Venison, Huckleberries, and Oysters: My Reflections of Living Off the Land

Alexi loves finding live oysters along the beach, but she is rarely able to harvest them due to harmful bacteria and algae.

She grew up gathering huckleberries and chanterelles near Mount Rainier with her family, and eating venison hunted by her dad.

The forest provides for those who know how to look, usually. Growing up in the foothills of Rainier, my diet always included elk, venison, huckleberries, chantarelles, and other Cascade delights. Every year I would set out into the woods with my parents to forage food for our pantry. I loved finding hidden gold chanterelles and having deep conversations prompted by the serenity and wildness of the trees. These forest hunts are some of my most cherished childhood memories. After moving to Bellingham to pursue marine biology, I wanted to include shellfish harvest in my foraging traditions.

I learned quickly how to find oysters, cockles, and clams. However, I rarely see them at a time when they are safe to gather. Recreational shellfish harvesting is regularly closed due to either high levels of fecal coliform bacteria or harmful algae blooms (commonly called red tide).

Oysters and other shellfish are filter feeders. To eat they take in water and filter out microscopic algae and animals, called plankton.  During this process they can also ingest contaminants, like harmful algae or bacteria. If I were to unknowingly eat a contaminated oyster, it could lead to severe illness and even death.  That is not something I am willing to risk, but I can understand why some people may be tempted.

Living off the land is a throughline for so many people across the world. In my family that looked like hunting deer or gathering mushrooms and huckleberries. For many people in our community shellfish harvest is a valued tradition. Earlier this year I was chatting with a member of the Nooksack Tribe who described large family gatherings on the tide flats in spring. Grandparents and parents hunt alongside their children for oysters and clams. The conversation brought me back to the old growth forests and huckleberry meadows I share with my family.

Unlike huckleberries, mushrooms, and deer, oysters are filter feeders. They take in water and filter out microscopic algae and animals, called plankton.  During this process they can also ingest contaminants, like harmful algae or bacteria. That can cause illness and death in humans who eat contaminated oysters.

Unfortunately, he shared that these generational gatherings are becoming less frequent. Some of the best tides in daylight seem to always align with shellfish closures. While the reason for the closure can be complex, environmental factors, like sun and rain, play a huge role.

All foraging pursuits are impacted by the year’s weather. I find the most chanterelles a few days after a good rain. Dry falls or early freezes can greatly impact my overall success in the woods. Toxic algae and harmful bacteria can also be greatly impacted by that year’s weather.

E. coli is one of the best-known bacteria linked to foodborne illness. It naturally lives in the intestines of mammals and birds, so when it's found in shellfish, it's a sign that fecal contamination from people or animals has reached the water. That poop may enter the water from failing septic systems, pets, agricultural run-off, wild animals, and improper pump outs from boats and RVs. Heavy rain will wash poop off the land into our streams and rivers and then out into our bays and oyster stomachs.

Recreational harvest is re-opening in Whatcom County, and Alexi has been enjoying oysters with her family. However, a changing climate is exacerbating land use upstream to create frequent harvest closures.

The mid-1990s marked the beginning of shellfish harvest closures in Whatcom due to bacteria pollution. The closures were a wake-up call to many who banded together to improve water quality. In 2012 this collaboration was formalized as the Whatcom Clean Water Program. Overall, the work the community has done has yielded important improvements, like the re-opening of over 810 acres of shellfish growing areas in 2016. I am proud to be a part of this collaboration today, as we continue to work together to improve water quality across the county. However, water quality continues to fluctuate as the landscape and climate change.

The climate also has an impact on toxic algae blooms. Like plants, harmful algae need sunlight and nutrients to grow. Whatcom County has been experiencing longer, warmer summers, as well as continued nutrient inputs. Some algae can cause amnesia, paralysis, diarrhea, death, and other ailments to birds, fish, marine mammals, and humans when large amounts are eaten.

Shellfish reflect our cumulative impact on the environment more than most other creatures we share a home with. The irony is bacteria and algae rarely hurt the oysters and clams; they will expel it from their system within days. Instead, contamination accumulation hurts us.

Whether you live off the land yourself or simply value clean water and healthy local food, I would encourage you to think about our shellfish and your foraging neighbors. Because what we do upstream flows down to our oysters and the people who love to eat them.

As I write this article, recreational harvest just re-opened in Whatcom County for the year. While the lowest tides of the season have passed, there are at least some opportunities for friends and families to gather and forage. Whether you live off the land yourself or simply value clean water and healthy local food, I would encourage you to think about our shellfish and your foraging neighbors. Because what we do upstream flows down to our oysters and the people who love to eat them.

Some everyday actions that can help improve shellfish harvests include:

• Picking up pet waste

• Evaluating and maintaining septic systems

• Confirm there is zero phosphorous in your lawn fertilizer

• Controlling field runoff

• Properly managing livestock manure

• Planting native plants

• Securing food and trash from wildlife

• Using pump out stations

• Reducing water use

Article by Alexi Guddal, Education & Outreach Specialist at Whatcom Conservation District.

Photos courtesy of Adam Brayton, Alexi Guddal, and Alexi’s Family.