Callis Wharf on Gwynn’s Island has a new business, and area environmentalists are excited about its possibilities. Ready Reef, a company that builds biogenic oyster reef structures, is now operating out of one of the large waterfront sheds at the historic wharf, constructing oyster reefs out of concrete with oyster shells imbedded on the outside. Company principal Chris Davis said oyster spat can thrive on the structure, since it’s raised above the silted bottom. In addition, the technique doesn’t require the enormous amount of oyster shell needed for all-shell reefs. Davis had a hands-on workshop recently so Mathews property owners Pam and Sheldon Franck could make reefs for their property on Billups Creek, and volunteers from Friends of Mathews Heritage Park dropped by to help out, along with Richard Moncure of Friends of the Rappahannock. Davis explained that the building where his fledgling business is located once processed oysters, with workers cooking whatever ...