Shell Drop-Off Site is Next Step for Shuck It, Don't Chuck It!

A community drop-off site for recycling shells is the latest step for the Littoral Society’s “Shuck It, Don’t Chuck It!” shell recycling program. Check out all that's happening!

Community Drop-off Site
We have our first community drop-off site, which is located at the Rumson Municipal Boat Ramp,  9 Avenue of Two Rivers, Rumson, NJ. Just look for the bright yellow trash bins.

Anyone can stop by and drop their used shells any time. It doesn't have to be oysters! Scallop, clam, and mussel shells are welcome too.

​Truck Purchase
We found our oyster transport vehicle to boost our shell collection efforts! At the moment, the truck doesn’t look much different than your average Dodge pickup. But work is underway to make it more on brand. Imagine one of our eye-catching yellow Operation Oyster t-shirts on wheels.

Shell Weight
While the truck may not be fully tricked out, it's already in shell-hauling service. So far we've recycled nearly 60,000 pounds of shell. That’s nearly 30 tons - over half a million shells - that will be used for Littoral Society restoration projects such as living shorelines and oyster reefs.

Out and About
If you were on the Asbury Park Boardwalk the morning of April 30, you may have caught a glimpse of our distinctive yellow shirts. We were at the Littoral Society's annual Lobster Run to chat with participants and passersby about the "Shuck It, Don't Chuck It!" shell recycling program and how that fits into the larger goals of re-oystering New Jersey's waters in order to help clean water in our bays, while also protecting the coast from the effects of climate change. We were also at The Rally for the Two Rivers Eco-Fest, at Victory Park in Rumson, NJ on Saturday, June 4.

Students from Forrestdale School give oysters a try.

Other recent Operation Oyster activities include a trivia night at Long Branch, NJ's The White Chapel Projects on Thursday, June 9; sessions with more than 100 7th graders from Rumson-Fair Haven's Forrestdale School on June 13-14, where we talked about about role of oysters in the local ecosystem; an Oyster Evening on Sandy Hook on June 29, at which participants watched "The Oyster Farmers" film and talked with local oyster farmers; the Art for Sea event in Neptune Township on July 30; and the Tidal Wave Music Festival in Atlantic City on August 12-14.

Coming up you'll find us at Asburyfest on September 23 and 24.

Meet our newest Oyster Wranglers!
In May we gathered a few of our Operation Oyster volunteers to chat about shell recycling, have some fun, and, of course, eat some oysters. Many thanks to our friends at Lusty Lobster for supplying some tasty mollusks!

Learn more about the volunteer program and how you can involved!

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