First Friday Volunteer Oyster Mat Building

Want to do something good for the Indian River Lagoon this morning? Indian River County's Lagoon Division is hosting its First Friday Oyster Mat Building Event, and volunteers are welcome to come help.

The mats are part of the county's Living Docks program. Each living dock is made of mesh mats with 60 to 80 dried oyster shells attached, which then go onto existing dock pilings in the lagoon. The shells attract baby oysters and give other filter feeders a place to settle. Those filter feeders improve water quality and add habitat, which brings in fish, dolphins and turtles. The county runs the program with the Indian River Lagoon Research Institute at Florida Institute of Technology, and county staff check the mats every six months and share the data with FIT researchers.

It is a hands-on way for residents to take part in lagoon restoration, and a nice way to spend a Friday morning outdoors with neighbors.

When: Friday, November 6, 2026, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Where: the county's volunteer page lists Wabasso Causeway Park (North Pavilion), 1820 Wabasso Beach Rd, Vero Beach, FL 32963. The calendar feed listed the Dolphin Sculpture at Riverside Park, so check the county's volunteer page before you head out.

How to join: register as a volunteer through the Volunteer Registration button on the county's Indian River Lagoon volunteer page. For future dates, the county says to check back there or follow Indian River County Natural Resources on Facebook.

Details and any updates: the organizer's page.