ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — Dozens of veterans and active-duty military personnel gathered in Shadyside to support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's ongoing efforts to revitalize the oyster population.
WATCH: Veterans join mission to restore Chesapeake Bay's oyster population
The conservation initiative provides military members with a meaningful way to continue their service through environmental stewardship.
"This is an opportunity for us to come together; we all have a common experience serving in uniform regardless of the service that we served in, and then we have that common bond of the outdoors piece as well, coming together as a team. Something we're great at is accomplishing the mission, and one of our taglines for our program is giving veterans a new mission in conservation," said Garrett Robinson, volunteer.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation reports significant progress in their restoration efforts, noting that since 2005, they've managed to triple the oyster population in the bay.
Organizers hope that continued volunteer efforts like this will further increase oyster numbers, which play a crucial role in the bay's ecosystem by filtering water and providing habitat for other marine life.
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