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Volunteer
Baykeeper has a variety of volunteer programs for people of all
interests:
Baykeeper Office, Events or Project
Volunteer
Help out at our office, do computer work, mailings, program research, etc.,
Or join us as a volunteer at the region's annual boatshow,
at Baykeeper's annual clambake (every September), or on one of our regularly
scheduled clean ups or habitat restoration projects.
Baykeeper Oyster Gardeners
Oyster gardening is a hands-on project for volunteers to grow oysters at
their own private piers and marinas. Volunteers grow five hundred small
"seed" oysters at waterfront sites throughout New
York and New Jersey
from fall until summer, then join with the Baykeeper Boat Auxiliary and place
their oysters on new oyster reefs. Oysters help revitalize and restore the
Bay, as they filter pollutants and offer habitat for other aquatic life,
including fish and shellfish. Oyster gardening fosters a sense of stewardship
for the Estuary as volunteers care for the oysters and learn about the
estuarine environment firsthand. An ideal program for schools, scouting
groups, boating clubs and families.
Baykeeper Boat Auxiliary
The NY/NJ Baykeeper's Boat Auxiliary Program is a group of volunteers who use
their own boats to patrol and observe the waterways of the Hudson-Raritan
Estuary. Private pleasure boats, commercial fishing boats, charter boats and
other commercial craft are all welcome to take part. Auxiliary members keep
an eye open for anything that could adversely impact the environment, such as
pollution, illegal fills, stream encroachments, and illegal dredging. They
also watch for and report unusual natural developments in the Estuary, such
as fish kills.
Reports are sent to Baykeeper on a regular basis. Illegal or
harmful events are reported immediately to the Baykeeper and to the proper
authorities. Auxiliary members are periodically asked to participate in
planned activities like oyster restorations, sewer outfall surveys, wildlife
inventories, festivals and scheduled meetings of auxiliary members. Auxiliary
members will be assigned a specific area of the harbor with which they are
familiar. They receive from the Baykeeper a Boat Auxiliary Manual including
vessel logs, observation forms, incident report forms, report guidelines, a
list of phone numbers for local, state and federal agencies, material on
boating rules and procedures, information about commercial port facilities
and a reference set of navigational charts with corresponding street maps.
The members will receive updates to their manuals, new information to help
with observation techniques and bulletins about environmental hotspots in the
harbor. Members will also receive hats, shirts and a set of banners
identifying them as members of the Baykeeper Boat Auxiliary. Auxiliary
members act as observers only and do not interact or directly interfere with
people engaged in illegal activities.
If you are interested in becoming part of the Baykeeper Boat
Auxiliary, call (732) 888-9870 and speak to Amy Testa
or Debbie Mans
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Baykeeper's annual clam bake
Help revitalize and restore the bay through oyster
gardening
Join the Baykeeper Boat Auxiliary
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