Tilghman Island residents join oyster growing program
 TILGHMAN It was a scene fit for any Chesapeake Bay enthusiast Friday morning dozens of bags filled with oyster spat, along with more than 30 empty oyster cages, were delivered to Phillips Wharf Environmental Center in Tilghman in preparation of the recently established Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters program.
"It's part of a statewide program sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources," said Carol McCollough, vice president of PWEC.
Oysters act as a natural filter in the Chesapeake Bay, according to Kristin Buter, a Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteer at PWEC. Through the program, spat, which are young oysters, have the ability to grow in an environment that protects them from silt, blue crabs and other stresses.
According to the Marylanders Grow Oysters' website, each cage with spat at about one inch in size will filter up to 50 gallons of water per hour. The oysters and other organisms that will create a home in the cage, such as mud crabs, grass shrimp, worms, baby eels and minnows, will eat and remove algae that's abundant throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
"Oysters are pretty much the livelihood of the Bay," Buter said. "This (program) is a small step, but the more people who do it, the better it'll be."
In February, Chris Judy, DNR's Shellfish Program director, visited Tilghman to introduce the Marylanders Grow Oysters program to PWEC staff and volunteers. McCollough said the project generated some interest, so the organization applied to be a local coordinator.
"And we were approved," she said.
Following their admission into the program, PWEC contacted all of Tilghman's waterfront-property owners to determine the number of residents interested in the project. At Friday's delivery, McCollough had a list of 34 homes that would receive at least four spat-filled cages.
"I just retired, so I've got more free time," said participating resident Clem Zappe. "It's a great project."
This is Zappe's first venture into oyster farming and, fortunately for him, the maintenance process isn't too difficult. Once a week, Zappe will pull each cage from the water and shake it to ensure all debris is removed. The cage is then placed back into the water until the following week.
"I think it's something I can handle," he said, with a laugh.
The cages will stay at Zappe's property for a year, where the oysters will grow and eventually fill most of the cage. Once adults, the oysters are removed from the cages and placed on oyster reefs, which Buter said are important pieces of habitat in the Bay.
By 9 a.m. Friday, about 20 volunteers gathered on the PWEC grounds to help the organization prepare the cages for delivery. Before the cages and spat arrived, McCollough instructed those present on how to do so correctly stand the cage on its side, she said, and fill it about two inches high with spat. Any residents participating in the program also learned how to tie a bowline knot, courtesy of McCollough. She encouraged all participants to use this particular knot with the oyster cages.
"It will not come loose," she said. "But it's easy to take apart when you need to undo it."
Cages are still available for Tilghman residents interested in housing oysters on their property, McCollough said. The unclaimed cages currently sit at the organization's center on Chicken Point Road.
"We're more than happy to have anyone participate," she said.
To get involved with the TIGO program, e-mail oysterspwec.org or tigopwec.org.
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