Volunteer to Grow oysters in a Maryland-wide effort to restore the health and habitat of the Chesapeake and its tributaries!

Join the network of 1,500+ individuals and communities who are committed to a cleaner Chesapeake Bay. The Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO) program provides you with a no-cost opportunity to make a difference in the health of our waterways. Donate your time and effort (and space below your dock to suspend oyster cages) to support the growth of millions of young oysters during their most vulnerable first year of life. Once the oysters are about one inch in size, they will be planted on local sanctuaries where their filtration powers will be put to work enriching tributaries’ ecosystems and providing habitat for our favorite marine life such as fish and crabs.

If you are a waterfront community or property owner in Maryland and would like to get involved, then please consider the following eligibility requirements and fill out the form below. To incorporate a new tributary, we would like to have enough participating homeowners to provide 50 cages (2 – 4 cages/dock). Please note, to be considered for MGO, your home tributary must have enough salinity to support oyster survival and growth. See a list of participating tributaries. 

Ideally, to participate in MGO you need:

• An existing pier or wharf with at least four feet of water at low tide in one of the tributaries selected for the program, including creeks, coves, and inlets.
• The willingness to provide maintenance for up to four cages of oysters up to 12 months.
• An interest in the welfare of the Chesapeake Bay and becoming an oyster steward.

MGO Participant Interest Form