Pacific Shellfish Institute

We’ve been having a great time getting to share our love of shellfish with classes from Mason County! This week and next, we’re steaming clams for the kids so they can learn about what shellfish farming can provide for our community and why it’s so important (And of course for the sake of how fun it is too!) Thank you to everyone who’s shown up at Little Skookum Shellfish Growers and to the owners, for sharing their beautiful farm for kids to learn and have fun!

Oyster Shell Testing with the Port of Olympia!

Two weeks ago, PSI loaded over 200 pounds of oyster shell into a catch basin at Port of Olympia’s Marine Terminal. PSI and the Port are working together to test the use of recycled oyster shell as a natural and environmentally friendly method to remove trace metals from stormwater before it flows into Budd Inlet.

On Wednesday - as the rain returns – PSI will collect stormwater samples upstream, within, and downstream of the shell-laden catch basin to evaluate changes in metal concentrations. Stay tuned for the results!

Thank you to the wonderful team at the Port of Olympia and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for supporting this exciting work!