RAD Sustainability

By Rhianna Hruska, 2nd Year Master of Environmental Studies candidate, Secretary/Treasurer of the Clean Energy Committee, and Sustainability Resident Assistant for the Mods.

Sustainability House at Taylor Shellfish

On the bright and beautiful morning of February 22nd, the Sustainability Residents took a tour of Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, Washington.  Taylor Shellfish is one of the largest shellfish farms in the United States and their headquarters in Shelton is about fifteen minutes away from Evergreen.  Our tour was led by an Evergreen Master of Environmental Studies (MES) alum, who studied and wrote an MES thesis on shellfish.  The tour took us through two buildings where the shellfish get brought and processed after harvest.  We also got to step inside a below zero degree freezer where the shellfish are stored before being shipped out to their respective locations.

Along with showing us the infrastructure needed to run a family-owned company that sells its shellfish products both nationally and internationally, our tour guide also described the importance of clean water in the Puget Sound in order to maintain safe and productive shellfish farms.  Taylor Shellfish is conscious of its water usage, especially during drought, and waters a poplar plantation to allow the water that is used on site to be returned to the aquifer that it was drawn from.  Ocean acidification, the decrease in pH in the ocean due to the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, is a pressing issue that the shellfish industry has been paying attention to since it effects the success of their shellfish farms.  Sustainable practices help the company prepare for the long-term effects of climate change.

Geoducks at Taylor Shellfish

The tour ended at Taylor Shellfish’s store that sells a variety of shellfish items, including smoked oysters and geoduck clam chowder!  Taylor Shellfish also has internships available, so if any Greeners are interested it could be a great opportunity to learn more about the shellfish industry.

Part of the sustainability theme is to attend a half day retreat.  So if this type of event looks like something you would want to be a part of, then definitely apply for sustainability themed housing for next year!  Applications are currently open.  The application can be found at: http://evergreen.edu/housing/themes/sustainability.htm