More than 110,000 oysters were planted and raised through oyster gardening in Virginia in 2024, a near-record, environmentalists said.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation hosts oyster gardening programs, at which volunteers become a “foster parent” for a few hundred baby oysters. After taking a seminar, volunteers can begin growing oysters using wire cages on a private dock, community pier, marina or waterfront business.

Once grown, the adult oysters are returned to the foundation to be planted on sanctuary reefs after growing for about a year. After the oysters are transplanted, oyster gardeners can begin a new batch.

Restoration of oysters help coastal communities vulnerable to sea level rise , like Hampton Roads. Living shorelines that include oyster shell reefs are a natural approach to protecting them from erosion, and healthy oyster reefs can also help protect the habitats that capture and store carbon. Oysters filter sediment and algae from the water, up to 50 gallons of water a day, increasing the clarity that is needed for Chesapeake Bay vegetation to receive enough sunlight. At the same time, they deposit nutrient-rich organic matter on the bottom that supports growth.

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With the oysters grown in 2024, more than 5 million gallons of water each day can be filtered once they reach adulthood, according to the foundation. Earlier this year, the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance officially surpassed 6 billion oysters added to the Chesapeake Bay since 2017. By 2025, the alliance aims to introduce 10 billion oysters through efforts in restoration and aquaculture.

“There’s nothing quite like the connection between these baby oysters and their foster parents,” said Jessica Lutzow, the foundation’s oyster restoration specialist in Virginia. “The dedication and love it takes to raise these oysters, from cleaning cages to sending them off to live out on sanctuary reefs, is nothing short of special.”

Now, 64 families and organizations have agreed to raise oysters at public docks and marinas rather than private waterfront property. Claire Neubert, an oyster gardener at one of the Hampton docks, said she initially raised oysters to give back to the planet, but it has since “changed the trajectory” of her life.

“I live in an urban environment, and it’s amazing to find these babies flourish given all the challenges they face,” Neubert said. “At the end of the day, it really becomes a question of who’s growing who.”

30 photos from The Times-Dispatch archives

In May 1975, Gov. Mills E. Godwin Jr. and Mrs. August Busch III rode the lead car around the Le Mans track in the French village of the new Busch Gardens: The Old Country theme park near Williamsburg. The governor and Anheuser-Busch executives took part in the dedication of the park, which had opened to the public the previous weekend and drew more than 30,000 visitors.

In January 1964, scientists performed research in the biophysics lab at the Medical College of Virginia using an experimental laser device. An accompanying story outlined the importance of electricity to hospital functions — at the time, MCV’s annual electric bill was about $215,000.

In September 1970, C.M. Stallings, manager of power supply for the Virginia Electric and Power Co., demonstrated that a 5 percent voltage drop made no discernible difference in a lightbulb’s output. At the time, the East Coast was enduring hot weather and power equipment failures, with utilities cutting voltage and asking customers to reduce power use.

In September 1983, a commuter van in the Virginia Van Plan leasing program was parked in Capitol Square in Richmond. Compool, the area’s nonprofit ride sharing service (now known as RideFinders), organized the vanpool to serve Hopewell and Chester residents who worked downtown. Organizers said one van could replace 12 cars and save $10,000 in annual driving and parking costs.

In January 1956, Evelyn Byrd Purcell, chairwoman of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, hands Mayor Thomas P. Bryan the keys to the new Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike relocation office on North Second Street. Employees at the office helped find homes for families displaced by the toll road and other projects. At left was Frank Fay, executive secretary of the housing agency; at right was Wiley A. Hall, a member of the city Planning Commission.

In October 1972, the “Egg Cream Collosseum” at 1607 W. Grace St. in Richmond was for sale for $27,000. At the time, the three-story brick structure was part of the Rubicon drug rehabilitation center’s network of local programs for youths.

In October 1982, an old-time wagon train traveled through Henrico County as part of Vision Quest, a jail-diversion program for troubled teens that taught responsibility through the rigors of all-year outdoor life. The 12-wagon train, with 43 teens participating, was en route from Pennsylvania to Key West, Fla., for the winter.

In February 1961, Charles Carter (left) and Charles Page, both fifth-year students in the electrical apprentice training program at the Virginia Mechanic Institute in Richmond, worked on a project in the institute’s new lab. For many students in the area, the program was taken as a high school elective or through night classes.

In April 1970, the Bronze Gateway, a new restaurant at Byrd Field in Henrico County, was about to open. The facility was on the airport terminal’s first floor, and its upper levels had glass walls overlooking the ramp area. A more casual snack bar was on the first level.

