A single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water daily. That’s a big effort for a small shell. We want to raise $200,000 to put 20 million oysters back to work, filtering as much as 1 billion gallons of water per day. An effort like that requires a little support.
Paddleboard and Bay enthusiasts Chris Hopkinson and Chris Norman decided the least they could do to support the hard work of our little shelled friends was to paddleboard the length of the Bay, about 240 total miles (the Bay is about 200 miles, but we'll be making some port stops
Chris was born and raised in Annapolis, spent 7 years in Baltimore City, 2 in DC and currently lives in Arnold with his wife Megan and 3 energetic children; Olivia, Emma and Miles. His paddling adventures started as a gift from his wife and a way to get him out of the house. His oyster interest started with his daughter’s science project.
Chris Norman was born and raised in Annapolis and has always had a strong connection to the water. His grandfather was a graduate of the Naval Academy and his father grew up sailing and windsurfing in Annapolis. Chris along with two friends started Capital SUP, a paddleboard and kayak rental outfit in Annapolis, in 2014. As much time as he spends on the water, Chris wants to help restore and preserve the Bay for generations to come.
Bryan Gomes is the Education Coordinator for ClearShark H2O. He has decades of environmental education, water sports, public outreach and team building experience to his credit. He's passionate about the outdoors - he's thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail! He'll be kayaking the Bay Paddle route, sharing daily lessons on Bay history, water quality, persons/places of interest, even an animal-of-the-day!
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A documentary film is in the works! Directed by Katie Sheridan, who has produced for National Geographic Channel and more, "The Power Of The Paddle" aims to chronicle the physical and mental ambition of Chris's novel expedition. Both an underdog sports story, and a social impact film, audiences will experience a unique view of Chesapeake Bay, and why oysters are the key to protecting it.
