PONTE VEDRA, Fla. -- They are some of the most pristine shores in our area. Guana State Park will be able to stay that way with your help.
"It's another form of recycling," said Ashleigh Pasquarello.
Thousands of pounds of oyster shells are being used to protect the beaches there. Volunteers are using them to build a reef that will keep these shores from eroding away.
"You took a turn building a reef, and you took a turn counting the sea life, and we could see the progress," said Pasquarello.
The oysters are being collected from five local restaurants. But students at St. Johns Technical High School are the ones cleaning, sorting, and placing the shells in the water.
"They are more engaged. They get to see it live. They get to see the product of their work over a period of time, and therefore have a deeper understanding of it," said St. Johns Technical High School principal, Wayne King.
The project will go on for two years and will reuse 78,000 pounds of oyster shells that would otherwise be thrown away.
"They will see that shoreline being restored. They will see plants and animals come back to life," said King.
It's a recycling project that moves science from the classroom to the outdoors, onto one of Florida's most natural coasts.
You can donate your oyster shells to the project too. There is a donation bin at the Middle Beach Access parking lot on Ponte Vedra Boulevard.
