It can seem silly to designate one day to celebrate the incredible nature that surrounds us. After all, NYC is a coastal city with 520 miles of shoreline, and there are so many ways to experience and enjoy this nexus of human and wildlife habitat. Fortunately, our jobs at Billion Oyster Project allow us to experience and appreciate nature on the regular… and we’re thrilled to share that side of our city with you — your students, family, friends, and even colleagues this April and beyond. Over the next two weeks, here are 11 ways that you can join us and our fantastic partners in and around Ne ..read more

On Tuesday, March 12, our Executive Director, Pete Malinowski, got “the coolest call [he’s] ever gotten.”  Earlier this month, AOC announced that over $12 million has been secured for community projects serving New York's 14th Congressional District. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — New York City native and U.S. Representative from New York’s 14th Congressional District — was on the other end of that call, which was to inform Pete that Billion Oyster Project will receive $500,000 to design and install a one-acre oyster reef in Flushing Bay, Queens. As mentioned on her website: “This project [w ..read more

Black History Month is an important time to reflect on some of the remarkable men and women who have changed the course of history — like Matthew Alexander Henson, Joan Murrell Owens, and New York’s very own Thomas Downing.  This February, however, we are excited to shine a light on Black history that is being made from coast to coast. Join us in getting to know five Black leaders whose work in the marine and maritime spaces is making history right now. These men and women don’t fit the stereotypical mold that our society has assigned to scientists, mariners, and environmentalists (read ..read more

The Bahamas Trip — an annual certification adventure for Harbor School’s student divers. Each year, students from the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School undertake an ambitious diving trip to the Bahamas at The Island School. These trips offer more than a geographical shift from the challenging waters of the New York Harbor these high school divers experience; they’re deep “dives” into some unparalleled marine science education. The Bahamas trip, a core element of the Harbor School's Professional Diving Career & Technical Education (CTE) program for over a decade, offers an opportunity f ..read more

Michelson’s “Midden” project, which fused video with audio recordings of the Delaware Skin Dance, a call-and-response song using hide drums. Credit: Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times Many of us will gather with friends and family today and take time to reflect on, and be grateful for, all that we have. As we celebrate abundance, love and joy, we must also remember the original stewards of this land, how they interacted with the environment and the tragic and violent manner in which they were removed. At Billion Oyster Project, we are dedicated to tackling tough conversations and amplify ..read more

   Dear Friends & Supporters, Billion Oyster Project’s oyster reef in Bush Terminal Park is my favorite place in New York City. I’m sitting on the rocks by the water right now, where this little piece of Brooklyn shoreline meets New York Harbor. I’m looking out over an incredible view — the Statue of Liberty in the distance and the iconic skyline of lower Manhattan looming over dilapidated piers slowly being reclaimed by trees. This spot is now one of the best places in New York City to find diving ducks and wading birds — foraging between mussel beds. For the first time this pa ..read more

  Last month, we had the great fortune of welcoming Prince William to our project and shining a light on our grassroots effort to inspire climate action. If you happened to miss the splash, the kicked off Climate Week by stopping by Billion Oyster Project before his meeting with the UN Secretary-General and hosting his own Earth Shot Summit. Surreal headlines aside, this visit wasn't just about a prince wading into the East River. It was about acknowledging the ongoing efforts of those working to solve our greatest challenge by starting small; making a rippling impact at the intersection ..read more

Yes, you read that correctly. To restore more oysters to New York Harbor, we need to enjoy them right here in NYC. Here’s why.      National Oyster Day is coming up this Friday, August 5th. So, we found it fitting to explain why eating oysters can be both good for the planet and essential to their resurgence in NY Harbor, by addressing some of our most frequently asked questions and concerns regarding their consumption, such as: Can we eat the oysters Billion Oyster Project is restoring? Will we ever be able to eat oysters from New York Harbor? Is eating oysters sustainab ..read more

  This spring, we are excited to introduce you to four members of Billion Oyster Project’s 40-person crew. These individuals represent our Community Engagement, Education, Restoration, and Operations teams. More importantly, the unique stories of Steven Villegas, Shinara Sunderlal, Charlotte Boesch, and Marc Melendez, show that whether you grew up in New York City or India — studied at university or learned through hands-on experience, you can make a difference in your local environment and the lives of people around you. Steven VillegasVolunteer Coordinator Steven grew up in Sunnyside ..read more

Dear Friends and Supporters, The waterways surrounding New York City are the cleanest they’ve been in over a hundred years. Did you know that much of the Harbor is safe for primary human contact (read swimming) most of the time? If it was a beach, the Harbor would be open for more than half the year.  Alongside this improvement in water quality has been a resurgence of wildlife. One of the great privileges of my work at Billion Oyster Project is spending a lot of time on the water witnessing and facilitating this change. I’ve watched pods of dolphins play in Jamaica Bay. All winter long ..read more