Scrub native oysters with the Final Straw Foundation to get them ready for their new home!

The Final Straw Foundation will be installing 10K native oysters into local waters.

This winter, we will be putting 10K native oysters into our local waters to study their effects on water quality and repopulate the Solent with these incredible ecosystem engineers.

We need your help to scrub these oysters and make sure they’re nice and clean for their new home. Before we can install the oysters, they need to be cleaned of any nasties that could contaminate our delicate marine ecosystems.

In 4 sessions, across 2 days, we will be ensuring all 10K oysters are 'biosecure' by scrubbing them and will need volunteers to help us with this.

No experience is necessary and full training will be given.

Although this is a 2 day event, we would love for as many volunteers to have the opportunity to work on this project as possible. If you are interested please sign up for one session only to ensure everyone gets a space.

Please note that this event is for those aged 14+. Any attendees under 16 must be supervised by an accompanying adult.

Please arrive promptly for the start times of 9:30AM and 13:30PM.

Refreshments will be provided. Please bring your own reusable water bottle and coffee cup.

Here's some more information about the project.

The European flat (native) oyster population has dwindled by a massive 95% since the 1800s due to disease, overexploitation, habitat loss and pollution.

European flat oysters are ‘ecosystem engineers’, meaning they are important facilitators of ecosystem services like denitrification (removes excess nutrients), habitat creation, sediment stabilisation and improving water quality.

We will be deploying 10K oysters in the Solent and studying their effects on water quality and local biodiversity. The will also act as brood stock, releasing their offspring into the Solent where they will have the chance to settle and increase numbers.

Description supplied by the event organiser.