Muddy

This is me today after I was waist-deep in mud planting oyster bags. (picture quality is low because it is from Kyle's cell)

Baggin' Oysters!

Hello Everyone,

So here we are in Sunny Savannah Georgia! This project is amazing! We are working with the University of Georgia's Marine Extension Service Shellfish Research Laboratory on their project called Generating Enhanced Oyster Reefs in Georgia's Inshore Areas (G.E.O.R.G.I.A.). The objective of the project is to rebuild oyster reefs across Georgia's coast. This is important because the oyster is a "keystone species." This means that the oyster plays an important role in the lives of many organisms in their area. The oysters serve in preserving two ecosystems on the coast. In the water, the oyster reef not only provides a place for many marine animals to live and hide, but also keeps dangerous pollutants out of their habitat. An adult oyster can filter up to 2.5 gallons of water per hour! The oysters serve to filter out all the bacteria, pesticides and man-made pollutants that run off into the waterways. Also, the oysters preserve the wetlands along the shoreline. The reefs protect the shore from dangerous erosion.

Our goal is to build reef along the shore of Skidaway Island. To build the reef, we first fill mesh bags with oysters.

The goal for this reef is to fill 10,000 bags of oysters. After we make the oyster bags, we transport them to the site,

and then "plant" them along the water. "planting" is just the term for placing wood pallets along the shore and covering it in the bags of oysters.

When a baby oyster is "born", it floats around in the water until it finds a place to attach (or plant) itself. These baby oysters are attracted to surfaces containing calcium carbonate (which is highly present in other oyster shells). If the oyster babies settle on the soft ground, they have little to no chance of survival, but when they bind to other oyster shells, the oysters flourish.

After about a year, the mesh bags are no longer visable through the new oyster growth on top of them.

Check out http://www.shellfish.uga.edu/oysterrest.html to learn more about the programs UGA is working on to preserve the coastal environment.

In addition to an awesome project, we are living in a hotel in Savannah! I haven't spent a lot of time exploring because I am exhausted, but I am looking forward to taking sometime to experience the city and culture next weekend during my spring break (Friday-Monday).

Miss you all!

Casey

Savannah!

Hey Everyone,

I forgot to update- I am safely in Savannah and have started my new project. I am way behind on my sleep, so I will be explaining more about the new project later.

In the mean time... Savannah is gorgeous, the project is awesome and my housing is very comfortable- so I am very happy.

Also: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!

Macon, GA

Hey out there

So I am currently stranded right outside of Macon, GA. Our van will not start, so we are waiting for the tow truck to come save us. Not sure how this is going to play out today- but luckily there is a Starbucks across the street from the gas station our van is stuck at.

We are currently on day 2 of our travel from Vicksburg to Savannah. We caravaned to Atlanta yesterday with another team from our campus and spent the night in their SPIKE housing. It was a really fun way to travel. My team currently has two smaller vans for our travel, and the team we traveled has one. Every time we stopped everyone had to get out of the van and find a new spot in another van. It was a great way to entertain ourselves during the 9 hour drive.

I am glad to be back out on the road heading to our new project. The team is really excited to learn about our work with the University of Georgia's oyster restoration project. It is going to be a VERY DIRTY project and I am looking forward to doing some physical labor.

Well I just got the call from the towguy so I am out to save my van! Missing home and all of you down here in the South. Hopefully I will see some of you in Late April when I am stationed in Buffalo, WV!

Birthday Lovin'

So my project has come and gone and I am deep into transition now. It is nice to be with the team leaders and even nicer to be closing out the last projects. We looked up and called over 10,000 organizations and got 1000 to confirm interest in the Adopt a Katrina Family initiative. We are in the process of making a video and updating the website. Though it was good to help so many people with this last project, my team has had a great deal of "thinker" projects and I am ready to move on to some "doing."

We travel to our next project this coming Saturday. We will be saving oyster reefs in Savannah, Georgia for a month while living out of hotel rooms. I think it is going to be a really fun, busy project.

This last weekend my friends spoiled me for my birthday! I got packages from Mom and Dad, Kate, Mia and Sarah and letters from Grandma and Grandpa, Carrie, Walter, Grace, Aunt Susy and Uncle Sandy and more and more are coming. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

Also, here in Vicksburg, my friends took care of me. Jordan brought me to a lovely picnic at a secret waterfall in the Military Park. Then a bunch of my friends went out to a movie with me then drove an hour to Jackson because I wanted real pizza (which you can't really get in Vicksburg). Then on Sunday, my friends brought me to champaign brunch and bought me a bunch of birthday noisemakers, table decorations and a tiara :) Then both my team and tls made me cakes. What a great birthday!

Now I am getting ready for a week of trainings and preparing to leave for Savannah!

Miss you all! Thanks for all the Birthday Lovin'!