May 2020

Aw Shucks it’s the Wild Oyster Project newsletter

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Photograph by Scott Oller Aw Shucks! May 2020   Greetings Oyster Lovers! We hope that you are well and staying safe in these extraordinary times. The crew at Wild Oysters has been very busy but we miss being out in the communities that we love. As unsettling as this pandemic has been to humanity, it has been fascinating to witness nature’s response. With fewer people commuting and very few traveling more than a few miles from their homes, air pollution has plummeted resulting in clear skies over Los Angeles, Wuhan and Mumbai and around our Bay as well. With fewer cars on the road and people out and about, wildlife has taken over our cities. So, we want to wish the planet a Happy Mothers Day! How are we managing to stay connected during the Shelter in Place? Here are some changes that we’re excited about.   Save Your Own Shucks! With restaurants still closed in the Bay Area, our volunteers are unable to pick up donated shell on their weekly oyster run. So, in the interim, we are asking you to give a shuck. Do what you can to support local oyster farmers and help the Wild Oyster Project continue to recycle oyster shell. That means eating, shucking, and saving your own shell bought from local oyster farmers. Here’s a list of oyster farms, restaurants, and purveyors that will ship oysters right to your front door!   Hog Island Oyster Co. Bodega Oyster Co. Tomales Bay Oyster Co. Water2Table Fish Co. Anchor Oyster Bar Mourad HobNob After enjoying your little taste of the sea, what to do with the shell? Here are some ideas: 1) Clean the shell. Even someone who prides herself on the elegance of the shuck will almost always leave a tiny morsel of abductor muscle on the shell. Use your shucking knife to take that last bit off. Otherwise, the shell can get stinky and attract flies and critters. 2) Find a good place in your backyard, fire escape or rooftop and spread the shell out a bit to cure. 3) If you live in San Francisco, you can take your shell to Bay Natives Nursery and skip steps 1 and 2. Just dump your dirty shell into the Chicken Lounge. Knowledgeable sources tell us that the chickens are really missing their weekly oyster brunch so they will be excited to see you! It’s simple to maintain social distancing at the nursery. It’s outside and spread out. Zoom, baby, zoom Our top priority is the safety of our staff, volunteers, and community. We have been sheltering in place, working from home, participating in countless Zoom meetings, and attending webinars. Most importantly, we have been going through a strategic planning process that has enabled us to set short term (3-6 months) and long term goals to continue to advocate for our native oysters without putting anyone in harm’s way. We’re excited about the outcomes. Reiko Ando, Education Manager at the Wild Oyster Project and Casey Harper, Deputy Director, have created a new online resource guide with fun activities and lessons for kids. For adults, we have a great presentation that we would love to share with you and your colleagues. The presentation runs about 20 minutes with plenty of time for Q and A for a one-hour tour. Guaranteed to spark your interest in native oyster restoration and give your organization an opportunity to ask questions directly to Wild Oyster staff. To schedule, contact Linda at linda@wildoysters.org. At the end of May we are super excited to be talking with Liam O'Donoghue about Wild Oyster Project for CreativeMornings Oakland. Liam is the host and producer of East Bay Yesterday, a fantastic podcast exploring stories of culture, politics, and nature from towns throughout the sunny side of the Bay and CreativeMornings is a monthly free lecture series that has been providing inspiration and baked goods for over ten years.  Register for this free virtual event Thank you for your encouragement and support. If you like to make a donation to Wild Oyster Project, that would be so appreciated. Be well. Be safe. Be kind. - Wild Oyster Project