Veterans, service members help restore oysters and clean water

Click here for updates on this story BALTIMORE Maryland WJZ A group of veterans and active-duty arrangement members from across the country got their hands dirty for a cause that s helping them heal and helping the Chesapeake Bay thrive At Parrish Creek Landing in Shady Side on Tuesday veterans and active-duty system members helped the Chesapeake Bay Foundation CBF add more oysters to Maryland waters CBF oyster restoration coordinator Kellie Fiala mentioned oysters provide habitat for aquatic life and are essential to the overall medical of the bay An adult oyster can filter a multitude of gallons of water a day Fiala commented How are the assistants helping the Chesapeake Bay The group helped process recycled oyster shells that will be used to grow new baby oysters called spat It is manual work stated Fiala It s all part of the job but it gets people out These helpers don t shy away from hard work They understand mission they understand purpose participant Garrett Robinson revealed They understand Let s go get this done because it matters ' Working as a squad they filled more than a dozen cages each of them holding about pounds of shell Which we re quantifying as around million oysters that these will become home for Fiala commented When they re ready the oysters will be planted onto sanctuary reefs in the bay Partnerships at work These veteran contributors are part of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers BHA Armed Forces Initiative AFI an organization that helps military members manage PTSD and traumatic brain injury through outdoor experiences There s a restorative aspect of that getting out there there s a lot of peace tranquility commented AFI volunteer and Marine Corps veteran Garrett Robinson Robinson stated participants also find purpose through conservation efforts like this So that a generation from now people can still go out on that water and go fishing because of the work I did in the modern day Robinson noted Fiala declared it s been a special partnership working with AFI These are facility members that have and are currently still giving their time for our country and we appreciate them taking the time to come and help out an organization like us with the work that we re doing Fiala stated After their Maryland oyster restoration event the group will progress down the Eastern Shore for various fishing expeditions and complete their trip at CBF s Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach on July Please note This content carries a strict local field embargo If you share the same realm as the contributor of this article you may not use it on any platform Source