  Updates on our new grants:
1. Tidal Creek Restoration in the Ashleyville neighborhood in Charleston, SC, formerly known as the historic town of Maryville
Our team is getting ready of marsh restoration in Ashleyville: Tidal Creek Excavation! Mark your calendars for the week of March 20th - 26th. We've already got some awesome partners lined up for the week including Charleston Waterkeeper, SC Aquarium, Low Country Land Trust, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, The Sustainability Institute, Citadel and Trident Construction. Ready to help us dig these tidal creeks? Email us at score.dnr.sc.gov
2. Recreational Fishing Restoration with Title 1 Schools
We've been having a BLAST working in Edith Frierson Elementary School on Wadmalaw Island with SC Sea Grant Consortium! From teaching students about the salt marsh, to building a greenhouse, and helping the students grow their own spartina grass, our visits to the school have been a HIT - and it's only the beginning! Later this year, we will bring the students into the salt marsh for hands-on restoration activities. The older kids will get to go crabbing with Casual Crabbing with Tia and fishing with a charter fishing captain!
These 2 brand new projects are already off to a great start, and we can't wait to see where they go with your help.
 It's still Oyster Roast Season
We are reaching record numbers of recycled shell this year! Our recycling team has been hard at work emptying drop off bins and colleting shell from roasts. Thank you for continuing to recycle your shell!
REMINDER: Taking oyster shell from DNR property is illegal and involves a hefty fine... this includes buckets, bins, drop off sites, trailers, etc.
  SECTION SPOTLIGHT: Shellfish Mariculture!
Grains of sand or baby clams?? Special inspections must take place in order for shellfish to be grown in South Carolina waters...
Shellfish growers in SC are allowed to ship native oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and native clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) into SC with a valid indigenous importation permit. The shellfish have to come from an approved hatchery that meets SC’s biosecurity standards. The shellfish are tested for pathogens before shipment and if the test is negative, then shellfish can be shipped. Once arriving in SC and before being placed in the waters of the state, the shellfish are inspected by DNR staff for “hitchhikers” (any invasive/non-target organisms). Once the shellfish pass inspection then the farmers are allowed to place them within their gear on their mariculture permit for grow out and eventual market sale.
*First picture seeded clams. second photo is seeded oysters*
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