Overview
New York Harbor once held more than 220,000 acres of oyster reefs — one of the most productive marine ecosystems on the East Coast. Then overfishing and pollution wiped nearly all of it out. The Billion Oyster Project is the effort to bring it back, with a goal of restoring one billion oysters to the harbor by 2035. The work is real. The science is real. And what your teen does on a Saturday morning on Governors Island is a genuine part of it.
Your teen will build things that go into the harbor
All public volunteer days take place at the shell pile on Governors Island. The work centers on two tasks: cleaning recycled shell substrate — shells collected from over 100 NYC restaurants that become the foundation for new oysters to settle and grow on — and fabricating oyster reef balls, the concrete structures that get installed across harbor sites. Reef balls are built by hand from gravel, stone, concrete, water, and sand, designed with nooks and crannies so oyster larvae can attach. Each one weighs upward of 200 pounds when finished. Volunteers also occasionally support the Fabrication team with general shell pile maintenance.
No prior experience needed. On-site training and hands-on guidance are provided, and the team is available to support various accessibility and learning needs.
A note on age and logistics
Public volunteer days are open to participants 18 and older, or 16–17 with a parent or guardian present. The work is physically demanding — this is a real conservation worksite, not a drop-in program. That said, it's genuinely accessible. Governors Island is a short ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, and the field season runs from approximately mid-March through late November.
New volunteer dates are released on the 15th of each month. Spots fill and are removed from the site once full — so if nothing is showing, check back.
The Ambassador Program: For Teens Who Want More
The Ambassador Program is for more dedicated volunteers ready to take on greater responsibility. Ambassadors receive specialized training and access beyond standard public field days — including wild oyster surveys, reef monitoring expeditions, oyster spat counts, and education team support at Oyster Research Stations across the city. This is the right next step for a teen who has done a few public field days and wants consistent, season-long involvement.
Cost & Information
- Public volunteer days: Free
- Ambassador Program: Free; application required
- Age requirement: 18+, or 16–17 with a parent or guardian
- Location: Governors Island (short ferry ride from Lower Manhattan)
- Field season: Mid-March through late November
- New dates posted: 15th of each month — spots fill fast
- Register: billionoysterproject.org/volunteer