We made this magazine while living and working on the present and ancestral homeland and unceded territory of the Wiyot Tribe. Tribes and Nations in Humboldt County include Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, Wiyot, Yurok. We recognize that our words must be matched by action and approach. Here are some actions we suggest for our readers:
Support Native American owned businesses.
Learn about whose land you live/work on by visiting native-land.ca.
Pay the Wiyot Tribe’s honor tax. Visit honortax.org to learn more & download the form.
Support the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab. Visit giving.humboldt.edu/nas-lab-fund to learn more and donate.
Students may also educate themselves on this land, its peoples and history through participating in Native American Studies classes and seminars, and visiting the Goudi’ni Gallery located on campus in the Behavioral and Social Sciences building.
50 years of the Endangered Species Act
The joys of physical music media in the digital age
The Emerald Triangle: Is this the end?
Gray whales: An indicator of marine health in the PNW
Illuminating queer joy
Rebellion in the redwoods
Heart Eyes is about to make you cry
Humboldt County's first aquaculture symposium
MARANDA VARGAS
letter from the EDITOR
Iam honored to be the Editor in Chief of Osprey Magazine’s Spring 2024 edition. Everyone on this staff worked diligently to fill these pages with words that I hope you find compelling and inspiring. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Journalists are inclined to bring stories to light with the hope that people enjoy the read and learn something, but one or the other is also good. We are honored by the fact that you are simply engaging with this magazine.
As I sit here writing to you, dear reader, I feel my heavy eyelids and the ache in my wrist, but also a slight grin on my face knowing this magazine will soon be in your hands.
Kimberly Alexsandra Madrigal WRITER, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Eli Staton WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER
Oden Taylor WRITER
Hank Wicklund WRITER
Maranda Vargas WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER
50 Years of the Endangered Species Act
Protecting Humboldt’s Wildlife
by Eli Staton
In the lobby of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Wildlife and Fisheries building, a California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) soars motionless in a glass box. Stuffed, wired, and prettied with makeup, its wingspan is a foot wider than Shaquile O’Neal’s. And there above the building’s main entranceway, mounted to the wall, you can see a coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and a steelhead rainbow trout (Onocorhynchus mykiss). Up on the second floor, a northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is perched on a branch, dead but still looking ready to swoop onto a woodrat. What do these varied species have in common? All are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act 1973 (ESA) and can still be found in Humboldt County, California.
A POWERFUL LAW
On Dec. 28, 1973, the ESA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon after having passed the Senate 92-0 and the House 355-4. At the time there was a growing popular recognition of how human actions were impacting the natural environment and Earth’s other lifeforms. Ecologist Aldo Leopold had already published A Sand County Almanac (1949) and marine biologist Rachel Carson had published Silent Spring (1962). These influential books were expanding our understanding of our relationship with land, water and Earth’s non-human inhabitants. NASA’s Apollo 8 mission to orbit the moon captured an iconic photograph of Earth called Earthrise (1968), showing our small, finite home floating in the vast darkness
Northern spotted owl (left) and barred owl (right)
of the universe. On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America rallied to spread environmental awareness for the first Earth Day. The tradition continues with this year’s theme
It was out of this modern environmental movement that President Richard Nixon also signed into law the National Environmental Protection Act (1970), Clean Air Act Amendments (1970), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), and created the Environmental Protection Agency (1970). The ESA was built upon earlier conservation laws including President Lyndon Johnson’s Wilderness Act of 1964, but none had been as consequential as the ESA
As it breezed through Congress, it was difficult to anticipate that a newly discovered fish, the size of a thin pinky, without any known economic value could block the completion of a
$100 million dam. But ESA protections would extend beyond the iconic grizzly bears, gray wolves, American alligators and bald eagles.
“They call it a bulldog of an environmental law,” Jennifer Marlow J.D., an environmental law professor at Cal Poly Humboldt said. “It has really important intentions written into the statute that say we want to prevent species extinction at all costs.”
When determining whether a species gets listed or not, only the best available science is used to make the decision. The ESA strictly prohibits factoring in the economic consequences of a listing decision. The rigidity of the original ESA made national headlines when the nearly complete Tellico Dam in eastern Tennessee was stalled because a species of snail-eating fish called the snail darter (Percina tanasi) was discovered in 1973, subsequently listed as endangered in 1975. The Tellico Dam was built on the Little Tennessee River, which was believed to be the only place these fish existed and therefore was designated as a critical habitat. Although $100 million had already been sunk into building the dam before the snail darter’s listing, the best available science at the time said completing the dam would jeopardize their continued existence.
“The snail darter case…alerted the world to the potential of the Endangered Species Act,” said Tom Wheeler, an attorney and executive director at the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) in Arcata, California. “When it was passed, no one anticipated that it was going to be as consequential as it is.”
However, laws are not always without loopholes. The dam eventually was completed after long legal delays, and the ESA was bypassed because a “rider” was attached to a public works appropriations bill. A rider is a policy change that hitches a ride, so to speak, on another bill that is more likely to meet congressional approval. This rider allowed the federally funded dam to get an exemption from the ESA, but the full implications and reach of this law had been demonstrated and broadly understood.
TIMBER WARS
Headwaters Forest Reserve, located 10 miles southeast of Eureka, California, is 7,472 acres of protected coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) ecosystem, about 3,000 acres of which are intact old-growth forest that have never been logged and include trees that have been growing for over two millennia. According to the Headwaters Forest Reserve Management Plan, the purpose of the Reserve is to “conserve and study the
They owned the land which is today’s Headwaters Forest Reserve.
“What he [Hurwitz] saw was that Pacific Lumber Company was somewhat conservatively managing their lands, conservative in the sense that they were really thinking long term,” said Erin Kelly, Professor of Forest Policy and Department Chair at Cal Poly Humboldt. “Under Hurwitz’s leadership, Maxxam came in and was like, ‘we’re going to cut all these big trees’...He displayed the same kind of
ing on who you ask.
Author and activist Greg King wrote a 2018 article for the Humboldt Journal of Social Relations titled, “There Has Never Been a ‘Timber War.’” King sees the conflict, instead, as a one-sided attack on trees and activists, some of whom were victims of physical violence. A bombing of Judi Bari’s car left her crippled, and in another incident a tree was cut and fell on activist David Chain, killing him instantly.
land, fish, wildlife and forests.” It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
David Anthon, a wildlife biologist for the BLM, has spent many years conducting wildlife surveys among these giants.
“Headwaters Reserve has a certain percentage of their acreage as oldgrowth,” Anthon said. “But then surrounding that old-growth is previously harvested forest.”
This protected land “exists because of Save Headwaters Forest, because of EPIC, and Forest Defenders and the Endangered Species Act,” Wheeler, the attorney, said.
You can still find many old-growth trees in Headwaters and listed species because of the collaborative efforts of many environmental groups, including Earth First!, Sierra Club, and Northcoast Environmental Center.
In 1986, Maxxam Inc., led by a businessman named Charles Hurwitz, purchased the Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) located in Scotia, California.
callousness towards the community that a lot of companies did at that time.”
This aggressive timber harvesting approach under Maxxam Inc. ownership did not bode well with many employees, residents and environmentalists. Employees were concerned because, due to the increased rate of cutting, their longer-term job prospects were being diminished.
Gary Rynearson, professional forester, lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt and former Manager of Forest Policy and Communications at Green Diamond Resource Company, described PALCO’s harvesting methods prior to the Maxxam Inc. takeover.
“They always left about a third of the trees standing after they harvested and kept a very steady harvest rate,” Rynearson said. “And after the Maxxam purchase, that harvest rate jumped and then they started doing more clear-cutting and became much, much more aggressive.”
Rynearson said this 1986 takeover sparked one of the notorious local timber wars, and there were four or even five wars in northwestern California depend-
“This was the fight of the 1990s in Humboldt County,” Wheeler said. “Marbled murrelet, northern spotted owls, and coho salmon, and how should the timber industry, which had long been dominant in this county, deal with impacts to these species.”
The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) was listed as threatened under the ESA in 1992. They are small, maritime birds that grow to about 10 inches in length and nest in old-growth forests where there is thick canopy coverage and large, mossy branches. The northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the ESA in 1990. Aggressive logging on these private lands did not stop immediately after these two species were listed.
The Headwaters Forest Reserve agreement was first signed in 1996, and it took several years of grassroots efforts to finalize the Headwaters agreement in 1999.
“It took citizen activism, including civil disobedience, tree sits, lockdowns. It took political pressure from folks in Sacramento and in D.C.,” Wheeler said.
“It took that whole combined effort to produce the conditions of the Headwaters agreement, which still, too, was probably too generous and too favorable to the Pacific Lumber Company. That’s just how entrenched and how powerful large corporate interests are in American life.”
The Headwaters Forest Reserve is still home to marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, and coho salmon. The forest provides them shelter and protection, and because of the ESA, these animals can provide protection for their forest. The northern spotted owls today are threatened by the closely related and more aggressive barred owls (Strix varia), which are quickly encroaching on their territory.
“We have Headwaters, we have remaining old-growth now because we were able to utilize the Endangered Species Act,” Wheeler said. “It has been the most consequential federal environmental law for the north coast of California.”
The ESA has had broad impacts on federal lands too, primarily Forest Service lands, but also lands managed by the BLM and the National Park Service. The Forest Service is the agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for administering more than 300,000 square miles of forest and grasslands in the United States – nearly twice the size of California. As stated on the Forest Service website, this land is designated for multiple-use; their mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.” In this part of California and the Pacific Northwest, “productivity” generally means timber harvesting rates.
After the spotted owl was listed, there were no immediate changes to timber harvesting practices on federal lands. Timber operations continued on public lands – essentially business as usual – for another year, until a lawsuit was brought against the Forest Service.
In 1991, U.S. District Court Judge William Dwyer “issued an order that halted the removal of any timber from northern spotted owl habitat on federal lands; not just you couldn’t do any more
timber sales, but you had to immediately stop,” forester Rynearson said. “Timber that was felled and bucked, laying in the woods couldn’t be removed. So overnight it literally shut down timber sales in national forests throughout northwestern California, all the way to the Canadian border,” he added.
Judge Dwyer did not see the Forest Service adequately complying with the ESA protections for the northern spotted owl. His ruling intensified the timber wars because timber companies and sawmills that relied on harvests from public lands suffered greatly. The economic conditions deteriorated to the point that President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore decided a reconciliation conference was needed. They flew into Portland to meet with the timber industry, environmentalists, scientists, economists, and the public for discussions. The result was the creation of the Northwest Forest Plan in 1994, a compromise to balance the needs of the timber industry with the needs of listed species.
“When the Northwest Forest Plan went into effect the federal lands changed from a kind of production-oriented timber management regime to what they were calling ecosystem management,” Professor Kelly said.
Timber management today is still referred to as ecosystem management.
“How federal management happens in terms of forestry has been completely transformed by the Endangered Species Act,” Kelly said.
Semi-trucks loaded with logs are a common site on Highway 101, which cuts through Humboldt County. The logs are smaller than they used to be, and you will likely not see massive redwoods on their way to a sawmill. Depending on the size of the logs, a truckload can carry up to roughly 5,000 board feet.
“Back in the sixties and seventies we were cutting 100 million board feet [annually in California] and now if we get 10 million out we’re doing good,” said Jeff Jones, who has worked for the U.S. Forest Service for over 30 years as a forest ecologist, silviculturist, and timber management officer. “Once the Northwest Forest Plan came out, it pretty much stopped. We had to reassess the way we were doing business. Suddenly there are no clear-cuts allowed and there was a lot of stuff that just wasn’t allowed anymore.”
The 90 million board feet difference amounts to approximately 18,000 full semi-truck loads of timber. A line of 18,000 semi-trucks, lined up front-toback, would stretch 220 miles long. The volume of harvest in decades past was not sustainable.
“They were going to have to radically rethink how they manage their land
Black-footed ferrets
anyway because they were running out of old-growth to harvest,” Kelly said.
Species listed in the ESA were critical tools for the legal battles and negotiations that resulted in the creation of our local Headwaters Forest Reserve and the regionally consequential Northwest Forest Plan. Listed species continue to be valuable in practical ways that go beyond their innate value as living organisms.
NEGOTIATIONS & TRADE-OFFS
The purpose of the ESA is to conserve the ecosystems that threatened or endangered species rely on. It is organized into several sections. Ultimately, the aim is to recover listed species to the point where they can be removed from the ESA list. To track the status of the various species, extensive biological assessments must be conducted and a recovery plan created for each. Protected species are in kingdoms Plantae and Animalia; there are no listed Fungi. The term “species” can refer to the entire species or a subspecies, which is a subset population in a particular geographic range.
“Recovery means that the species is self-sustaining, and the threats that led to it being listed have been sufficiently addressed that it’s no longer in danger of extinction,” said Julie Weeder, NOAA Fisheries ecologist and recovery coordinator.
The two agencies that administer the ESA are the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (also known as NOAA Fisheries, an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association).
