “The History of Oyster Aquaculture,” on Wednesday, May 20th, from 7-9 pm at Islip Town Hall West, located at 401 Main Street in Islip. If you or someone you know may be interested please, Click HERE to fill out a registration and student or class sponsor form.

For additional information, please call Sixto E. Portilla, Ph.D. at (516) 939-5545, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Learn more about the Great South Bay Shellfish Cultivation Facility.