Join for an immersive food experience that will bring you closer to our oceans bounty as well as the species that depend on and impact our healthy coastal ecosystems! This event will be a unique mix of coastal foraging, seeing a sustainable aquaculture operation, as well as enjoying a bites of local shellfish and seaweeds, all while learning about the charismatic sea otter.
Once abundant across the North Pacific, sea otters were aggressively hunted during the maritime fur trade for their rich fur pelts, resulting in a loss of 99% of the global population. While the species has recovered along much of its range, there has not been a population of this important keystone species in Oregon for over 100 years. The Elakha Alliance is an Oregon nonprofit working to build the science, policy, and community engagement to reintroduce a population of sea otters to the Oregon Coast and 10% of sales from this event will go to their ongoing efforts to bring sea otters back to Oregon!
Living along coastal kelp forests and rocky reefs, sea otters primarily feed on a variety of hard-shelled prey, including sea urchins, mussels, clams, crabs, and snails. Their diet plays a crucial ecological role: by keeping sea urchin populations in check, sea otters help maintain healthy kelp forests, which are vital marine habitats. Sea otters are skilled foragers, known for their use of tools to crack open hard shellfish and for wrapping themselves in kelp to anchor in place while eating.
We will be channeling our inner sea otter as we embark on a guided coastal foraging adventure to collect wild mussels. Learn about the intertidal ecology of Oregon’s rocky shores, and the sustainability and seasonality of mussel harvesting along our coast.
After foraging for mussels, we will head to the Port of Bandon to explore the fascinating world of sustainable aquaculture with an exclusive visit to a sea urchin and seaweed farm. With the loss of sea otters on our coast, came the spike in purple urchin populations, which caused a rapid decline in bull kelp forests. This has influenced the farm-fed production of Oregon urchins for the culinary market. Urchins are typically fed Pacific Dulse, which is also currently being farmed at The Port of Bandon by Oregon Seaweed for use in the culinary market and for urchin feed.
We’ll wrap up the day with a thoughtfully prepared shoreline cooking and shucking demo of mussels and urchins, and some tasty bites featuring freshly harvested shellfish and seaweed, highlighting the delicious diversity of foods that otters and coastal communities love. Whether you're a curious foodie or a nature lover, this is a celebration of ocean stewardship, sustainability, and unforgettable coastal cuisine.
BOOKING LINK COMING SOON
You’ll have a chance to meet and hang out with the following folks:
Alanna Kieffer
Marine Science Educator and Coastal Forager
Shifting Tides
Alanna is a marine biologist, educator, and coastal forager who has spent over a decade on the Oregon Coast educating visitors about marine ecosystems. She is a shellfish and seaweed foraging guide, as well as a sustainable seafood educator, using wild food as a way to connect people to our wild spaces.
Kyle Motley
Coastal Community Coordinator
Elakha Alliance
Kyle has an extensive background working with endangered species, threatened ecosystems, stakeholder engagement, and watershed restoration projects on private and public lands. Since moving to the South Coast 6 years ago, Kyle has worked with local non-profit groups to successfully implement habitat restoration projects focused on coho salmon and oak woodlands. He is extremely excited to be able to use his stakeholder engagement and community outreach skills for the Elakha Alliance.
Gabe Kieffer
Picnic Eats
Chef
Gabe is a personable chef based on the north coast who finds joy in utilizing locally grown and foraged foods in worldly cuisines inspired by recent and past travels. Gabe has spent the past decade traveling and working abroad, honing his skills under a series of chefs who instilled in him a passion to explore food and cherish “taste of place”. Recently greatly inspired by eating his way through South America and Eastern Asia, he is excited to share stories through food and explore how they can shape communities and bring people together.