Although these agencies are the administrators, any member of the public is allowed to petition for a species to be listed. Biological data must be included with a petition to the USFWS or NOAA.
An important term in the ESA is “take”. It is the prohibited action around which the law is largely based. As defined in the U.S. Code, “take” means “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” Even with this formal definition, some terms require interpretation, such as “harass” and “harm”. These terms are clarified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 50, which is updated quarterly by the Department of the Interior (which oversees USFWS) and the Department of Commerce (which oversees NOAA). There are opportunities for public comment. CFR updates do not require congressional action.
The USFWS and NOAA collaborate with private entities to ensure listed flora and fauna are protected from “take”. But there are exceptions. For activities on federal lands, Section 7’s Consulta-
tion process is followed. For activities on non-federal lands, primarily private lands, an Incidental Take Permit process under Section 10 is followed. As defined in the CFR, “incidental taking” means, “any taking otherwise prohibited, if such taking is incidental to, and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity.” With this permit, private entities are allowed more flexibility and have more certainty in their operations. Essentially, this permit allows private entities to “take” listed species as long as it is unintentional and limited and approved by the USFWS, NOAA or both.
“The vast majority of our timber in Humboldt County is coming off private lands,” Kelly said.
The large timber corporations locally are Green Diamond Resource Company and Humboldt Redwood Company. Since they harvest on land they own, they follow Section 10’s exception rules.
To acquire an Incidental Take Permit, private entities must create a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), and may voluntarily participate in a Safe-Harbor Agreement (SHA), which means the private entity pledges to help in the recovery of species. An SHA can help both parties during negotiations.
“The criteria in the legislation for [an] HCP says, if they can minimize and mitigate the effects of their project to the maximum extent practicable, then you issue the permit,” said John Hunter, USFWS ecologist and Humboldt State alumnus. “There’s actually permit issuance criteria, and if they meet the criteria, we can’t just deny it arbitrarily,” he added.
If you look at Google Maps satellite view of the forest areas east of Trinidad, California, you can see brown patches of land scattered between green patches of forest.
Notice the darker green regions that align with the creeks in this hilly terrain. The brown areas are where timber has been harvested. Clearcutting of up to 40 acres is legally allowed in California, and Green Diamond still utilizes this timber harvesting method, although they do not clearcut to the maximum allowed 40 acres.
“Even when there’s one big redwood left, [and] everything else cut down, [when] there’s one old-growth tree, the diversity associated with that single tree will blow your mind, like you’ll be walking through this desert of cut over redwood and there are small redwoods and alders, and you’re like detecting one, two, three species,” Hunter said. “And then all of a sudden you come up to this big redwood tree, and now there’s 10 species. Because the structural diversity is so great in that tree. It provides opportunities for all kinds of species—and that’s just one tree.”
where we’ve seen actual recovery,” he said.
Full recovery takes time and is not guaranteed.
“I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say without the Endangered Species Act, the salmon and steelhead around here could well be extinct…I think many other species that live in rivers would be in much worse shape,” NOAA Fisheries ecologist Weeder said. “I focus on salmon and steelhead, but the way that you recover them is to restore the habitat
THERE’S A MASSIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEARCUTTING A WATERSHED RIGHT TO THE EDGE OF A STREAM AND LEAVING SOME KIND OF BUFFER
It is not always clear when biological information will become useful, so it is important to continually expand the databases of scientific knowledge. For example, Tamar Danufsky, Cal Poly Humboldt’s wildlife museum curator emeritus, said scientists were able to verify that the infamous insecticide DDT was causing eggshell thinning because they had access to historic biological data. They could examine eggshells from specific locations across decades and infer causality with a timeline of DDT usage. When those eggshells were collected as museum specimens, it was not obvious how important those data points would turn out to be, she said.
The darker green regions on Google Maps satellite view that follow the creeks are off-limit riparian buffer zones, left untouched to protect wildlife habitats. Without them, runoff from loose soil would harm salmonid spawning. Buffer zones also help maintain water quality, provide nutrients for non-listed creatures and vegetation, and connect the varied ecosystems of Humboldt County.
“There’s a massive difference between clearcutting a watershed right to the edge of a stream and leaving some kind of buffer. It is incontrovertible that that has made a difference,” said Darren Ward, a professor of fisheries biology who specializes in salmon at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Ward said buffer zones have helped mitigate the damage to salmonid habitats, but this alone has not been enough for local populations to fully recover.
“So far the progress has mostly allowed us to just slow down the decline, maybe stop the decline in some populations, but there’s not a lot of populations
that they need. And that habitat is what everybody else needs to live in the river.”
According to the USFWS Environmental Conservation Online System database, in the last 50 years, 62 listed species have recovered (41 animals and 21 plants) and 32 have gone extinct (all animals). As of early 2024, there are a total of 1,669 species listed as threatened (25%) or endangered (75%) in the U.S. (730 animals and 939 plants). In California, there are 80 federally listed animals and 65 listed plants.
LOOKING AHEAD
The impact of the Endangered Species Act on wildlife conservation and industry practices in the U.S. since its enactment 50 years ago is difficult to overstate. The roots of wildlife protection in the first half of the 20th century were focused on game species – those of value to hunters and recreationists. Relative to what biologists know today, little was known about non-game species. The ESA, with its need for extensive and frequent biological assessments, has played a key role in attracting funding and guiding scientific research.
The ESA is a species and habitat-focused solution. The logic goes: limit species take, protect their habitats, and plan for recovery. It is one tool among many and has proven effective. Implementation of any approach to environmental conservation requires the collaboration of numerous parties, including the public, the availability of funding, and an ethical stance that respects the life of other species.
According to a 2021 USFWS press release, USFWS has collaborated with biotechnology companies and zoos to work on genetic cloning to help recover endangered species. They have successfully cloned the cells of a black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) from the frozen cells of a ferret that has been dead for three decades; in 2020, a healthy female ferret was born.
Humanity lives with the consequences of our collective past actions. Other species have been forced to adapt quickly or perish. More science, collaboration, and historical reflection are all important, and there is a time-critical obligation to help those flora and fauna we have hastened into dire straits.
“We managed our way into this,” ecologist Hunter observed, “[now] we have to manage our way out of it.”
THE JOY OF PHYSICAL MUSIC MEDIA IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL STREAMING
by Kimberly Alexsandra Madrigal
It's an hour before “The Witching Hour,” the show on Cal Poly Humboldt student run radio station, that plays all the Dark Wave, Shoegaze and “witching hits” from the 70s up until now. Hidden behind a usual-looking door in CPH’s Gist Hall lies the eerie, hidden gem that is KRFH. The station's music team manager, Trinity Stuckey, also known on the airwaves as Trin or Dj Goo, comes in to look through the station's 30-year-old and counting collection of vinyl, CDs and cassette tapes, to handpick each album and begin curating her setlist for her 10 p.m, hour-long, late Wednesday night show.
Why does she do all of this when Spotify grants you the power to play any song with just a few clicks? For physical music enthusiasts, people who collect physical music media, such as CDs, vinyl and cassette tapes, the nitty-gritty part of searching is at times, the main drive to why they do what they do. Cal Poly Humboldt students share the reasons why they hold this unique community, hobby and passion so near and dear to their hearts.
demand for collection, cheaper and more versatile amongst different genres and eras. In 2020, she moved up to Humboldt County to begin her studies and her collection of CDs officially entered the triple digits. This was because her mother gifted her a collection of CDs from when she lived in the county in the 90s.
Stuckey shared that she has an emotional connection with the CDs and a special bond with her mother because of them. Not only because of their physical value but their sentimental value. They belonged to and meant so much to her
get pricey especially if they’re resold original pressings, anniversary remastered, Record Store Day releases—or even better signed.
Imran Rashid is a junior at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in environmental studies, an artist and vinyl collector.
“Collecting physical media is important to me because there is more of a personal feeling when collecting,” Rashid said. “Seeing the different colored records and possibly even getting ahold of signed records just feels better.”
I HAVE A BIG EMOTIONAL
CONNECTION TO THE MUSIC ITSELF BECAUSE IT’S EVERYTHING
I GREW UP LISTENING TO
mother during her youth, but now they mean even more and are Stucky’s to keep, forever.
FAMILIAR CONNECTION
Trinity Stuckey is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in history. She is also a KRFH veteran, music appreciator and avid physical media collector. Though she’s a part of Gen Z and was raised in the age of digital platform streaming, she grew up with parents who appreciate physical media and instilled in her the importance of having it. This ensured their belongings were safe and couldn't be erased. She got her first record player and vinyl record as a young child which encouraged her to begin collecting.
Stuckey soon realized vinyl and cassettes were pricey and harder to come across. She found CDs were less in
“I have a big emotional connection to the music itself because it’s everything I grew up listening to,” Stuckey said. "Every time I get a new CD I send my mom a pic as an update.”
Her mother’s creative regifting has inspired Stuckey to continue her collection and one day pass the entire collection down to her descendants.
“I am literally so, so, so excited to start more family traditions with my own kids, and I'd love to be able to pass them down one day,” Stuckey said.
WORTH T HE HASSLE
Some collectors enjoy the crucial piece of attainability of their collection pieces, especially when they're unique. They feel it makes one enjoy and appreciate these items more because you have to go out, search for them and pay for them. When it comes to records, collecting can
Some believe owning these expensive, hard-to-get items allows listeners to get an even closer connection with the album. Whether that involved skimming through every stack at a local independently owned record store, waiting in a three-hour-long merch bar line at your favorite artists’ concert or skimming Facebook Marketplace for someone's recently deceased Grandma’s collection from the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Whatever the reason was, every piece you collect comes with its own unique, individual story to tell and a new one to create. Plus, it just “hits different” listening to something you worked hard to get the privilege to play, physically and monetarily.
“Having to spend money on a physical item creates more of a connection to the item unlike digital media in my opinion,” stated Rashid.
Many may argue that it's easier to utilize a free or cheaper digital streaming platform where you can choose any song from any album. Others believe listening to an album in its entirety brings listeners back to the original days, when that was the way music was created and the only way it should be appreciated.
MUSICAL NOSTALGIA
Some collect these items to either relive their early years or for younger fans who grew up in the age of digital
streaming; physical media allows them to experience music in a way they have never before. Some albums were written to be listened to on vinyl, “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd just isn't the same without the fuzzy distortion you may recall coming from a record player as a child.
Some just feel cooler, different, mysterious and main character- like. Listening to a “Dirt” by Alice in Chains on tape with cheap, tight, fuzzy headphones and a Walk-man just how AIC fans would've streamed back in the 90s; versus simple AirPods and Apple Music.
Lila Salinas is a student-journalist, paralegal and 80s baby who experienced first hand what it's like to notice the evolution of various physical mediums turn digital, which then later revived as a trend. Growing up, she was used to Walk-man cassette players being used around her in her household. She recalls the headphone wire's quality being so bad, that she'd have to hold them in a certain way to make the sound quality as clear as possible. She also noted that with tapes and CDs, precocious care was vital, because once you dropped them they would not be the same again.
“A tape would only last so many plays before it started skipping,” Salinas said.
With the influx of the internet and prices of cassettes and CDs in this era, it wasn't long before the young Salinas began to get creative and started burning her own CDs and
recording her own tapes with the help of mp3-converting websites and at-home tape recording kits.
“I remember I used to use tapes to record when I knew the radio station was gonna play like an hour-long mix where they're playing like house music or freestyle music,” Salinas said.
“Sometimes it would suck if you'd record over another recording, but I thought that was really cool because it was analog and creative. You were able to record something real-time, versus the CD, you couldn't do that with.”
Salinas shared that back in the 90s and 2000s, zero-cost CD subscription platforms such as CD Baby existed. Companies like this would send out free promotional monthly CDs to promote and support smaller underground artists.
SUPPORTING ARTISTS DI RECTLY, ON AND OFF THE AIR
As streaming platforms are not generous or sometimes not even an option for smaller, independent artists, purchasing physical media allows you to support musicians and their art directly, especially if they are responsible for their own pressing and/or burning.
Nick Weil is a Cal Poly Humboldt student, local musician, and KRFH DJ who owns a massive collection of exactly 353 vinyl records, and spontaneously spins only physical media on the airwaves. As a musician, he knows the inside scoop of how important physical media is when it comes to supporting artists directly, as well as appreciating the entirety of an album.
“Putting out your music on streaming services is essentially putting it out for free, so buying physical media is one of the best and most direct forms of supporting an artist's music, aside from concert tickets,” Weil said. “Even if it's a used record, that record is still backed by the money that was originally used to purchase it.”
Weil also identifies as an audiophile, a person who is enthusiastic and passionate about high-fidelity sound reproduction
“Vinyl has better dynamic depth than
mp3s. I know it might get destroyed by the huge compressor when it gets blasted onto the airwaves anyway, but as an audiophile, listening to a record in the booth sounds better than any other sound system I could possibly play it through,” Weil said.
He finished by stating that he influenced other radio DJs, college radio or not, to learn how to spin vinyl to experience the original disk jockey act of spinning on air.