This April 1955 photo shows the former living room of the Branch House on Monument Avenue in Richmond. The Tudor Revival mansion, designed by architect John Russell Pope, once was the home of financier John Kerr Branch. It later housed the Richmond Area Community Chest (a predecessor of the United Way), which converted the living room into a large assembly space for meetings of civic and educational organizations.

This November 1985 image shows the Lukhard’s market on Libbie Avenue in Richmond. Rawley Lukhard, chairman of the grocery retailer, had just announced plans for an expansion. Today, the building houses Libbie Market.

In March 1969, Boy Scouts of Troop 700 prepared to board a train at Broad Street Station in Richmond to travel to Palm Beach, Fla. The troop, sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was heading south for a week of camping.

In June 1963, a Wisconsin family set up camp at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County. At the time, the park had 23 campsites with drinking water and toilet facilities, according to the superintendent. The park also featured brick fireplaces built along walking paths, a nature museum, a lake for fishing and a beach. The daily camping fee was $1.

In August 1967, the Manchester Volunteer Rescue Squad treated a man injured in a car crash. The unit was one of more than 140 emergency first-aid squads in Virginia at the time.

In April 1968, a nationwide strike targeted the Bell System, whose numerous units included Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Co. of Virginia and equipment manufacturer Western Electric Co. This installer protested outside C&P’s Richmond headquarters.

In December 1957, the intersection of Fifth and Grace streets downtown near the Miller & Rhoads department store was busy on Christmas Eve as shoppers picked up final holiday gifts.

In October 1980, a monument was unveiled at Dock and 20th streets in Richmond to commemorate Libby Prison, a Confederate prison for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Unveiling the plaque were (from left) Joseph B. Mitchell of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; Luther Libby, great-grandson of the ship handler who once owned the building; and Chester S. Shriver of the Sons of Union Veterans.

In June 1965, Frank McDaniel (left) and Robert Parks monitored network television feeds to Richmond stations. The room, on the sixth floor of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Building at Seventh and Grace streets downtown, was a key link for television and radio transmission in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

In August 1979, Peter Sargent of Breezy Hill Farm in Albemarle County sold his vegetables at a Charlottesville farmers market. Sargent called his efforts a hobby rather than a business: “That’s the beauty of it. … Pick it this morning and sell it today.”

In April 1986, Virginia Commonwealth University students Karen Sensenig and Phil Conein put together a student gallery in the Commons building in Richmond. The first show featured the works of seniors, and students could get guidance from faculty advisers about selecting, displaying and pricing their work.

In May 1961, Clarence Richter (left) and Fred Pemberton tested the new radar “eye” at Byrd Field in Henrico County. Full use of the air traffic control system was slated for late summer, with new radio equipment offering uninterrupted communication between the airport’s controllers and the planes they were monitoring.

In November 1952, Mrs. Clarence Baskett accompanied young girls Beth Griffin and Sally Cary Adkins while their parents voted at a Richmond precinct. Baskett wore a sign reflecting her views in the presidential race, and Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower did defeat Democrat Adlai Stevenson.

In March 1988, a voting booth at City Hall in Richmond was set up for the presidential primaries. Voters flipped selectors to mark their choices; Democrat Jesse Jackson and Republican George H.W. Bush won the Virginia primaries.

In May 1971, Henrico County received 130 voting machines to be used in the next election. The machines were the first in Henrico, and county authorities planned an extensive program to educate voters on using them. Pulling a handle would close the booth’s curtains, and voters set levers for their preferred candidates before using the handle again to record the votes and open the curtains.

In November 1971, Richmond precinct worker Walter E. Lewis (left) explained how to use a voting machine to Raymond L. Redd.

In November 1989, students at Ratcliffe Elementary School in Henrico County lined up to take part in a mock election in which they submitted votes on a school computer. The actual election for Virginia governor took place the following week, and Democrat L. Douglas Wilder topped Republican J. Marshall Coleman.

In late October 1964, Richmond Registrar Vernon N. Davis hired 18 additional workers to help prepare registration books and assist with absentee balloting for the upcoming Johnson-Goldwater presidential election. The late need for assistance stemmed from thousands of new voters who registered in the preceding weeks.

In December 1952, presidential electors cast Virginia’s 12 votes for Republican victor Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Old Senate Chamber at the state Capitol. Standing at the head of the table were Levin Nock Davis (from left), secretary of the State Board of Elections; state GOP Chairman S. Floyd Landreth, who was on hand as an observer; and R.C. Bayliss, a member of the board.

In November 1979, the Richmond Jaycees distributed lapel pins to voters after they cast ballots in city precincts.