BRINNON — In what has become an annual spring event in Jefferson County, more than 50 residents and visitors joined experts to learn about harvesting clams and oysters during a Digging for Dinner program at Dosewallips State Park.
After a presentation by state Department of Fish and Wildlife shellfish experts, people headed to the beach to practice new skills and take home their own fresh harvest June 9.
This was the second such program this spring, as the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) and Fish and Wildlife collaborate each year to sponsor public programs about safely harvesting shellfish on less well-known local beaches.
Steamer clams
On May 13, a similar group gathered at the Quilcene Bay Tidelands for a steamer clam program.
Fish and Wildlife shellfish biologists Camille Speck and Doug Rogers, with assistance from Kristina Wilkening, introduced participants to safe and sustainable harvesting practices, said Cheryl Lowe, Jefferson MRC coordinator.
Speck emphasized the importance of checking for beach closures and biotoxins warnings before digging to avoid tickets or illness.
She explained why oysters should be shucked on the beach. Pacific oyster shell provides the best setting and growing substrate for juvenile oysters, according to Fish and Wildlife at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-oystershucking.
Some ‘keepers’
Then, she and Rogers coached participants as they shucked their own oysters.
“The kids loved digging in the sand and using the colorful shellfish gauges to figure out which clams were ‘keepers,’ ” Lowe said.
“One young budding marine biologist kept getting distracted by all the colorful ghost shrimp she found. The adults, on the other hand, liked learning more about where to dig, new places to explore and harvesting their own dinner,” she added.
Jefferson MRC organizes the programs as part of a larger effort to encourage appreciation for and good stewardship of marine habitats, according to Lowe.
“We want people to make the connection between clean water and safe shellfish harvesting while having fun and exploring new places,” Lowe said.
Funding for this program is provided by the federal Environmental Protection Agency through the Puget Sound Partnership and the Northwest Straits Commission, with collaboration from WSU Jefferson Extension and State Parks.
For more information, see http://Jeffersonmrc.org.