“I think DJs should learn how to spin so they can be real disc jockeys. It's a dying skill,” Weil said.
Veteran DJ and Former KRFH Station Manager Carlina Grillo is new to playing vinyl and CDs on air, but this love for physical media was always there, beginning when she was young and growing up with Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane. She explains how playing physical media on-air mimics the nostalgic, intentional, high-chasing feeling of being a young kid and skipping straight to the track that held her favorite song.
“I recently started playing vinyl on air and it reminds me of why intention is such a key factor in a good DJ set,” Grillo said. “Oftentimes when I’m playing music off Spotify, I find myself struggling to decide what to play or playing songs without thinking twice. When you have a million songs to choose from, there’s no longer a valuable feeling to choosing a specific track.”
Grillo also emphasizes how important and helpful the youth is when it comes to trends and consumerism.
“Regardless, physical media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Kids will always need new trends to follow, and vinyls will always be trendy,” Grillo said.
Our very own KRFH wraps up all of these main ideas, searching, purchasing, collecting and playing, with the intentional nostalgia of feeling what it was like to be a disk jockey, the pre-digital streaming age.
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES
Purchasing physical media also equals supporting local businesses
and future generations of physical media appreciators and collectors. This trend of younger enjoyers and collectors has helped many independent music stores stay in business, such as Arcata’s own People’s Records, located on the Plaza. Shop owner Steve Lovett thanks this trend for helping him be able to continue his and the shop's passion for collection and sharing since 1983.
“10 years ago, there weren't near the amount of people coming through the door that we have now,” said Lovett. “I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers continue to increase.”
If you have been inspired to dive into the world of collecting physical music media, check out these local independently owned music shops and don’t forget to look through their local artists sections!
PEOPLE’S RECORDS, ARCATA
FRIENDS OF SOUND, EUREKA THE WORKS, EUREKA
If you do not feel called to collect but would like to appreciate physical media around like-minded individuals, check out these spaces and the individuals who play physical media within them.
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The Category is Munchies:
by Tanya Gonzalez
From: Me To: You
Carne con Papas en Salsa Verde
Our first recipe is by all means basic but a Mexican classic and it takes at least an hour to make, but it’s easy, savory, and will have you floating. Here’s what you’ll need:
• 3 russet potatoes
• 2 pounds of skirt steak
• 10 tomatillos (husk tomatoes)
• 1 can of Hernandez green salsa (as a substitute for making the salsa from scratch
• 1 white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 serrano peppers
• 2 stems cilantro (coriander)
• 2 tbsp salt
• Cooking oil
Grab your steak and cut it into strips. Cut them as thin or as thick as you prefer. Next, grab your onions and cut them into strips or julienne them. Wash your potatoes thoroughly and dice them. The size of the potato once it’s diced is entirely up to you.
In a separate pot, place your tomatillos, half of your white onion, and serrano peppers. Add enough water to cover them and bring them
If you’re reading this right now, chances are the Spring 2024 issue of Osprey has already ful copy of our magazine in your precious hands. There may also be a chance that you are congratulations, you did it. Four years of blood, sweat and tears. Countless late submissions. a plethora of text messages being sent out that may have said something along the lines of Maybe I should drop out. I’m going to drop out. I give up.” Only for it to end up with Something that helped me get through these last two years was food. Food transcends all things today are recipes that bring a little taste of home to this very cloudy and wet region of Northern beautiful and peaceful, lacks the culture that I am so used to. I come from a small town in Los Angeles, where you can find a paletero (ice cream man) in almost every corner and you screaming “Paletero! Paletero!” while waving a dollar in the sky. Moving from an area where and vibrant, to a small corner of the world in which everything can feel so dull and bland recipes to keep me grounded, though, and now I want to share them with you all, especially
to a boil. Note that the tomatillos usually come inside of their casing or leaves. If you buy the ones that still come inside their leaves, you’re going to have to peel them and then wash them. Once that is done you can put them to boil with the peppers.
While that’s boiling, grab a pan and place it on your stove to heat up. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and let it get hot. Once it’s at a good temperature, add your steak and onions. Cover them and let them cook for about 10 minutes at medium heat.
While your steak and onions are cooking, check on your tomatillos. If the water is near boiling or already boiling, you can turn off the heat. This next part requires a blender or a hand blender. Put your tomatillos and peppers in a blender with two garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and your onion. Coriander is a very aromatic plant so don’t be too heavy handed with how much you throw in the blender. Add two stems of
it alongside some of that water you boiled the tomatillos in.
Once it’s all in the blender, blend it! Now at this point, your steak should have released some if it looks watery this is when to add your diced potatoes. Cover them back up and let them cook at medium high heat until the potatoes are soft. Once they’ve softened up a bit, uncover them and increase the heat enough for the leftover water to evaporate. As this is all cooking together, the steak is going to release some fat. That fat, plus the oil we added earlier, is go ing to contribute to the meat having that charred carne asada flavor. Notice how I said charred and not burnt. Do not burn your food please. The steak and the onions cook fairly fast so they’re not your main concern. Your main
A Taste From Home
already gone to print and now you have a wonderare a senior nearing the finish line. If you are, submissions. Nights full of uncontrollable sobbing and of “I swear I’m gonna drop out this semester. with neither of you actually dropping out. things in life. The recipes I’m sharing with you Northern California. A place that, although very in the bay area in between San Francisco and you can hear kids constantly chasing them down where the culture I grew up in is so pronounced was difficult to get accustomed to. I had these especially my Latine brothers and sisters!
concern should be the potatoes. Once those are cooked well enough, turn down the heat and add your salsa to the pan. Cover the pan and cook at medium high heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes you can plate it and eat! This dish can be eaten by itself or you can accompany it with anything you’d like. I personally eat it with white rice and some corn tortillas. Some substitutions available if this is too much of a hassle to make, is to simply buy premade green salsa at your local grocery store (listed above.) You can also buy steak that’s already cut into strips. These precut strips are usually for fajitas but they work the same. The same can be said for the onions. The Safeway in Arcata usually has some pre-cut veggies available for purchase.
I hope you enjoy cooking and eating this dish as much as I do! Let’s move onto the next one, though.
Flan
This next dish is on the sweeter side. If you also grew up in a Latine household then you know what flan is. Depend ing on the region your family is from, the recipe will differ. Everyone has a different way of making flan, here’s how my family does it:
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
First and foremost, preheat your oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Add one cup of sugar to a pot or whatever mold you have around and melt it down at medium heat until it looks like caramel. Once that’s done, set it aside.
In a blender, add your condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla ex tract, and milk. Blend until all ingredi ents are combined. Pour your mixture into the mold that has your caramelized sugar. Cover the mold with aluminum foil.
In a tray bigger than the mold you’ve chosen to use, add water and place your mold inside that water filled tray and then place both in the oven. Make sure the water doesn’t overflow. This process of cooking flan is called baño maria. Let it cook for one hour and 30 minutes. You can check if it’s done by poking it with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean then it’s ready to be taken out of the oven.
Once out of the oven, let rest for an hour and then enjoy! You can also chill it in the fridge and eat it cold.
The Emerald Triangle is this the End?
by Tanya Gonzalez
Legalized but still demonized, the cannabis cultivation industry in Northern California has found itself threatened and in danger of extinction. Humboldt County as we know it has, for many decades now, been known as part of the Emerald Triangle. The Emerald Triangle is made up of three different counties in Northern California: Mendocino County, Trinity County, and last but not least, Humboldt County. This area has been known for its perfect cultivation climate and is historically known as the hub for cannabis cultivation in both the state and the country. The Emerald Triangle is responsible for most of the cannabis production in the U.S. alone. The people in this area, along with outsiders, have always known this region as the Emerald Triangle. No one knows who coined the term, but what we do know is that it pays homage to a few other influential industries. One of those being the “Golden Triangle,” an area where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. It isn't cannabis that got them this name, though. It was the prominent cultivation and value of the opium and heroin produced in the region. Opiates and cannabis are far from being the same though, but they’re seen as equal under the eyes of
the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is part of the reason this region of California pays homage to the Golden Triangle.
Everything about this region is inviting and it attracts people's gaze. Many articles and people have gone as far as to call Humboldt County the capital of cannabis. In terms of history, everything went down after San Francisco's Summer of Love in 1967. Cannabis cultivation has been prevalent in this specific region of California since then. But what is cannabis? What is its true essence? And how is it impacting the lives of the people living in Humboldt County today?
For many people in the community, cannabis cultivation and cannabis itself is just another agricultural plant that has become essential to the creation of their livelihood. It’s how they put food on the table and help keep their families afloat. As of January 2024, those livelihoods seem to have been threatened by the proposal of Measure A, a county-level cannabis reform that seeks the prevention of extensive cultivation that could be damaging to the environment due to water usage and expansion. This reform didn’t recently come to light, it’s been in the works since 2022 but as of recently,
both sides have been loud about it. Many small farmers in the region even began asking themselves, why cannabis?
Cannabis in comparison to other agricultural fields does not consume half as much water as alfalfa would, according to Betsy Watson, a 75-year-old retired sociology professor and Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIMR) professor at Cal Poly Humboldt. A recent study conducted at UC Berkeley, which focused specifically on Humboldt County and Mendocino County, debunked water usage in correlation with stream flow in regard to cannabis cultivation. The results found that licensed farms used up less water than those who were unlicensed. Many of the local small farmers in this region read this study over and over again, but one question remains; if unlicensed farms are the ones causing the damage, why are more restrictions being placed upon licensed farmers? It seems unfair to punish the people who chose to go about cultivating this plant legally and responsibly. Most if not all farmers involved in this industry understand the responsibilities and morals that come with willingly participating in the cultivation of a plant that has been seen by some as nothing
more than harmful. With these people being farmers who also grow their own food, they have an obligation to protect the environment and soil they use for their cultivation regardless of what it is they are seeding.
“I am not in favor of [Measure A]. The proponents did not consult environmentalists, cannabis organizations or small legal licensed farmers. They did this behind closed doors, and as a farmer, it imposes restrictions on regulations that already exist,” Morrison, a licensed can-
provided by both the proponents of Measure A and the county of Humboldt.
“In their definition, they include all structures, energy and water that's associated with cultivation. Water tanks, dry sheds, and ADA bathrooms, anything that's associated with my site map of cultivation are included in their definition of expansion. At that point, I'm what they call non-conforming in the state because I won't be able to modify my permit. Having to go back through something that's already been done in a permitting
Morrison, started cultivating vegetables at a young age with their parents as a form of survival. Other farmers like John Casali, a second-generation farmer and owner of Huckleberry Hill Farms, introduced cannabis to their already existing livelihood as just another way for their families to make extra money.
“Cannabis was just another way that we utilized to survive here in the country,” Casali said. Casali’s family used to be more than just agricultural farmers.
“There wasn't one thing in particular
The era that we’re currently in of drug war prohibition mindset, the biases, all of the stigmas, all of that takes a generation, and it takes activists, and it takes sacrifice.
nabis farmer from Willow Creek, said.
According to Measure A, farmers are not allowed “new cultivation applications that result in multiple cultivation permits per person or per parcel.” The reform would also “limit the use of generators.” All of this information is open to the public and can be accessed through the Humboldt Cannabis Reform website. This information has caused much confusion for both the people directly involved with the reform and outsiders. Licensed farmers have compliance agreements that they absolutely must abide by in order to avoid being “subject to injunction, abatement or any other administrative, civil or criminal remedy available to the county,” according to the cannabis land use county code. Many farmers, such as Morrison, have expressed concern about the contradictory definitions of expansion
process is duplicitous. It's a waste of time and a waste of taxpayers money,” Morrison said.
One thing that these small farmers have made clear is that if they can’t receive any support, there are high possibilities of these farms completely shutting down, taking with them years of deep-rooted culture. Morrison, however, isn’t the only one that has felt this way. Other local farmers live with confusion and fear, especially because many of these farms are generational. Several of these farmers have been involved with the cannabis industry since before it was legalized, and many of them were arrested or have served time for cultivating this plant. In a sense, they paved the way for the newer generations of small farmers. However, cannabis cultivation hasn’t always been their main focus. Many farmers like Riley
that you could do living in the country that would allow you to make enough money to get to the next year. We cut firewood in the wintertime and ran a small nursery. My stepdad was a part-time logger, and we were also commercial fishermen. So in combination with all those, and the little cannabis that we grew back in the early eighties, it was enough to make it to the next year.”
The side effects of the green rush (which will be discussed later on,) drug wars, and stereotypes are still being felt. They’ve impacted the lives of small farmers who turned to cannabis to survive in this economy. Casali recalls a time in which participating in the other industries in the region became harder and less accessible.
“As time went on, regulations with commercial fishing got harder and there
was less time to fish, which then became less of a way we could make money. The same thing happened with logging. As each of those industries went away or became harder to actually participate in, we would just add a little bit more cannabis,” Casali said. Eventually cannabis became their main source of income.
