wild west seaweed press
PRESSING SEAWEED FOR THE
CAUSE OF CONSERVATION
The Pacific Northwest coast is moody, wild, and unrelentingly beautiful. The waves bring ashore seaweed that patterns the dark sand. Each piece of seaweed ended up on that beach somehow, each one is different, and each one has a story.
Storms, currents, tides, seasons, they all influence what seaweed species grow and wash up. I began to capture and preserve these moments by sustainably harvesting and pressing seaweed.
Instead of just asking for donations to support my conservation storytelling work, I wanted to give something back to each person who helps. I wanted to gift a snapshot of life out here.
Each seaweed is completely unique, each piece of wood it resides in was chosen specifically for it. By purchasing one you are helping give conservation stories a voice. 100% of proceeds go to funding my conservation storytelling.
- WRANGLING KELP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST -
- Next restock | Spring harvest TBA -
BULL KELP FORESTS - THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COASTLINES
"Bull kelp forests are the foundation – or structure – of our nearshore coastal ecosystem. The floating canopy of this brown algae gives shelter to young fish and the kelp itself provides food for valuable species, such as red abalone and red sea urchin.
Today, our kelp forests are in serious trouble. Though annually variable, in the past five years, California’s kelp forests have decreased by 93% of normal. Higher sea surface temperatures in recent years have limited kelp growth, and sea star wasting disease has removed a key predator of purple sea urchins, a veracious eater of kelp. Though our waters have cooled this past year, the explosion of the purple urchin population—60 times higher than normal—and has prevented the kelp forests from recovering from these multiple blows.
The effects of the kelp forest loss reach from the ocean to the shore. Fewer fish has meant that shore birds do not have enough food for their chicks. This year, 90% of the local cormorant and 80% of the black oystercatcher nestlings failed to survive. Fewer young fish also means fewer larger fish for marine mammals, such as harbor seals and sea lions." - NOYO Center for Marine Science
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Educate others and engage with community initiatives in your area - Check out work being done by Reef Check in your area and see if you can get involved in kelp forest monitoring, educate yourself and become an advocate for bull kelp forest recovery (good resources: NOYO, Greater Farallones Association).
"The number of living creatures of all Orders, whose existence intimately depends on kelp, is wonderful."
- Charles Darwin
PROCESS
