Rink2Reef Restoring Chesapeake Bay One Hockey Stick at a Time

Founded in 2017 by Marine biologist Bob Wasno, Rink2Reef is a unique oyster restoration program that utilizes hockey sticks and other landfill-bound materials and repurposes them into oyster restoration habitats.

After hearing about the organization from a friend in Florida, Maryland resident Matt Albers reached out to Wasno in an effort to bring Rink2Reef to the Chesapeake Bay. With Wasno's support, Albers and members of the community began collecting discarded hockey sticks to construct oyster reefs in 2019.
A type of shellfish, oysters typically inhabit both saltwater and brackish estuaries and bays, serving as filter feeders. Simply put, oysters strain the water around them finding plankton and other particles of food while also removing pollutants from the water.
Research suggests that a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day. In an estuary, a group of 100 oysters can filter nutrient pollutants and effectively clean upwards of 5,000 gallons of water in a single day.
Using the artificial reefs produced by Rink2Reef, as many as 400 oysters can attach to the 9.17 cubic-foot units. At that number, one Rink2Reef habitat can clean approximately 20,000 gallons of water each day, constantly improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.
Whether at the professional level, college level or youth level, hockey players break sticks with regularity. In most cases, broken sticks are quickly discarded and sent to landfills across the globe.
Hockey sticks are made from carbon composite material and are held together with resin made of a lactic acid derivative, meaning that they cannot be recycled. Consequently, many of the over three million sticks manufactured annually will end up in dumpsters, and ultimately a land fill.

Fortunately, however, the materials within the stick and resin are completely inert and cannot cause harm to the environment.
That's where Rink2Reef comes in.
To combat the environmental strain that results from landfill-bound hockey sticks, Rink2Reef works with D.C. area organizations to collect and repurpose discarded sticks. Approximately once a quarter, Albers and his team will measure, cut and construct the sticks into stackable-style reefs held together by thick monofilament fishing line. As of 2022, Rink2Reef has collected over 2,000 discarded sticks from the hockey community and built more 100 oyster habitats that are working to restore stable ecosystems within the Chesapeake Bay.
Washington Capitals forward Lars Eller and defenseman Dmitry Orlov recently met with Rink2Reef Chesapeake Bay at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and donated sticks to the organization. Following practice, both Eller and Orlov spent time with Albers and his colleague Josh Poore to gift sticks, view the reefs and learn more about Rink2Reef's oyster restoration process.

"We were incredibly grateful that we were given the opportunity to meet with Lars and Dmitry," Albers said. "It was great to share with them who we are, what we do and the impact we can have."
As a strictly volunteer program, Rink2Reef sanctuaries are constructed by civic and youth organizations from across the D.C. region. Albers is appreciative of all the help Rink2Reef has received, and notes that they are always looking for new organizations to partner with.
Last November, Capitals alum Peter Bondra spent a day building reefs with Rink2Reef using discarded sticks from Capitals Lars Eller, Dmitry Orlov, Nick Jensen, Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.
"When Matt came to me, I was very curious about the organization," Bonda remembered. "Nearly all of these sticks would have just ended up in the trash, so I was happy to be a part of building something that helps both the community and the environment."
Now, Bondra is looking forward to building his own reef for his dock at his home in Annapolis.
As Rink2Reef looks towards the future, Albers plans to deploy 25 stick collection boxes across the region over the next year. For Albers, continuing to spread the word about the program is of the utmost importance.
"The best thing for us is to have people know who we are," Albers said. "Rather than just leaving sticks in their garage for the next ten years, we want them to know that they can go to a positive thing."

Over the next three to five years, Albers hopes to secure enough funding to set up leases in the Chesapeake Bay for larger reefs. With a lease, the reefs deployed in the Bay will then be identified on a NOAA chart, an interactive map that provides information on water depths, locations and characteristics that aid navigation. Having Rink2Reef sanctuaries on a NOAA map would allow people to see the reefs as the navigate up and down the Bay. According to Albers, this type of exposure would greatly expand the organization's footprint and help further elevate its impact.
After more than three years leading Rink2Reef, Albers is proud of the impact that the organization has had on not only the environment, but also through providing volunteer and business opportunities for members of the community eager to make a difference.
"Through this work, we can look back and say, 'we've had a positive impact on the landfills, the kids who volunteer, the environment and the local economy,'" said Albers. "It's really amazing how one hockey stick that was originally destined for a landfill can have such an important impact on those stakeholders in such a positive way."
To donate to Rink2Reef, please visit
www.Rink2Reef.org/Donate
. Individuals interested in learning more about Rink2Reef are encouraged to visit
www.Rink2Reef.org
, the Rink2Reef page on Facebook or on Instagram at rink2reefchesapeake.
The Rink2Reef visit coincides with the Capitals annual Go Green game. The organization will celebrate Go Green Night presented by Suburban Propane on Wednesday, April 6, versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. During Go Green Night, fans will learn how they can support a cleaner environment through green-themed activations presented by Suburban Propane throughout the game.
During warmups players will wear special green warmup jerseys that will be auctioned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation to benefit DC Greens, a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit. Proceeds will be used to help DC Greens launch 'The Well' - a farm and community wellness space in Southeast D.C. The Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation fundraiser featuring the jerseys is now open at
www.WashCaps.com/GoGreenAuction
and concludes at noon on Friday, April 15. The auction features the autographed, limited edition green jerseys and autographed green Capitals pucks.