The stigmas and preconceived notions around cannabis cultivation are not as outwardly noticeable presently, but they’re there and oftentimes take shape as shade being thrown, snarky comments and insults disguised as jokes. The most common insult happens to be the condescending stereotype that people dedicated to cannabis cultivation were not smart enough to find a career elsewhere, along with the everlasting stereotype that all cannabis cultivators are gang members or narcs. Although many cannabis consumers have stopped paying attention to the insults and the stigma, the people behind the cultivation of a plant so high in demand are the ones dealing with most if not all of the backlash.
“The era that we're currently in of drug war prohibition mindset, the biases, all of the stigmas, all of that takes a generation, and it takes activists, and it takes sacrifice,” Morrison said. “And for the people who are on the front line of that, not all of them will come out of it, you know, and there's a lot of friends of mine who went away to prison and who did five and ten-year bids for a plant that when they got out, was legalized.”
On the other hand, the leading proponent of Measure A, Betsy Watson, feels the complete opposite. Watson was asked what
her relationship with cannabis is like. “I moved up here in the eighties and being a rural person, I bought a home outside of town and found out that my neighbors were growing pot, which I thought was very cool.”
Watson grew accustomed to being around cannabis farms even though they were illegal at the time, but she also mentioned that the current talk of the town now is trauma. What she remembers is very different from the stories she hears now.
“I saw people having a pretty good time, living their lives, right? And I'm not saying that if, you know, the helicopters came and got you, it wasn't traumatic, I'm sure it was,” Watson said. “People were arrested, went to jail, whatever, but that's what kept the price up.”
At the time, the cannabis industry had boomed into what we now know as the green rush. The green rush, which is a name that plays off of the gold rush, is an ongoing phenomenon that involves the booming and continuously bloom-
ing cannabis industry. What was once illegal started popping up everywhere at alarming rates. Quality turned into quantity. People from all over the world were traveling to areas that had legalized cannabis to get an entry into the industry. Rural land prices increased, and according to Watson, people began bulldozing through the multiple ecosystems that exist in the mountainous regions of Humboldt County.
“When legalization happened, most of us were expecting that once these folks were given licenses, they would correct the damage that had been done,” Watson said.
She recounted a time when people in her neighborhood would hang around a small creek that was located behind her place. This creek was better known as a vernal pool, seasonal pools of water that are now endangered in California.
“A grower went in there with an excavator, dug down 18 feet, lined it with plastic, and that stream ceased to flow. So my expectation was, when they
started handing out licenses, that things like this would be corrected.” Watson said. According to Watson, it appears that little to no environmental corrections have been done. One main misconception about the reform is that of the water usage for cannabis cultivation.
“A lot of the damage is not cannabis per se. People would say cannabis uses so much water. Well, the truth is, cannabis does not. It's a medium water user. It's like tomatoes or peas or cucumbers. It's not like corn or alfalfa, but the problem with cannabis is there are so many straws in the ground,” Watson said. “What the initiative does is keep the number to where it was in March 2022, which is probably about 1,200. It stops expansions over 10,000 square feet. And in the two years since we filed the initiative, there have been a whole lot of expansions.”
Where does Cal Poly Humboldt come in? The school itself has not been too opinionated or involved with the reform. There are a few professors on
campus who are not in agreement with the reform due to the possibility of it impacting the Cannabis Studies Major that debuted last fall. As of now the curriculum for the Cannabis B.A. revolves mostly around policy, history, culture, and legalization. However, due to Cal State policy, students in the major are not allowed to touch cannabis.
“You would think they'd want them out on farms and experiencing things. UC Davis doesn't have rules like that. HSU is afraid of cannabis.” Watson said.
UC Davis has several programs based solely on cannabis. Students at their campus have the opportunity to learn about cultivation, production, and utilization, something that Cal Poly Humboldt does not have listed in their curriculum. Cal Poly Humboldt is, however, at the heart of the Emerald Triangle. Whitney Ogle, Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Cal Poly Humboldt, expressed that many HIMR professors had already been looking at the possibility of bringing in a cannabis studies major
prior to last fall.
“It started a couple years ago when we had a different provost at the time and he saw the potential of like, oh yeah, Humboldt and cannabis. We would really stand out as a university if we had a cannabis studies major,” Ogle said. “Other schools have cannabis studies majors that are more related to the medical side of things, like medical cannabis use. This is the first one that has more of a sociology kind of look at cannabis and so it's a really unique program.”
Ogle has also conducted her own research in relation to physical therapy and medical marijuana, as well as cannabis and exercise. Ogle expressed that Measure A would have an impact on the community and due to that, both students and faculty would miss out on the opportunity of collaborative work for research and educational purposes. Cannabis as it stands is still very stigmatized and people cannot accept its cultivation as part of the agricultural industry. The shared sentiment is that the already restrictive curriculum could plummet if Measure A passes.
The concerns that farmers, students, and faculty all share run deeper than just being because of a plant that harbors so much hate. The environment and several ecosystems are coming into play.
“When I was looking for jobs when I was in my graduate program. I saw that Humboldt had a job opening and I was like, oh cool maybe I can do some cannabis-related research here because I wasn't doing cannabis research before this. When I got here, that's when I joined the Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research (HIMR)
group,” Ogle said. “I started talking with other professionals in the community, and farming practices, environmental concerns and other things like that, that were being brought up had just never occurred to me.”
Ogle expressed that some people and professors they talked to when first moving to Humboldt County in 2017 were under the assumption that the cannabis industry destroys local streams and kills animals with pesticides. At the time a Netflix documentary by the name of Murder Mountain had been released. The series depicted a darker side to cannabis cultivation and even went as far as getting the main character kidnapped and murdered. His murderers were local cannabis farmers who didn’t take lightly to someone trespassing onto their farm.
Other films like Scary Movie 5 also depict the outskirts of Humboldt County as an area of high danger. In Scary Movie 5, we see two characters, played by Mac Miller and Snoop Dogg, who are out roaming Humboldt’s Redwood forest looking to “snip some buds to roll a blunt.” The next scene cuts to them running away with an insanely massive, satirical blunt as they’re getting chased by what they described as drones. Mac Miller then says “They’re going Zero Dark Thirty on our ass.”
The cannabis industry in Humboldt has developed this sort of reputation and image. People who have possibly never visited this northern region of California know where Humboldt is and what it’s known for. The fact that even Hollywood-level film companies seem to know enough about the industry here to make a reference in a movie speaks volumes.
“It took me meeting some other people in the cannabis world, like Johnny and Rose, who have Huckleberry Hill Farm. The farm was where he grew up. It’s generational, and so I'm learning more about the generational aspect of cannabis. A lot of them had the parents that were the hippies back in the day and they're now growing on their land,” Ogle said.
Ogle has also expressed that throughout her journey in researching cannabis and getting to know the people within the cultivating community, she’s learned that this community isn’t just about growing weed. There’s appreciation for the land shared by the community members, and that appreciation is shown when these farmers go out and volunteer for their community.
“When I heard about Measure A, I heard it from the growers that I knew. And they were like, red alert this is gonna be the thing that will just close down all of the hard work that we've done.” Ogle said.
Ogle stated that she opposes Measure A and has offered a refreshing take on the ordeal going on in the community. She, just like many others, didn’t go searching for higher education in the environmental field. Her involvement with cannabis was simply research-based, but part of that research included being involved in a community that is still struggling internally. Ogle agrees with the sentiment that the community members of Humboldt County who aren’t directly involved with the reform or cultivation have no insight as to what the bigger picture really is unless they have an environmental understanding.
“I think it’s important to have people
The
cannabis industry in Humboldt has developed this sort of reputation and image.
hear the different sides, but the way they delivered it or proposed it was just a little messy,” Ogle said. “They just seemed closed off to even want to change anything, that always drives me the wrong way too, where it's like, you don't want to hear or have any kind of input from the other side? I would like to support something that feels more genuine. Genuine and collaborative.”
The community is divided into a multitude of different groups. Those who know, those who don’t know and actively choose to stay out of it, and those who don’t know in-depth details but know enough to disagree. The proponents of Measure A are fighting for the prevention of any further environmental damage, and truly believe cannabis is the segue to this fight.
“Why are you guys focusing on cannabis only? If you're concerned about the water, why are you not looking at ranching practices? Why are you not looking at forestry? It's, like, why are you just focusing on this one industry?” Ogle said. “They [the proponents] said, ‘well, you know, this is the first step, and moving forward this sets the precedent for us to now continue to regulate and do the same kind of thing with others like ranching and dairy and other things like that…’ and that really rubbed some people the wrong way.”
As intimidating and scary as it may be, cannabis is an agricultural plant. It always has been, and will always continue to be. If California were to remove its legal status, the plants would likely continue to be cultivated. Farmers may lose their legal standing, but there is no guarantee that they won’t go back to being underground. Humboldt may be known for having the perfect climate and good
products, but it’s not the only region that’s participating in growing cannabis. The local farmers truly hope to be able to one day sell their products at a farmers market without it being a problem and without having to go through big-name companies that will sell their product at a higher price than what it would be sold for coming directly from the source.
It was a long, hard-fought battle, and the farmers in the area still remain wary, but their efforts were not proven to be futile. On March 5, 2024, it was announced that Measure A would not be passed. After all votes were tallied, the
result ended up being three to one and in favor of the opponents.
“You can't just create a new industry and all of a sudden be perfect, right? You're going to adapt and change and move and pivot. We're putting the pieces to the puzzle together and trying to figure out this new industry, we're trying to figure out how to survive,” Casali said. “I really am excited for Humboldt County as a whole and for Cal Poly Humboldt to really expand their studies and have the students come to our farms so we can educate them on how we grew up and what this plant means to our community.”
Switching LenSeS: From Student to ALumnuS to PhotogrAPher
By: Noelle Doblado
All it takes is one click. In that moment, history, perspectives and ideas live beyond their existence, preserving the world through photography.
Switching lenses from student to professional photographer, Cal Poly Humboldt alumnus Matt Grubb started his journey amongst the redwoods of Humboldt. Photography that had taken place inside the walls of campus soon turned into photography for The New Yorker, The New York Times and portraits of musicians Boygenius and Charli XCX. In his successfully established career, Grubb has expanded his passion for photography to the art world. Who he is now, all began with his time at Cal Poly Humboldt.
“I was such a hermit when I was there. I had a crazy bowl cut and I would sit in the library and watch movies on the TVs that were there. Going out into nature in different sections of Humboldt County was insane and always sticks in my brain, it's still one of the most beautiful places I've been,” Grubb said.
With a camera in his hands at 15, Grubb instantly adapted to the prospect of being a photographer. In his high school photography class, his teacher led Grubb into making photography more than a hobby. Since then photography has slowly consumed his life, growing with his work and vulnerability.
“It can sometimes feel a little futile and a little small to be making stuff. A lot of what makes me continue is this personal feeling when I’ve made a work and it feels like I have generated something internal to the world,” Grubb said. “In my artwork, I love the idea of moral and aesthetic ambiguity, the disquieting feeling. I love a world where nobody is a hero, nobody is a villain, nobody is right and nobody is wrong, I think that is the most beautiful thing about art, it's a place for that to exist.”
Realizing that Cal Poly Humboldt was a place where he could thrive in his artistic expression, his relationship with his photography professor, Nicole Jean Hill, current chair of the art and film department, was monumental. Their connection became the most memorable and valuable part of his college experience.
“I always want to give praise to Nicole, my professor. I don’t really think I would have gotten to do this for a living without a lot of the knowledge and ideas she gave me,” Grubb said.
Before having Grubb in her class, Hill was mesmerized by his photographs, not knowing the artist behind them.
“Before he was in my class he was in one of my colleague’s classes and I remember seeing photos in the sink that were washing and I remember being like, ‘those are some interesting photos that look a lot different from what anyone else was working on,’ and I wondered who it was,'' Hill said. “I always remember seeing that picture and that first moment thinking, whoever took that will be doing some really cool things for a really long time.”
Hill recognized Grubb’s quiet nature and made sure to pay attention closely to his presence in class. As an observer, Hill watched him fall into place as an artist instantly.
“Matt was really quiet and in art classes, a big part of the class is giving feedback and critiques, and whenever he did speak up in class he was pointing out something in someone's work that was thoughtful, proud and not like anything else everyone was talking about,” Hill said. “He pushed himself even further than I was going to push him and I just knew he would have a lot of success.”
While developing his voice as an artist, Grubb took part in opportunities he still cannot fathom. In his favorite project, Grubb connected his passion for photography to his admiration for the band Boygenius,
a trio consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. Grubb started as a fan from the beginning in 2018 after they released their first EP, and photographed Bridgers for the New Yorker in 2020. Five years later Grubb photographed the band’s debut album cover, The Record, and their following EP, The Rest, in 2023. The album won three awards at the 2024 Grammys, including Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance and Best Alternative Music Album. The process of becoming a part of the band’s vision moved quickly, as a normal Wednesday turned into flying to L.A. and shooting the following day, forever impacting the trajectory of Grubb’s career.
