Oyster gardening is occurring outside Vane Brothers’ Baltimore headquarters as part of an ongoing commitment to a healthier Chesapeake Bay.

In early October, members of Vane’s Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) team, with assistance from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), lowered four oyster-growing cages into the Patapsco River from an unused company pier. The cages contained “spat,” which is the juvenile stage of oysters.

"Under our stewardship, the oysters will grow from spat to a healthy size, which will allow them to be added to an existing oyster bed just outside of Baltimore Harbor," says John Shkor, Vane Brothers' Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Manager. “During our regular inspections of the cages, we are seeing the healthy growth of the spat.”

Oysters are filter feeders that contribute to improving the health of waterways by trapping suspended sediments and chemical contaminants in their gills as they consume food particles. Oysters harvested from the Vane pier will be moved to a sanctuary reef at Fort Carroll, an abandoned, man-made island and fort in the middle of the Patapsco River, next to the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and partner organizations have supported a flourishing oyster reef there for more than three decades.

Vane’s Norfolk, Virginia operation has also been involved in an oyster restoration program for many years, spearheaded by Captain Mason Keeter, Vane’s General Manager, Port of Hampton Roads. Keeter has worked closely with the nonprofit Elizabeth River Project to populate a nearby sanctuary reef.

PHOTO CAPTION: Vane Brothers Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) team members Matt Frank, left, and John Shkor handle oyster cages on an unused pier at the company’s Baltimore headquarters in October 2024.