In Episode 3 of Tending the Tides, hosts Kaitlyn Rich and Megan Foucht explore the history and significance of the Olympia oyster, the only native oyster on the West Coast. Through conversations with restoration practitioners, chefs, and others, Megan and Kaitlyn introduce you to the Olympia oyster, discuss current and past restoration efforts, and highlight why this little oyster is worth saving.

Guests: Steve Rumrill, retired leader of the Shellfish Program at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Chef Jack Strong, Executive Chef at the Allison Inn and Spa; Chef Maylin Chavez, owner of Nácar Oysters; Dick Vanderschaaf,  Associate Conservation Director for the Oceans and Coast Program within the Oregon chapter of The Nature Conservancy; Jed Bowers, owner of Haystack Shellfish Company; and Alanna Kieffer, Shifting Tides and Oregon Seaweed.

Show Notes & Credits

This episode was hosted by Megan Foucht and Kaitlyn Rich, edited by Suzie O’Neill, and written by Megan Foucht. Produced by Kaitlyn Rich, Jon Bonkoski, Tyson Rasor, and Emilie Chen. Music by Imagined Nostalgia, Boxwood Orchestra, and Our Many Stars. Illustrations by Tony Sterling and design by Heldáy de la Cruz. This podcast was made possible by our funders at the Builders Initiative; The Builders Ini­tia­tive invests in and col­lab­o­rates with nonprof­its, busi­ness­es, and oth­ers work­ing towards sus­tain­able solu­tions to soci­etal and envi­ron­men­tal chal­lenges. Finally, this podcast is a production of Ecotrust, where we work in partnership at the intersection of equity, economy, and environment. Learn more about Ecotrust at ecotrust.org.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ecotrust.substack.com