“I think it's memorable because when it happened it felt so small, it was really wild and the shoot was just so fun and casual. It's been really wild to watch, it's gone way farther than I ever really could have imagined,” Grubb said. “The Grammy is something I could not fathom but is so deserved.”
The band’s vision for the shoot was inspired by Rineke Dijkstra’s beach portraits which used studio lighting at the beach to create a vintage dream-like effect. Grubb at the time experimented with a similar style inspired by these portraits in his photographs during a performance festival called BOFFOO on Fire Island in New York. The band reached out to Grubb after seeing this series on social media, his vision was exactly what they were looking for.
Releasing his art into the world, Grubb’s work evolves into its own entity. Reflecting on his project with Boygenius, the experience was entirely different from any work he has been involved in.
“It's really fascinating, one of the things you don't think about is that the image is so divorced from me, 99.9 percent of the world, when they see that image, they are going to think of the music and the band which is exactly as it should be, that's what a cover is supposed to do,” Grubb said. “So it's really interesting to see it enter the world and the day it [the album] was announced it felt like it didn’t belong to me anymore. If I look at the RAW files I have, it almost feels like I didn’t take them. I’ve never quite had that experience.”
The project for Grubb was more than a photo shoot. Working alongside individuals he had looked up to for years, the opportunity to be a part of their vision was more than he could have hoped for. The photoshoot became a surreal moment when he witnessed live some of the first recordings of their music, becoming fully immersed in the experience.
“I met them at the studio in Malibu and I got to hear them record ‘Not Strong Enough,” Grubb said. We were going through the images for the cover and there were a few people looking at the images and then one of them would go off and record a guitar part and come back, and then I went ‘Can I see the studio?’ so we just went in and they played the song and it was really great.”
Photography has consumed every detail of Grubb’s life. With his artistic expression, he believes that his biggest ambition is to always challenge his mind and expand the ways he interacts with the world.
“I can't really hope for more than what photography has already given me. It's always been important for me to understand that photography has not solved the world's problems and it doesn't fix the world’s issues, but it can create a sort of complex, richer way of thinking about existence, it has a cumulative effect on the world, photography has kinda split open the way I think about things and fractured it in the best way,” Grubb said. “That is all I can hope to do.”
Studying GRAY WHALES: An indicator of marine health in the Pacific Northwest
by Ruby Cayenne
Humans press on as the Earth shies away from the clement climate that once was and shifts toward a scorching temporal reality. They do so with the abettance of many things that humankind has designed to lessen the deleterious nature of a warming planet. Animals, on the other hand, are forced to adapt to such calamities with nothing but that which they possess innately.
Natural selection may no longer apply to many humans by virtue of technological and medical advance
gray whales’ resilience. Their populations significantly rebounded once commercial whaling in the Eastern North Pacific concluded.
The majority of gray whales who live on the Eastern side of the Pacific Ocean basin make one of the longest yearly migrations of any mammal, approximately 12,000 miles, from the amiable waters of Baja, California in the winter to the biting waters of the Arctic in the summer. The PCFG, however, never migrate higher than British Columbia and Humboldt County is at the southernmost edge
when fully grown.
Dawn Goley, a professor of zoology at Cal Poly Humboldt and director of the Marine Mammal Education and Research Program (MMERP,) has been studying gray whales in Humboldt County since 1997. Recently, she and her graduate student Robyn Norman, who she co-advises with Paul Bourdeau, professor of marine biology and ecology as well as a graduate coordinator, have been researching the diet, abundance and distribution
the PCFG in Humboldt and Del Norte County. The PCFG has much smaller numbers, at approximately 230 individuals than that of the ENPG’s population which is estimated at 15,000.
“We know what is special about the North Coast, but what do gray whales think is special about the North Coast?” Goley said.
Norman, her team of advisors and a group of undergraduate student volunteers have found that locally consumed food is very distinct from that of other places throughout the PCFG’s Northern range and want to understand why the whales are not continuing their migration up into the Arctic. The group conducted studies on what food sources are available, what species the PCFGs are feeding on and what the prey’s energetics are. They collected samples from the water column, epibenthic zone, which refers to just above the sea floor and benthic zone, which means within the sediment.
“We're going out every month across Northern California from Trinidad and Eureka up
Crescent City and Point St. George,” Norman said, when speaking about their sampling locations.
Gray whales eat invertebrates that float in the water column, called planktonic invertebrates, meaning they float and drift along at the will of ocean currents. They also feed on invertebrates that habitate in the epibenthic and benthic zones. In the Humboldt County area, gray whales have been found to mostly feed on benthic prey.
“So, they go down and take a big mouthful of mud, squish it around, and push all the water out through their baleen, which sieves all of the invertebrates, and so it captures the prey, but it pushes out the mud and the water, and then they slurp that down and do it again,” Goley said.
Gray whales are the only species of baleen whale that will filter sand and silt in this way. The array of zooplankton, mostly consisting of larval crustaceans, amphipods, which are a type of crustacean, cumaceans ( Diastylopsis dawsoni ), which are a type of shrimp, marine worms and other invertebrates they collect
considerably larger than their prey sources in Northern California.
“The species of interest that we're specifically looking at are these cumaceans because they are, you know, at least so far not found anywhere else throughout this PCFG range,” Norman said. “We're definitely finding that relative to other locations, that the food here may just be of lesser quantity and quality but gray whales are definitely still foraging here.”
When gray whales feed on invertebrates, they are preventing an overabundance of prey that exists at the bottom of the trophic level and mixing up nutrients from the sediment into the water column. These behaviors help to balance the marine ecosystem and provide marine vegetation with vital nutrients. The waste produced by gray whales in turn feeds phytoplankton, which are microscopic floating plants that invertebrates eat. When a whale dies, their body can sequester an extensive amount of carbon, and their body feeds the very invertebrates that they once ate, as the melody of the vast
Norman’s project is a culmination of approximately two years of data and she will be defending her thesis research this spring. Presently, she
collected including photographs of the whales that are used to identify them based on their pigmentation,
Norman and her research group use a collection of catalogs of these
development for approximately 30 years. These identifications
Cascadia Research Center,
“We'll do a photo ID
Gray whale on canvas with acrylic. Painting
Ruby Cayenne
single whale that we see, you know, which will track its behavior and where it's moving throughout the habitat,” Norman said.
Norman’s graduate research is contributing to a larger collaboration of many other researchers that are studying the PCFG called the West Coast Stranding Network which is a project managed by NOAA Fisheries.
Field operations, such as working with whales on the water using a Cal Poly Humboldt research vessel, are managed by Allison Lui, a graduate student studying marine biology and working as the stranding coordinator for the Marine Mammal Stranding Program (MMSP). She ensures that the vessel is safe to operate and the conditions are amicable to be out on the water. Lui is also the individual who primarily collects the identification photos of the gray whales. Ideally, identification photos are lateral shots of each side of the cetacean and their fluke. There is a gray whale the MMSP calls, Quasi, that they see year to year. She has a large scar on her back that Lui speculates is from a boat strike at some point during her life.
Lui also manages a group of 20 or so undergraduate volunteers that traverse roughly 30 beaches each month in Northern California surveying for dead stranded marine mammals for the MMSP. These surveys help to discern what are normal rates of strandings for gray whales, and other marine mammals, so that elevated rates can be distinguished and monitored.
On an outing this past year, Lui, Norman and fellow graduate student Ashley Jacob stood witness to an immeasurably rare sighting of a gray whale being preyed on by an orca whale.
“We were collecting photo ID of different animals and collecting prey samples and basically this group of transient orca came in, or transient killer whales is probably more appropriate to say, but they came
in and targeted this one very thin subadult female that was foraging right around where we were,” Lui said. “We ended up photographing and kind of observing the whole thing and we were able to get IDs on the killer whales and sent that off to some other partner researchers that do more work with that because we don't usually see them that often.”
The whale eventually stranded on shore and Lui was able to conduct a necropsy on it to confirm that the whale was thin and emaciated. The orca did not consume the gray whale but rather pulled it down into the depths by its pectoral fins, subsequently drowning it. This cause of death was identifiable by noticeable rake marks from the orca’s teeth.
Results from research pertaining to the larger ENPG of gray whales, conducted by Josh Steward at OSU suggests that as ice recedes in the Arctic, part of the gray whale prey’s nutrition cycle is lost. The benthic and epibenthic prey animals feed on dead algae that grows on the bottom of the ice. The algae float down through the water column into the bottom sediment and the eagerly waiting invertebrates consume it.
As the climate changes and oceans warm, there is less ice for algae to grow on which is equating to reduced sustenance for invertebrates, causing them to be less calorically rich. The ENPG who migrate such great distances for this food source are not getting as much fat and nutrients as they once were. A combination of these factors led to an unusual mortality event for gray whales that lasted from 2019 to 2023. During this time the number of documented deceased stranded gray whales exceeded anything seen since monitoring began but have since decreased.
By staying at lower latitudes, the PCFG are not suffering from this phenomenon to the same degree as the larger population of ENPG. While the PCFG’s prey is fairly abundant, it has been found
to be low quality in terms of caloric output. Norman is able to make this determination by using a bomb calorimeter instrument to combust samples and get the calories per gram. She then compares it to samples analyzed for their caloric output in other regions of the PCFG’s Northern range, such as Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
Gray whales are known for their resilience. In the late 1800s and early 1900s they were hunted to near extinction and have since rebounded to populations that qualify them to be taken off the endangered species list. Gray whales received protections from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1947. In the United States and surrounding waters, the cetaceans are further protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. Mexico also designated some of Baja California’s major breeding and nursing lagoons into a protected refuge zone.
“And so, they are one of the success stories of marine mammal conservation in our country. But that doesn't mean that they aren't vulnerable to massive impacts of humans” Goley said. “Gray whales are a real indicator of marine health, of ocean health and so, to understand their ecology and behavior really gives us insight into the health of the near shore and offshore marine environments.”
Community members can reach out to report a dead marine mammal on local beaches by contacting the Cal Poly Humboldt Marine Mammal Stranding Program at marinemammals@humboldt.edu or the hotline at 707-8263650. If the marine mammal is sick or injured, please call the North Coast Marine Mammal Center hotline at 707-951-4722.
All work was done under NOAA/ NMFS permit #22306
Sign up for JMC 327. Contact Adviser Deidre Pike, dp1450@humboldt.edu, for permission numbers.
The Lumberjack placed fifth in the national Associated Collegiate Press’s 2024 Best of Show award and nabbed 21 more California College Media Association awards.
First place
Best Arts & Entertainment – Alana Hackman
Best News Photograph – Alex Anderson
Best Sports Story – Dezmond Remington
Second Place
Best Newspaper – August Linton, Colwyn Delaney, Angel Barker, Dezmond Remington, Nina Hufman
Best Headline Portfolio – Griffin Mancuso, Best Infographic – Carlina Grillo, Christina Mehr
Best Editorial Cartoon – Valen Lambert
Third Place
Best Social Justice Coverage –Jillian Wells, Alex Anderson, Dezmond Remington, Griffin Mancuso, Angel Barker
Best Newspaper Column – Dezmond Remington
Best Feature Photo – Alex Andeson
Best Editorial – Angel Barker, Dezmond Remington, Nina Hufman
Best Photo Series – Alex Anderson
FOCUS ON THE VISION
by Eli Staton
“I see eyes,” Noah Gabay said, as he pointed his headlamp onto a patch of ground about 20 feet away covered with redwood duff and damp sword ferns. It was about 10 p.m. in the quiet Arcata Community Forest, and he was helping his classmate, Anthony Julian Gomez, with a salamander survey. Salamanders, like some other amphibians such as frogs, have eyes that reflect light, which is referred to by scientists as eyeshine. Gabay, especially, was adept at perceiving this shine hidden among the raindrops. Gomez and Gabay are undergraduates enrolled in an advanced biology course called Directed Study (BIOL 499), where students work with a professor to formulate scientific questions and design a study.
Their professor is Pedro Peloso, and on this night, he was tagging along with his camera and genially answering any questions they had. At other times he is on a mission to photograph all the frogs in Brazil that are threatened with extinction.
“We are a very visual species, human beings, so we rely very much on what we see, and what we see causes impactful memories and it could spark behavioral change in individuals because that's how powerful images are,” Peloso said. “I want people to understand that we have a beautiful planet full of diversity, and if we do not change our behavior, we're going to lose all of that.”
Peloso has been a herpetology research associate and adjunct profes-
sor of biology at Cal Poly Humboldt since January 2022, and teaching since Fall 2023. Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. In addition to BIOL 499, this semester he is an instructor for Evolution (BIOL 307). He is also a National Geographic Explorer, author of two children’s books and a master photographer primarily focused on capturing close-ups of amphibians and reptiles in their natural habitats. Most of his extensive field experience has been in neotropical rainforests, from where he shares his discoveries on some of the world’s most vulnerable species.
“I go to the field a lot and I see animals that other people don’t have the resources or the opportunity or the privilege to see and I feel it’s my duty to
register that and share that with the community and share that with the world,” Peloso said.
