What should you do with your discarded bivalve shells? Better question: What can they do for the environment?

Plenty, it turns out. In 2011 former Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group summer employee Jessie Kanozak started the MV Shell Recovery Partnership with the goal of preventing shells from taking up valuable space in our trash cans, and instead returning them to local waters. Once cleaned, the returned shells can be used to maintain shellfish habitats and reduce the negative effects of water acidification.

Now, the Shellfish Group is seeking to expand the program. On Saturday, Jan. 21 members of the Shellfish Group will present a free community workshop at the Wakeman Center, off Lambert’s Cove Road in Vineyard Haven, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ms. Kanozak will report on the progress of the first year of the Shell Recovery Partnership. Shellfish Group Director Rick Karney and Emma Green-Beach of the Marine Biological Laboratory will talk about the importance of shell in marine ecosystems, and special guest Stephan Abel, executive director of the Maryland Oyster Recovery Partnership, will discuss successful shell recycling programs in the Chesapeake Bay area.

For more information, contact Mr. Karney at mvsg@comcast.net.