Shoreline Shindig at Bradenton Riverwalk highlights Manatee’s oyster restoration efforts

BRADENTON - If you can’t eat ‘em, grow ‘em.

That was the name of the game at the Shoreline Shindig hosted along the Bradenton Riverwalk on Saturday afternoon. Hundreds gathered in the park to learn about nature’s automatic water filter.

The event was put on by Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START), which has sponsored a renewed effort to foster oyster growth in Manatee County. Mary Anne Bowie, the organization’s program manager, said the oysters in Manatee River aren’t fit for eating, but they still provide significant contributions to water quality.

The Shoreline Shindig put 20 of START’s local partners in one place to educate the public about how oyster restoration reaches into every corner of the community.