Amphibians are considered indicator species because they are among the first creatures to react to environmental change. Their skin is permeable and sensitive to subtle variations in moisture. Threats to rainforest amphibians include habitat fragmentation, deforestation, mining, diseases and climate change. Peloso also photographs these human impacts on rainforests and has captured stark images juxtaposing lush rainforest next to clearcut pastures and the ruinous damage a gold mine can bring about on a river ecosystem.
In 2018 Peloso launched the ambitious Documenting Threatened Species (DoTS) project, the goal of which is to find and document all Brazilian amphibians that are threatened with extinction. He started with a list of 42 frogs. There are now 61 species on the list and he has documented 15 of them.
“It doesn't matter if it takes me a year or 10 years, 15 years or 20 years. This is the project now,” Peloso said.
Peloso is from central Brazil. Much of his field work has been conducted in Brazil’s Amazon and Atlantic Rainforests, and he has also worked in Columbia and Peru. He has a Master’s degree in zoology from Museu Goeldi in Belém, Brazil and a Ph.D. in comparative biology from the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Like many students, in high school Peloso did not have a clear sense of direction.
“I got horrible grades and I had very little interest in academic learning. I was mostly interested in skateboarding and hanging out with my friends,” Peloso said. “I applied to college the first year out of high school, and I got rejected from all the colleges I applied to and that kind of turned the switch in my head to say, ‘Okay, I've got to do something with my life.’” That something would be herpetology.
As a second-year undergraduate student he discovered a fingernail-sized frog, now called the restinga toadlet (Melanophryniscus setiba). He was studying a lizard community in a pro-
tected area of the Atlantic Rainforest when this tiny mystery frog hopped into his lizard traps. He could not identify it and neither could anyone else; it was a new species.
“Much of the world's biodiversity is still unknown,” Peloso said.
He appreciates an opportunity he had as an undergraduate to do field research with a zoology professor with whom he is still professionally close. Since those days, Peloso has discovered 31 amphibians, three lizards, one bird and one praying mantis. He said that this early field experience was similar to the one that Cal Poly Humboldt students can get by enrolling in BIOL 499.
“Although the number of specialists grew considerably in recent years we still lack sufficient [numbers of] scientists to study, understand, and describe this diversity,” Peloso said. “However, it is not enough to train more people, we need to offer these young herpetologists with professional opportunities as well.”
Expanding his belief in the power of uniting science and art, Peloso started a scientific illustration internship on campus called Bio and Art Illustration. It is a cross-departmental collaboration between Cal Poly’s Biological Sciences and Art+Film departments. The first intern, Jamie Hefley, focused on creating color illustrations of potentially extinct Brazilian amphibians, and will continue her journey with graduate school in medical illustration. This spring there will be a new intern who will continue the work of artfully rejuvenating lost species.
If you also find frogs, salamanders, other amphibians and reptiles fascinating, consider enrolling in Herpetology (ZOOL 354) – prerequisites are BIOL 105 and ZOOL 110. Or just grab your camera phone and download the iNaturalist app to help you identify plants and animals. Wander into the local forests at night, when amphibians are most active, watch your step and keep an eye out for eyeshine.
DoTS project website and Instagram: www.projetodots.org
IG: @projeto_dots
Pedro Peloso’s website and Instagram: www.pedropeloso.com
Historically, the queer community has been through a lot, and most of its story has gone untold in mainstream society. In active attempts to silence queer people, especially members of the community who identify as trans and/or as a person of color, more than half of the country’s states have taken steps toward erasing queer culture and queer figures from society’s collective memory—again.
Bans on books and drag shows that highlight queer identity, barring queer educators from jobs in education and banning the teaching of queer education in all grade levels, kindergarten through college, are all actions that numerous states have taken in an attempt to suppress expressions and information on queer identity.
This article seeks to shine light in the opposite direction, illuminating some of the many brave, successful, and community-serving queer and trans people of Humboldt County who have dedicated their lives to uplifting others.
Harrelle Deshazier (She/They)
Like many who move to Humboldt, Harrelle Deshazier wanted to be as far away from home as she could while still being in California. From South Central Los Angeles, Deshazier knew she wanted to see more of the world than just what the city had to offer her and applied to what was at the time Humboldt State University.
said that she was still closeted about her queer identity. She explained that Humboldt gave her a place to explore her true self and feel free in her expression.
“It really was a space where I know I
“When I started school, I was not looking for education, I was looking to change my life,” Deshazier said. “Edu cation was not the forefront, it was the vehicle.”
She now serves as the Academic Advisor for the Umoja Center for Pan African Student Excellence on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus. The Umoja Center supports students of the African diaspora in academic success, community building and decentering Eurocentrism on cam pus, to develop scholars and scholarship that are liberating to its communities. At the time that she moved here, Deshazier
freshman orientation and campus tours for prospective students, and she also served as a Retention through Academic Mentoring Program (RAMP) mentor.
“When I realized how good I was at that sort of facilitation and connection, it really sort of launched me in that direction,” Deshazier said. “I didn't start college or even continue college thinking, I'm going to be an academic advisor, it kind of just happened that way naturally, which I'm grateful for.”
Having faced bullying, Deshazier explained that school was not always an accepting place for her, which helps drive her desire to ensure everyone she comes in contact with feels valued and appreciated for who they are.
In her free time outside of work, Deshazier said she finds joy in simply being able to be herself and not having to put on a show or be a specific kind of person to anyone. Though she said she also loves spending time with friends at local art and music events, she feels the most at peace when she can decompress and focus on someone else’s drama.
“It's nice when I can just like, kick
Aside from her love for reality TV, Deshazier expressed a love for reading and writing, especially poetry and philosophy.
“I read a lot of self-reflection poetry,” Deshazier said. “So I read a lot of poetry about self-esteem, depression, yearning, wanting, what does it all mean, you know, existentialism.”
Drawing on academic wisdom, such as Russian-American psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, Deshazier feels fascinated by the interlocking systems that determine an individual's outcome and success in life. Through all that she takes in from philosophy to reality television, Deshazier said she is on a path to finding herself.
For anyone in our community who has been told that we don’t belong, I want them to know that we do belong in every space
“It really informs who I am today, especially in the workspace. I find myself feeling very appreciative of how much I've been able to grow and really just be myself and command that space,” Deshazier said.
back at my house and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race or Selling Sunset, or you know, just anything horrible reality TV,” Deshazier said.
“I definitely want to just be in a space of self-actualization. You know, truly growing into myself as a person, as a trans person, everything,” Deshazier said. “I really want to be closer and closer, always to my true self, whoever that is. I think if I am surfacing who I need to be,
Harrelle Deshazier (pictured center), of the Umoja Center for Pan African Student Excellence, with community members.
then I'm also serving a higher purpose of what I'm supposed to do."
Deshazier said that her biggest hope for the future of the queer community is for more connection and collaboration.
“Whether you're trying to get with somebody or not, whether you're trying to be friends with somebody or not, I think there are a lot of reasons for us to come together that don't include tragedy,” Deshazier said. “I think that often happens with marginalized groups as we always come together for things that are sad, or for reasons that are sad, in way more mass numbers than reasons that are just monotonous or you know, for no reason.”
Deshazier said she believes people have been trained to focus on the negative and always point out what is not helpful, rather than looking towards the positives in their lives.
“There are more people who are on your side than who are against you,” Deshazier said. “...I think we run the risk of always ignoring people who do want to be helpful, who do want to be there for us, who do want to be present.”
Deshazier recommends that Cal Poly Humboldt students looking to build
community and receive academic support services, check out the cultural centers on campus as well as take advantage of helpful resources like RAMP, OhSnap Student Food Programs, and the many services and technology available to borrow from the campus library.
“Really lean into people who want to be in community with you, and trust people more,” Deshazier said. “I think I have learned in my life to trust as little as possible, and that is definitely one of my focuses—learning to grow from that and grow through it and learn to trust people and it's okay to take the risk of trust too because trust is a risk, but you know, a lot of times it's worth it.”
Lark Doolan (He/Him)
Lark Doolan wears many hats in the Humboldt queer community and also sometimes a giant pair of costume sunglasses. Doolan serves as the Executive Director, and Coordinator of Systemic Change for Queer Humboldt, “an anti-racist, anti-settler-colonialist resource center, serving 2S/LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups in Humboldt County and local Indigenous Lands through community education, mental
health services, micro-grants/mutual aid, the North Coast Two-Spirit Project, networking and resource sharing,” according to the Queer Humboldt website.
He is also a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT), and previously served as the principal and superintendent of Peninsula Union School District in Humboldt County, as the first-ever openly transgender person in the country to hold the position of superintendent.
Doolan explained Queer Humboldt contracts with local schools to support queer student safety and to help them become a space for queer liberation.
Queer Humboldt also has movie nights, a closet full of outfits for performing and practicing drag and other events for young queer people in the community at its headquarters in Arcata.
“For anyone in our community who has been told that we don't belong, I want them to know that we do belong in every space,” Doolan said.
Lark Doolan in his office at the Queer Humboldt headquarters
Doolan cites his upbringing in Ohlone territory, Berkeley, California, as the impetus for the work he has accomplished throughout his life. He explained that having access to spaces where diversity was valued, such as the Castro district in San Francisco, allowed him to experience life in which queerness wasn’t only accepted but centered.
“Looking around at the larger queer community, I see that not everyone had access to some of the things that I had access to including food security, education and medical care, and I want to make sure that we all have access to those things,” Doolan said.
Doolan said he considers himself lucky to have had the opportunity to attend a high school that had an incredible health center on campus where therapy services were available for all students as a part of the school day.
by finding sacred community spaces that embrace all of who he is.
“I am who I am, and I am where I am, because of the love, encouragement, and support that I have received from countless people over my lifetime,” Doolan said.
Heavily influenced by the love and support of family and community members, Doolan said he finds joy in simply looking into the eyes of his wife.
“I feel so lucky every day that I get to be family with her,” Doolan said. “It feels amazing to be so fully and thoroughly loved as I am for who I am, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to love her in that way as well.”
In addition to his constant work as an activist, Doolan said he also enjoys
Right now we live in a bigoted discriminatory culture, but that is not the truth of who we are as a people. Throughout the world and across history, queer people have existed and been respected within their communities. We have held special roles within societies. We have a rich queer history to draw from
“That was hugely helpful for me as a young person living in a transphobic society,” Doolan said. “That was part of the inspiration for developing our Queer Humboldt mental health program, where we have queer therapists working with queer youth, queer adults, and people who parent queer youth, to provide gender-affirming and sexual orientation affirming health care by queer people for queer people.”
Drawing on the wisdom of queer ancestors and “transcestors”, Doolan said he feels inspired to be part of a community that has such a vibrant and robust history of organizing and practicing survivance in the face of adversity. He said he has been able to fully come into himself
cozy pajamas and dinner parties where he creates “food mandalas”, which he explains as a creative interpretation of a charcuterie board. Doolan also noted that he loves spending time outdoors, swimming in the rivers, hiking in the redwoods, spending time on the beach, paddleboarding, kayaking, and camping.
“I live in Humboldt for many reasons, and access to the incredible natural beauty of this place is high on my list,” Doolan said.
Doolan encourages anyone who feels they could use extra support or wants help in connecting with the community to visit the Queer Humboldt website, which is full of resources to help queer people thrive. Queer Humboldt offers services for individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapeutic settings.
“Right now we live in a bigoted discriminatory culture, but that is not
the truth of who we are as a people. Throughout the world and across history, queer people have existed and been respected within their communities. We have held special roles within societies. We have a rich queer history to draw from,” Doolan said. “...There are future generations coming after us who need us to do our part to carry those teachings forward. None of us are alone. We are all connected. There's a strong queer community here in Humboldt that can be accessed for support when things are hard. It's okay to ask for help.”
J.d. Garza (He/Him)
For J.d. Garza, whether it be in his office on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus, or on the stage of a local Arcata venue, everything he does is performance. Garza serves as the Interim Director
for Career Development and Career Advisor at Cal Poly Humboldt, the Vice Chair for the city of Arcata Chamber of Commerce, as well as the founder and promoter for Daisy Crew Shows and the singer/songwriter for 90s cover band Rad Bromance.
Growing up in the Central Valley near Fresno, Garza found himself in the alternative music scene. Looking for a place to belong, Garza dove deep into the metal and punk scenes of dingy dive bars and DIY events, learning many valuable skills along the way, such as how to play the guitar, bass, ukulele, piano and how to sing. Now, he said he feels so comfortable in the realm of music that during shows he feels as if he is floating through on autopilot.
“Oh my god, I love performing,” Garza said. “It’s like sometimes people perceive my stress on the days of shows as nervousness, [saying] ‘you're gonna be fine’ and I'm like, ‘No, I know that. I just want these little details ironed out,’ like I should have printed out this thing or I didn't send this message.”
Garza said he is also beginning to explore the world of drag, showing up to local drag shows in Arcata as his drag alter ego J.d. the Lady.
