Did you know that the Dungeness crab fishery is considered the most valuable single-species fishery in all of Oregon? In fact, Newport, Oregon is trademarked as the Dungeness Crab Capital of the World, landing more Dungeness crab each year than anywhere else on the planet! In recent years, I have learned A LOT about this industry, met many crab fisherman, and gained a much deeper appreciation for this species and all those involved in this industry. I think it’s something all Oregonians should have some knowledge about and something worth being very proud of! Let's explore a little bit about Dungeness crabs as a species, commercial crabbing regulations, sustainability, and the major significance this industry has to our coastal communities.

With our last set of King Tides having just passed, I wanted to share what I've learned about the tides, and specifically king tides, in recent years! King Tides in Oregon are a spectacle many want to see. Find out how to experience king tides safely, and contribute to a citizen science project!

Pacific Northwest rocky shore intertidal ecosystems provide a range of opportunities. For me it’s been the base of my life in environmental education, coastal exploration, foraging, and overall outdoor recreation in Oregon. I am in love with the complexities of the oceans, the complexities of the intertidal. Our tidepools in Oregon are, by record, some of the most diverse and abundant in the world. Our tidepools in Oregon are, in my opinion, some of the best in the world.

Oregon Albacore season feels so special. Learn how to buy fish directly from the fisherman as well as what makes Oregon Albacore so special!

In Oregon, our seaweed foraging season is relatively short for live seaweeds (seaweeds still attached to the rocks). Therefore, it’s important to know how to process and store these seaweeds for future use. Unless I want a fresh kelp salad right off the beach, most of the seaweeds that I forage during the Oregon seaweed foraging season - learn my favorite processing techniques for Oregon Seaweeds!

It’s been a whirlwind of shellfish safety regulations for the past couple weeks, and a large closure of shellfish harvesting along the Oregon Coast due to shellfish poisoning! I thought I’d share what I’ve learned from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

There’s a number of things to keep in mind and stay up to date on when foraging for shellfish on the Oregon Coast. Here’s some helpful information to get you started.

Pickling bull kelp once you have the kelp itself is relatively straight forward. The stipe is hollow and round, making kelp pickles aesthetically pleasing, crunchy, and delicious!

One of my favorite seaweeds, or kelps, to harvest and pickle is bull kelp! Keep reading to learn how to salvage seaweed in Oregon and how to make bull kelp pickles. Seaweeds span our coast range and cover our intertidal ecosystems. In fact, the Pacific Northwest is home to more kelp species than anywhere else on the planet. Learn to salvage fresh seaweeds right off the beach!

With the start of the seaweed foraging season just about here, I figured it was time to share a little about best practices and seaweed harvesting regulations in Oregon! Learn about the regulations behind seaweed foraging, best practices, and how I like to go about collecting seaweeds for the year. Here’s a little nit and gritty on seaweed harvesting in Oregon, before I get into my personal practices. 

With my workshop season taking a pause, I figured I could throw out some information about how the seasons affect shellfish foraging along the Oregon Coast.

Seaweed Weekend in Newport, Oregon hosted by the Pacific Heritage Maritime Center (PHMC) was an absolute blast! A weekend full of events and enthusiastic conversations. A combination of art and science as a celebration of The Curious World of Seaweed exhibit by Josie Iselin. Thanks to Josie for creating such mesmerizing art that has the power to bring a whole community together.