Written by Alex Liu
On October 19-20, 2024, members of AYLUS Oyster Bay participated in the annual Oyster Festival. About 44 members, which was more than last year’s number, were involved in helping out with this event. Our volunteer lasted for 2 days, from 10 to 1, 1 to 4, and 4 to 7 each day. We worked at 3 different stations to help people sort the different trash into the correct bins.
The Oyster Festival, an event that celebrates oysters, lets people eat all different kinds of cooked oysters and seafood. More than 150,000 people attend the festival every year. This year, News12 interviewed Joseph Saladino, the town mayor of Oyster Bay, who had come to celebrate with us. He talked about how exciting the Oyster Fest was going to be, with all its different fresh seafood, such as oysters, clams, and lobster.
During the festival, we sorted out the oyster and clam shells from the other trash. It is important to make sure we keep those shells because they can be recycled and put back into the water to keep the water purified. This can benefit the ocean ecosystem and increase the oyster population. Oysters are also enjoyed by many people. From this event, we learned about how recycling these oyster shells has many benefits, both for the ocean and for us humans.