“Not anything fancy, I can't do makeup so well or anything, I actually don't do makeup at all, I just kind of throw on a wig and get a look together,” Garza said.
Garza explained that a major driving actor in his success actually came from what he considers being petty. As a gay Latine man growing up in the Central Valley, Garza said he often felt excluded from things and faced a lot of bullying. As he grew up, he used some of that trauma as fuel for change in his life.
“The successes that I've seen have been because of this petty thought of like, ‘I'll show you, I'll show every last one of you,’” Garza said. “And perhaps that's not necessarily the way to live, but it's the way that I've seen myself push myself through things.”
Garza also credits his persistence to his mother, who regularly told him that when he gets out in the real world, no one is going to take care of him or owes him anything—building a strong sense of need to care for and provide for himself.
“My mom really early on has always used the phrase, ‘Alright, we got to go
out and conquer the world’,” Garza said. “I think my mom did a good job of making me feel empowered, even when I don't feel powerful.”
Having such a strong female role model in his life, Garza often draws on the inspiration and talent of women in music to express himself in his music project, Rad Bromance. Playing songs by The Cranberries and Taylor Swift, Rad Bromance pushes the boundaries of what is expected from a male-led cover band.
“We like to take mostly 90s alternative early 2000s bops, and we like to kind of recreate them or re-envision them,” Garza said. “I've found that we have been really leaning into songs written by women.”
Garza said he credits 90s alternative music for sparking the feminist in him, carrying that spark with him his entire life. Rad Bromance challenges traditional male cover band performances by highlighting
J.d. Garza performs live music on the KRFH student run radio station at Cal Poly Humboldt
songs written by women, of which they do not change any pronouns or gendered descriptors, and instead change the lyrics of songs written by men to be more vulnerable.
Those interested in seeing Rad Bromance perform may not need to look too hard, as the band is awaiting approval from the North Coast Growers Association, to begin playing soon at the Arcata farmer's market.
Aside from his life as a musician, in his professional role, Garza said he gets a lot of joy out of helping his students to succeed and making a lasting connection, even when he can tell they may not believe in him at first.
“When I can see the student almost like physically feeling heard, is one of those things where I'm like, alright, we've tapped into what we need to, this is important, “ Garza said. “This is why the work is so important.”
Garza said he didn’t fully realize his love for organizing data and events until he started working for the Social Work department on campus. His love for regimented event planning led him to schedule out all the details of his wedding over the course of five days in 15-minute increments.
be well, and I think in doing that and making sure that I'm growing and that I'm being well, I can be better for others,” Garza said. “Because I think the work that I do inherently whether it's career or music work it’s empowerment work.”
Garza expressed that in his profes sional roles, he often feels particularly uncomfortable at Chamber of Commerce mixers or events with local leaders, being one of the only queer people of color in the room.
“I'm thinking to myself, I look around and I see other Latine folks just kind of standing around sort of doing the same thing I'm doing just trying to figure out how to blend,” Garza said. “That's one of those things where I'm like, okay, just me being here, even if I'm not saying anything, is carving space for us to exist.”
“I'm realizing now more than ever,
My mom really early on has always used the phrase, ‘Alright, we got to go out and conquer the world’
that like, my existence and my presence in spaces is so important,” Garza said. “Even just for my own self-empowerment.”
He carries this love for organizing into his work, as the founder and promoter of Daisy Crew Shows, an organization that works with touring bands to ensure that local acts can also get on the playbill.
“Local acts bring the scene,” Garza said. “One of our values here is that we don't want bands to feel like they have to play a show for free. While we can't offer guaranteed payment, it is one of those things where Daisy Crew Shows will be the last to see any payment.”
Garza said he wants people to know that even on his journey to wellness he is still impacted by the daily struggle. On his journey to self-actualization he has found that the tools he may have used to cope in the past aren’t always necessarily going to work the same way that they used to. For Garza, allowing himself to grow emotionally also comes with acknowledging the traumas of his past.
“I just want to grow and I want to
Garza said that anyone looking to find their community should start on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus, taking advantage of the cultural centers and the friendly faces of academic support staff like him.
“El Centro is a good example of people in our community doing community work, even just from the standpoint of having a space to exist, as we are,” Garza said. “I'd say tapping into those resources as uncomfortable as it feels, maybe even as corny as they might feel, these spaces are for us to know that we can exist without the expectations of our society.”
Garza recommends getting more involved with campus clubs or organizations in the community to promote queer perspectives and activist work. He noted if you are struggling to find the
Begin your day with a delicious burst of sunshine! like center, bursting with tart lemony goodness.
L EMON B REAKFAST
B READ
A slice of sunshine
sunshine! A crumbly, cookie-like exterior gives way to a soft, muffin- goodness. Lemon Breakfast Bread is the perfect treat anytime.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons water
Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons
Lemon juice
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 370°F on the regular bake setting
Step 2
Mix the flour,baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, milk, and 3 eggs in a bowl of a food processor. Slice the butter into small pieces and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix the ingredients until a dough forms.
Step 3
Transfer the dough to a counter and roll gently until you obtain a smooth ball. Shape the dough into a loaf about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Place it on a baking sheet that has been buttered and floured. Place the egg yolk in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of water, and whisk. Make 6 shallow diagonal cuts on top of the dough and lightly brush the surface with the yolk mixture.
Step 4
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. The lemon breakfast bread is ready when it is golden brown and feels fairly firm to the touch.
Step 5
Mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice to make a lemon glaze. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top and serve.
TURNING THE PROTECTING HUMBOLDT
by Maranda Vargas
A pantheon of marbled Godwits stands in the forefront of Humboldt Bay
TIDE
BAY
Towering coastal redwoods and ancient rivers weave around fog-covered mountains toward a beautiful coastline in Humboldt County, California. Nestled along the scenic coastline sits an ecological gem, Humboldt Bay, the second-largest natural coastal estuary in California. The ecologically diverse habitats surrounding Humboldt Bay are a haven for wildlife boasting a tapestry of landscapes.
These habitats of Humboldt Bay serve a crucial role in the environment while providing a playground for recreation enthusiasts and leading as the largest West Coast oyster producer. Environmental projects and community members are working toward restoring and preserving the ecologically rich and delicate ecosystem of Humboldt Bay and the interconnected web of life it supports.
History and Legacy Issues
The Humboldt Bay area was transformed from a diverse bay, tidal wetlands and expansive sloughs, backed by lush green hillsides into a wounded landscape pillaged for industry. The stewards of the land and Humboldt Bay, the Wiyot people, historically had villages along the edges of Humboldt Bay and used canoe channels and trails for passage. After the arrival of settlers to the region, the Wiyot people were decimated, as was the landscape. The lumber industry was booming and ships were frequently coming into the bay to transport lumber out of the area. Sources of pollutants included a railroad built adjacent to the bay, a city landfill whose remnant mound is still visible, boat yards and over a hundred lumber mills. A wood preservative containing harmful dioxin chemicals was used by the lumber industry to protect the wood from rot and is still a source of pollution for surrounding wildlife and the bay.
Humboldt Waterkeeper
Humboldt Waterkeeper is a local non-profit organization fighting to protect the bay, its watershed and coastal resources while supporting the economic strength of the community through education, scientific research, and commenting on potential projects that involve or may impact Humboldt Bay. Jennifer Kalt is the Executive Director of Humboldt Waterkeeper, with over twenty years of conservation and environmental advocacy work.
“A lot of that involves ensuring that contaminated sites aren’t redeveloped
without cleaning up the contamination. There were lots of old lumber mills around the bay that left contamination behind and they are very low-lying; a lot were built on wetlands,” Kalt said. “So as sea level rises the contamination can move off those sites if we don’t clean them up.”
Industry of Humboldt Bay: Oyster Farming
The local oyster industry has a vested interest in the health of the bay. Ocean acidification, pollution and disease have prohibited oyster farmers in other regions from succeeding at growing their own oysters or selling oyster seeds; which are young oysters used in cultivating and transplanting oyster beds. In 2009, Humboldt Bay was named the oyster capital of California by the state legislature and it was estimated that over 70% of California’s oysters are produced in Humboldt Bay.
“The vast majority of oysters grown in California are harvested here and there’s a huge oyster seed industry as well,” Kalt said. “This is the only bay, the only body of water in California that doesn’t have any oyster diseases and so because of that, the seed can be shipped anywhere in the world.”
The local oyster industry is reliant on Humboldt Bay remaining certified disease-free, which in part Kalt suggested could be due to the lack of offshore vessel traffic Humboldt Bay receives. Ocean acidification and oyster diseases have had detrimental effects on the oyster industry outside of Humboldt Bay.
“The oyster seed industry has been dealing with a lot of ocean acidification
where the lower pH levels mean the oyster larvae can’t produce shells, so a lot of oyster seed growing was relocated here to the bay because we’re not having those pH issues here yet,” Kalt said.
The oyster farming industry has a complicated relationship with Humboldt Bay. Oyster farming has a history of being detrimental to the delicate eelgrass that grows on the bay floor. In the past, the eelgrass was destroyed by disturbing the bay floor with invasive oyster farming practices. The oyster industry of Humboldt Bay has adapted to implement less invasive and more sustainable farming practices, allowing the eelgrass beds to begin to regrow.
Importance of the Pacific Flyway
Humboldt Bay is located along the Pacific Flyway bird migration route. Birds migrating between Alaska to
Mexico, stop to rest along Humboldt Bay. The wetlands around Humboldt Bay provide habitat for over half a million shorebirds during spring migration and has been designated a site of international importance for shorebirds such as snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus) and black oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) among others by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
Local author Ken Burton, a wildlife biologist and avid birding enthusiast, was drawn to the natural elements of Humboldt County, such as Humboldt Bay and the birding scene it provides, and moved to the area over nineteen years ago from Marin County. He is outdoors almost every day birding or hiking. He serves as a local hiking guide as well as a volunteer for the local Audubon Society.
“You know, I can’t imagine this place without Humboldt Bay. It’s just such an integral part of this area,” Burton said.
Burton has seen over 400 different birds in Humboldt County, making him a member of the 400 Club, a milestone for birding enthusiasts. According to Burton, this past fall and winter were off the charts for rare bird sightings, such as the purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) that visited the region.
“There’s an amazing number of rare birds around right now, and we’ve had 21 different species of warblers in Humboldt this winter, which is just unheard of. Just mind-boggling,” Burton said. “Humboldt Bay is just a really critical location for a wide variety of wildlife, sandpipers and geese, seals and fish and I could go on and on and on and on.”
The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge provides essential protection for wetlands, fisheries, mudflats, and the
Lanphere Dune system. This refuge is home to one of the most pristine remaining dune ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, making it a truly remarkable and irreplaceable natural wonder.
The Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge is a registered National Natural Landmark and its beauty draws visitors from all over to enjoy the recreation opportunities it provides. The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge appeals to recreation enthusiasts, birders and waterfowl hunters who are permitted to hunt in certain areas, all while providing vital habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
“You’re out on the bay and realize, I mean, it’s like this huge, vast open space and the wildlife is amazing, and we’re so lucky to live in a place with so much wildlife,” Kalt said. “You know, people come here from
A fishing vessel returns into the shelter of Humboldt Bay (left). Stacked crab baskets sit on the docks of Humboldt Bay in Eureka, CA (right)
Jennifer Kalt of Humboldt Waterkeeper. A pond at Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. A plate of oysters sourced from Humboldt Bay. Professor Jeff Black of Cal Poly Humboldt at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary (clockwise from top left)
all over the state and all over the country to bird watch because it’s such a famous bird-watching place and on the Pacific Flyway, so it’s pretty unique.”
Eelgrass
Humboldt Bay boasts the largest remaining eelgrass beds in the state,providing food and habitat for migrating birds and several species of wildlife that nest, spawn, shelter or feed on eelgrass beds. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a flowering ribbon-like seagrass that is rooted in the mud and floats towards the surface, growing upwards of three meters tall. It is considered a keystone species because of its importance and value to the coastal ecosystem as a whole. It is the diet of a migratory goose called the black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) that travels here on the Pacific Flyway. Eelgrass is also a critical habitat providing shelter and foraging areas for juvenile fish and invertebrates, like the Dungeness crab
(Metacarcinus magister).
“Humboldt Bay has something like three-quarters of the eelgrass remaining in the state of California, and that is in part because of the lack of industry in dredging compared to other parts of California,” Kalt said.
The eelgrass beds in South Humboldt Bay have been allowed to flourish under the protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge. This conservation effort has allowed the eelgrass to thrive, forming lush underwater grasslands that enhance the natural beauty of the bay while providing protection from tidal surges for a variety of marine life.
A study conducted by Aurora Ricart of the University of California published in the journal Global Change Biology, found that eelgrass ecosystems can alleviate low pH conditions for extended periods of time, reducing local acidity by up to 30 percent, providing a refuge for sea life from ocean acidification.
