VIRGINIA BEACH–The largest residential installation of oyster castles ever built by Lynnhaven River NOW, almost the length of a football field, is on its way to completion on Bert and Betsy Reese’s shoreline on Linkhorn Bay.

The castles stretch 270 feet along the shore.  When sand fill between the castles and the shoreline has been added and new grasses have been planted, almost 3,000 square feet of wetlands along the river will have been restored, said Vince Bowhers, LRNow’s Landscape and Living Shoreline Coordinator.

Oyster castles, made of concrete and oyster shell, fit together a little like Legos and slow erosion from the waves, Bowhers explained. They also provide homes where baby oysters can attach, thus oyster castles!

Five staff members and 23 volunteers took about five days to move over 1,000 castles into place along the low tide line. Each castle weighs 37 pounds, Bowhers added.

“Congratulations and thank you to our truly hard-working volunteers and to the Reeses for caring to protect their shoreline in such a sustainable way,” Bowhers said.