The Oyster Nursery at River Bay Rd & Swan Dr in Cape St. Claire is a big part of oyster restoration on the Magothy River.

In the early 1980’s Magothy River Association volunteers created an at-home oyster growing program, so people could hang containers of oyster spat on shell from their piers for restoration of historic reefs within the Magothy River. Three oyster nurseries were constructed beginning in 1995. These were for demonstration as well as accelerated growth of oyster spat. Michelle Cummins (now Michelle Powell) was an early pioneer in these ventures for MRA, and was later hired by Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help jump start their oyster recovery program. One nursery was at Downs Park and another at Ft. Smallwood Park, both in Pasadena. The third, and only surviving nursery from that era is at Cape St. Claire on the shores of the Little Magothy River.

Brad Knopf began volunteering at the nursery in 2006, along with Rick Danforth, Rene Burgan and Doug Tsitouris, among others. Lots of maintenance and some improvements were implemented, such as a new signboard, new oyster trays, a new basin top cover and new pump housing structure. Funding for supplies and equipment has been supported by Cape St Claire Improvement Association, Magothy River Association and Cape Conservation Corps.

Currently, we are enjoying a big group of regular volunteers, comprising three weekly maintenance teams. This is necessary, as the sunshine and constant flow of river water in warm weather brings silt, extra oxygen and algae to the basin. Of course, algae are the oyster’s primary source of food.

Over the years the nursery has become a very well enjoyed spot for children to see the oysters, as well as walkers and boaters to take in the view.

Beginning in 2009, the Marylanders Grow Oysters program escalated the home grower option, a cooperative effort by MD Department of Natural Resources, Oyster Recovery Partnership and the spat setting facilities at University of Maryland’s Horn Point Laboratories near Cambridge MD.

Since then, the Cape Oyster Nursery has been home base for distribution of oyster bags and cages. We have over100 growers on the South Shore of the Magothy River, a majority of them from Cape.

Each early Autumn, we receive a truck load of cages and bags of oyster spat on shell at the nursery for distribution to the growers. An amazing number of local citizens volunteer to help unload the truck and place them on pallets in the river. Over the next week or so, the place is buzzing with folks picking up their new babies. In late Spring, the growers boat out to the designated reef and launch their yearling babies overboard. A year of protected time on the piers in cages increases their survival rate significantly. This operation is coordinated by Brad Knopf, current VP of Cape Conservation Corps and board member of Magothy River Association.