Volunteer Opportunities
Join Us!
Welcome! TOGA is always looking for volunteers, like you! We are working to make volunteering for TOGA even better! We now have a volunteer coordinator, Laurie Slone lslone@togaboard.org. Right now there are three main areas we need help.
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TOGA continues to teach new oyster gardeners the skills and information they need to be successful: OYS 101 Basic Oyster Gardening classes are being offered this year all over the Tidewater area, by Master Oyster Gardener, Richard Siciliano, yet to keep this up, we need help. TOGA will be providing a train-the-trainers session.
Educational Events
TOGA also holds events and educational sessions to involve and inform the public on the benefits of oysters - to the environment and saving our treasured Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Float and Spat Sales: Spring & Fall
These are our 2 major fundraising events - supplying floats, cages, bags, rope, and baby oysters (aka spat) to people to put into the Bay area. It is also a time to get together to socialize and meet other members, oyster enthusiasts like you! Buy TOGA tshirts, hats and more. Come meet us!
Please email lslone@togaboard.org if you, or someone you know is interested in helping TOGA and the Bay by volunteering.
We also always appreciate and welcome any donations:
Join TOGA and consider your annual family membership of $25 a tax-deductible donation
Give a tax-deductible donation to TOGA Donations help fund the TOGA Fellowship to fund graduate student research at VIMS (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), and to help save the Bay, one oyster at a time.
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Hope to hear from you,
Laurie Slone, lslone@togaboard.org
Volunteer Coordinator, TOGA
Please contact us to volunteer or ask ask about our current volunteer needs.
Our current Events Schedule- You may contact the event coordinator with the contact info provided.
Float Building- We have a small group of regular float builders, but we need more. For several years, we have been building over 300 floats and devices per year. We usually do this work in the fall and spring, just before the floats sales. Thankfully, TOGA members support our efforts by buying the floats, allowing us to use the revenue to support our TOGA/VIMS Student Fellowship Endowment and other worthwhile projects. The regulars will happily show you how we do it. Volunteer and make new friends! Contact us, or contact Vic Spain directly at vicspain@rocketmail.com.
Other ways to get started:
Talk with a Board Member or a Master Oyster Gardener at any TOGA Event, Oyster Gardening 101 course, the Annual Meeting, the Appreciation Party, the float sales, etc.
