New Coordinator and Sip 'N Shucks Highlight SIDCI Work

The American Littoral Society’s “Shuck It, Don’t Chuck It” (SIDCI) shell recycling program has seen both change and progress over the past few months. In addition to bringing on a new director, the program also added several new restaurants, collected tons of shell, and hosted a number of fun and informative public events.

In mid-September, Kyle Patterson became the new SIDCI Program coordinator. As a Jersey local, he is excited to be contributing to the conservation of his local waters. Over the past few months, he welcomed several new contributors to the shell recycling program and has since more than doubled the number of restaurants working with us on the shell recycling program!

Thanks to those efforts, the SIDCI program has collected more than 64,000 pounds of shell which might have otherwise ended up in landfills. After curing, that shell will be returned to New Jersey's bays, where it will serve as a foundation for growing new oysters.

The program also coordinated a series of Sip ‘N Shuck, which were kindly hosted by Bahrs Landing, our top shell recycler. In these events, our friends at Barnegat Oyster Collective discussed the life cycle and growing processes of oysters, and then taught patrons how to shuck (and enjoy!) oysters that they generously donated.

Society staff were on hand to talk with participants about the importance of shell recycling, the positive impact it has on ocean and estuarine conservation, and other important initiatives the Society is undertaking.

Participants both young and old enjoyed both learning about and eating oysters. Keep an eye on our website calendar for upcoming oyster-related events.