FOLEY — Foley will soon have its own stop on The Oyster Trail.

Foley’s new oyster statue will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market.

The Oyster Trail is a public art display consisting of painted oyster statues throughout Baldwin and Mobile counties.

Along with viewing the statue’s unveiling, guests will be able to try a sample of grilled oyster.

The Oyster Trail is an established project of the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program, with partners including the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Each stop along the Trail is sponsored by one of the Gardening Program’s partners with proceeds going into the Mobile Bay Oyster Gardening Program to continue its restoration work in Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound.

To many people in Mobile and other coastal communities, oysters — whether farmed or wild from the Gulf of Mexico — are a seafood favorite. 

Just as important, oysters are essential to the water quality of Mobile Bay. Oysters filter the water, remove excessive nutrients, protect shorelines from erosion and provide habitats for more than 300 species. 

Oysters provide a sustainable and renewable resource for ecological and economic uses.

The economic benefits of oysters include providing jobs not only for the oystermen who harvest them, but also for the companies that prepare and ship them throughout the country.

Additional information about The Oyster Trail can be found online at www.theoystertrail.com.