Planting a pearl

Many people plant vegetables in the spring and early summer. But Erica LeMoine and her volunteers are planting a far more unusual crop that will yield a unique harvest in two or three years.

LeMoine, a naturalist with the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension Service, and her hard-working group are planting oyster shells along the coast to provide essential habitats for young oysters and a variety of marine animals.

Using an old-fashioned bucket brigade, strings of volunteers lay mesh bags of shells weighing close to 30 pounds along the sandy creeks feeding into the ocean.

Indeed, LeMoine works with civic groups and college students from all over the country as well as coastal residents. They pick up shucked shells from restaurants and recycling sites in Chatham and Glynn counties. After the shells are cured for 90 days, they shovel them into bags one Saturday each month.

Volunteers place the shells along streams where they attract young oyster larvae. As the young larvae mature, LeMoine and marine biologists monitor their growth as well as the water quality.

Oysters are considered a keystone species. “They’re an important part of the food chain, and they help cleanse the water,” says LeMoine.

With the help of volunteers, LeMoine hopes to plant shells all along the coast in the next two years.

For more information on shell collection or to volunteer, please call (912) 598-2348.

—Kristine Anderson

For excellent service

Postmaster Claude Sisson of Calhoun best exemplifies the spirit of Benjamin Franklin, according to the National Newspaper Association. Sisson was chosen from among 40 nominees across the nation as this year’s Benjamin Franklin Community Newspaper and Postal Partnership Award of Excellence winner earlier this year in Washington, D.C.

As the nation’s first postmaster general, Franklin was a newspaper publisher and statesman who viewed delivering newspapers through the mail as a critical link in the communication chain that binds the nation together.

Sisson has been Calhoun’s postmaster since 1987 and has worked for the postal system for 37 years.

Canyon Climbers earn bragging rights

Hikers who reach the bottom of Cloudland Canyon’s gorge in Rising Fawn will view two waterfalls that cascade over layers of sandstone and shale into pools below. (Photo courtesy GA Department of Economic Development.) State park hikers are celebrating their achievements just like marathon runners do—with a prized T-shirt that shows off their victories.

The Canyon Climbers Club, created by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ State Parks Division, is reserved for folks who have scaled the top of Amicalola Falls near Dawsonville, explored the depths of Providence Canyon near Lumpkin, braved the swinging bridge in Tallulah Gorge in Northeast Georgia and faced the daunting staircase in Cloudland Canyon at the edge of Lookout Mountain.

Membership can be obtained at any of these four participating state park offices for $10, and hikers must visit all four parks to get their card punched by rangers. When completed, punched cards can be exchanged for a Canyon Climbers Club T-shirt and bragging rights.

For more on the Canyon Climbers Club, call (404) 656-3530 or visit georgiastateparks.org.

Georgia glimpses

(Photo courtesy Flat Creek Lodge.) • Flat Creek Lodge in Swainsboro, known as a sports haven for fishing and hunting enthusiasts, announced the opening last month of its dairy, featuring a line of artisanal cheeses including Havarti, Gouda, Edam and Colby. As only the second licensed facility in Georgia that produces artisanal cheeses, Flat Creek Lodge Dairy plans to market its cheeses to restaurants and retail outlets. For more information, call (478) 237-3474 or visit www.flatcreeklodge.com.

• Volunteers with Senior Citizen Services stay busy helping metro Atlanta seniors maintain their independence and keep their homes livable through more than 200 projects each year as a part of the Home Owner Maintenance and Enhancement for Seniors (HOMES) program. On their most recent “Sweep!” day, held May 5, volunteers visited 10 senior-owned homes to On "Sweep!" Day, volunteers helped senior citizens with home improvement and repars as part of the HOMES program. paint, clean gutters, do yard work and perform other minor repair projects as a part of the HOMES program. For more information or to volunteer, please visit www.scsatl.org or call (404) 351-3889.