Heaven on the Half Shell: Washington State’s Oyster Odyssey

Get to know the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved bivalve: the oyster. In this talk, author David George Gordon discusses three species— the Olympia, Eastern, and Pacific oysters— along with the people who have cultivated these delicacies for many generations.  

Learn about the Native American sea gardens and clam beds that existed 11,500 years ago, as well as the contemporary efforts in our state to cultivate oysters, both native and introduced. Along the way, learn about the many surprising innovations that have made oysters such an enduringly popular and environmentally sustainable food. As the old saying goes: when the tide is out, the table is set. 

David George Gordon (he/him) is the principal author of Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest, recently revised and updated by University of Washington Press. A former science writer for Washington Sea Grant, Gordon has written 22 books on topics ranging from slugs and snails to sharks, gray whales, and Sasquatch.