According to the study, eelgrass removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in its roots. Carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic, which harms marine animals, by making it more difficult to build their shells and skeletons.
The North Bay has faced greater challenges in protecting its eelgrass beds. The circular and rectangular scars of past harmful oyster farming practices are still visible on satellite imagery, serving as a stark reminder of the impact of human activities on the environment. Despite these challenges, there is a community of individuals, special interest and conservation groups such as The National Audubon Society and Humboldt Waterkeeper, that are working to protect the remaining eelgrass beds in Humboldt Bay.
Conservation groups and restoration projects have been essential in mitigating the damage to the bay while nurturing a more sustainable coexistence between human activities and the ecological health of Humboldt Bay.
Cal Poly Humboldt women's rowing team trains on Humboldt Bay
Threats to Humboldt Bay:
Sea Level Rise and Vessel Traffic
The effects of climate change are contributing to sea level rise and Humboldt Bay may see the highest impacts of sea level rise on the California coast. Recently, birding enthusiasts flocked to Humboldt Bay to see the rare purple gallinule while it was in our region, creating excitement and dismay at seeing a tropical bird along our bay.
As exciting it was for the local birding community it can also be seen as a warning or effect of climate change. The Humboldt Bay area is also experiencing the fastest rate of sea level rise on the West Coast and that’s because
the ground beneath the bay is sinking at the same rate that the sea level is rising. Making the relative rate of sea level rise much higher here.
“It’s about two to three times faster here than in the rest of California. There are lots of people working to propose what are called living shorelines,” Kalt said. “So basically building out the salt marshes in areas where they’ve been eroded so that the salt marshes will absorb that wave energy and prevent erosion, [on] the Highway 101 corridor and other vulnerable areas, this is also not cheap to do this, but it creates habitat and it’s also a longer-term way to address the erosion and flooding that will happen as sea level rises.”
Another concern is for the longevity of the health of the bay, for
wildlife, recreation as well as the oyster and fishing industry. There is the potential for diseases to be brought to our bay through an increase in vessel traffic from regions carrying the disease.
“All it would take is one vessel from San Diego to bring oyster disease here, you know, and once it’s here, you can’t get rid of it. Really, really critical that we make sure all the precautions are taken, whatever they are, I don’t really know what the precautions are exactly,” Kalt said. “But you know, just the lack of vessel traffic here has kept the bay relatively free of invasive marine species and diseases.”
A western gull flies above the Eureka marina lining Humboldt Bay (right)
A female and male mallard perch along a rock on Humboldt Bay (left)
Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
Nestled along the North end of Humboldt Bay sits the city of Arcata. Arcata has taken a revolutionary approach to dealing with the wastewater of its residents while improving the wetlands and ecology of Humboldt Bay, turning wastewater into a natural resource with the creation of the 307-acre Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary.
The sanctuary consists of freshwater marshes, salt marshes, grassy uplands, brackish marshes, tidal sloughs and mudflats while combining multiple uses for the community including wildlife habitat for viewing, recreation and education, with its Interpretation Center and the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
The marsh hosts a robust wildlife community including a host of waterfowl, songbirds and mammals such as minks, long-tailed weasels and river otters.
Sabrina Pingree, a resident of Arcata, is an avid visitor of the marsh along with her dog Spartan.
“I like that there’s wildlife around here. I can get to see other animals and he really likes to see the ducks,” Pingree said.
The landscape at the marsh is aesthetically different than before the restoration project began. Tidal wetlands were filled in and levees were created to make farm fields when settlers initially came to Humboldt Bay. The tidal flow had been restricted and impeded for over 100 years before the construction of the wetland basins and opening of the levee, allowing the tidal waters in.
It all began with a wastewater aquaculture project started by Humboldt State University Professor Dr. George Allen. He tested mixing wastewater with bay water on the health of Pacific salmon and cutthroat trout. In 1974, California introduced the Bays and Estuaries policy stating that wastewater could not be discharged into estuaries or closed
basins. The implementation of the policy led to the innovation of the wastewater treatment ponds and the construction of the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary.
“Fortunately, we had a number of collaborations with researchers in the local area, that really thought that maybe we can have a different model of being able to utilize natural wetlands for a natural component of our wastewater treatment plant system,” Emily Sinkhorn, the Environmental Services Director for the City of Arcata, said. “And so there were some kind of a series of pilot studies that really showed that we can have successful fish growth and success in having fish and utilize wastewater effluent mixed with water from the bay and that works that can kind of mimic a natural system.”
The city began planning for the integrative wastewater treatment plant the following year but did not get state approval to begin implementation until 1979. By 1981, the public access trails of the Arcata Marsh were completed and the project has grown from 75 acres to over 300 acres to present.
The internationally recognized City of Arcata wastewater treatment system at the Arcata Marsh is currently being upgraded. The critical infrastructure has been in use since the 1980s and is in need of replacement systems. The city is upgrading to ultraviolet light to disinfect the water instead of using the chemical chlorine for disinfection. The previous system circulated a portion of water twice through the system also causing unnecessary usage of electricity, the new system is a single pass flow of wastewater effluent, making the project more energy efficient and less polluting to the bay.
Michael McDowall, a resource specialist for the City of Arcata, was on the team that worked on constructing the Arcata Marsh and Wetlands project.
“I did a lot of these projects years ago. So I have a lot of fond memories of planting some of the trees that have now just become part of the landscape out here” McDowall said. “We see a totally diverse community out here. We see people that have traveled a long way just to go birding. We see a lot of people that maybe have read about the Arcata Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, out of town through different user groups and come here to visit as well as might be passing through
and didn’t realize what a gem they have right here in our backyard.”
The Return of Salmon
Restoration projects have allowed there to be improvements made towards restoring the historic watershed, allowing for sediment from the rivers and streams connected to the sanctuary to be released into the bay, reconnecting the headwaters. Coho Salmon in particular needs the low gradients, brackish slew channels that are all around the bay as they come out of the watershed to overwinter in. With the removal of the levee and opening of the tide gates, the salmon can have access to the McDaniel Slough.
“After we removed the tide gate, I think it was about three weeks, we started to see juvenile coho up the stream, so they were just kind of passing through these brackish areas,” McDowall said. “So it was an immediate benefit of connecting our projects and it was really neat to see how three projects on different sides of the bay could work harmoniously to enhance the ecology of the bay. So with the source there now and the fish can kind of smell this as being open.”
This project has allowed salmon to reintegrate back into some of their historical ranges now that they are no longer blocked by the tide gates. It serves as an example of the ecological benefits that the removal of infrastructure can bring.
“This is part of a whole scope of things that all eventually start working together to create a system. Our forest is connected to the urban creeks. The urban creeks are connected to the marsh out here,” McDowall said.
River Otters
Humboldt Bay has a population of river otters that reside along its waterways and marshes. Cal Poly Humboldt Wildlife Professor Jeff Black has been studying and researching otters around Humboldt Bay for over twenty-five years, receiving about 500 records a year from citizens reporting otter sightings. The River Otter Citizen Science Project collects data about river otter sightings along with scientific observation to monitor the health and habitats of the local otter population.
“River otters across the country were
exterminated or killed from poor water quality, but now river otters are coming back to rivers and wetlands,” Black said.“What we’re asking is not what’s the impact of the predator…but how is the predator helping? This is an animal that lives in the water and the land and is connecting the land with nutrients that come and go from the water and so then the plants can benefit because they’re being fertilized.”
Gina Culver is a Wildlife graduate student researcher in Black’s lab at Cal
Poly Humboldt. In her thesis project, North American River Otters lontra canadensis Seasonal Prey Selection of Waterbirds based on Availability and Vulnerability, Culver collected otter scat to identify the diet habits of otters, as well as watched birds, looked for signs of river otters and documented what kind of behaviors first showed in response to a river otter.
“My research was based on one year of being here at the marsh and we collected a ton of river otter scat with bird
feathers in it. I then took it back to my lab and washed it picked out the bird feathers and used some of the museum specimens that we have at the Cal Poly Humboldt Museum in the wildlife building, to compare those feathers and ID, which species they were eating and how many of them,” Culver said.
Culver is now in the analysis phase of her research and the data she is collecting is showing that
the river otters around the marsh are not only eating fish but have adapted to eating a fair amount of birds, as well.
“Now that everything’s processed, we’re finding that the top species that they take are bufflehead and ruddy duck,” Culver said. “The Arcata Marsh is really unique. There are not that many places where you can come and see river otters and see this many birds and so much wildlife in an area where people are regularly using it to recreate.”
Culver urges people to drive slowly at the Marsh, as there have been three otter mortalities at the marsh due to vehicles. If you want to see river otters for yourself, Culver suggests watching the water to see if they come out onto the banks. In the mudflats you may see slide marks where the otter slides its belly, pushing off with its hind feet in the mud. There are game trails that can be spotted on the
edge of the Klopp Lake. Watching birds and noticing bird behavior is a good indicator of when a river otter is present.
“Something I like to say is that the grass is always greener on the otter slide because the otters are coming in from the water and they’re bringing water up into the grassy areas,” Culver said. “They’re depositing a lot of scat and urine and so that’s kind of adding more nutrients to the vegetation.”
Recreational Bliss
The natural beauty, flora and fauna of the Humboldt County region have appealed as a source of interconnectedness and recreation to those who live here, as well as those who visit the unique landscape. Humboldt Bay is a source of recreation for kayakers, sailing, fishing, birding and even training grounds for
the national award-winning Cal Poly Humboldt rowing team. Trails weave along the bay’s shoreline, providing a scenic pathway for visitors to connect and immerse in the beauty of the bay.
The Humboldt Bay Trail system, nearing completion in 2025, will connect the cities of Eureka and Arcata providing a complete trail to the College of the Redwood Campus. This expansion will integrate the Bay Trail into the California Coastal Trail system. The California Coastal Trail, mandated by Proposition 20 in 1972, when completed the trail will span along the 1200-mile California coastline, from Oregon down to Mexico.
“One thing really special about the Humboldt area is the people who live here have so much appreciation for the natural world,” Kalt said. “People with science backgrounds and nature enthusiasts love living here because of all the natural amenities and you know the clean air. The bay is such an amazing place for paddling, surfing, swimming, fishing, birdwatching and all the things people love to do here and so that is what makes this place really special is the people who love the bay so much.”
A
Remnants of an old pier (clockwise from left)
A juvenile bald eagle sits perched above the brackish ponds at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary
pair of Canadian geese frolick along a log at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary lining Humboldt Bay
Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
W hat Song Have You Had On Repeat
This Spring '24 Semester?
Ben Hernandez Textures by Herbie Hancock
Lily Field Time by Pink Floyd
Marli Schott In my Bed by Amy Winehouse
Mezzy Epidendio Evergreen by Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners
Oscar Flores
Head Head Honcho by Kim Petras
Ro No Room by Madison Mcferrin
Cliff Berkowitz
Burial Ground by The Decemberists & James Mercer
Andromeda Thomas Hiss by Megan Thee Stallion
Jordan Pangelian American Wedding by Frank Ocean
REBELLION IN THE
THE REDWOODS
Three Generations of Forest Defense in Humboldt County
by Hank Wicklund
Several meters into the forest is the ambient sound of life—things you don’t pay attention to but your brain does—that tell it things are moving and breathing. In the hills above Trinidad, California sits a patch of bare hillside. The ground is strewn with a dense layer of broken branches and shreds of tree bark. Surrounded by redwood canopy for most of its circumference, the clearing offers no shelter from the midday heat. Step from the forest into this bald spot and that sound recedes into silence. This is the Tsurai tree village, a plot of private land occupied by a treetop activist camp constructed in the spring of 2020 and named after an old coastal village of the Yurok tribe in what is now called Trinidad. The name is used with permission of the Tsurai Ancestral Society.
The silence was the first thing Niko, a Tsurai tree-sitter, noticed. The village is located back in the forest by the edge of the clearcut, and walking through the forest towards the village it’s easy to not notice the bare slope poking through the trees ahead until you’ve almost reached it.
“When I walked in and I didn't notice this was all cut, that was the first thing I could tell, I was like ‘Oh it’s really weirdly quiet, that’s strange,’ and when I got closer, I realized that was it,” Niko said.
Niko, who did not disclose their last name, is a tree-sitter and forest defender. Tree sitting is the practice of occupying treetops, often illegally, to impede logging. In coming here to defend this patch of forest, Niko has carried out an old North Coast tradition of civil disobedience and off-grid living that spans generations.
For Niko, this forest is a second home, one that has recently been under siege. Consisting of mostly second-growth and late seral redwood trees, this forest is also called home by the northern spotted owl, a vulnerable species listed as threatened on the California and federal endangered species lists. There are also California giant salamanders and Sonoma tree voles in the area, which are listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to a report filed on Dec. 15, 2023, two osprey nests were located adjacent to the cleared area as well.
As part of the California and federal Endangered Species Acts (ESA),
companies can log in areas containing or affecting endangered species by obtaining an incidental take permit. These permits, which must be manually evaluated and approved, allow the “take” of a listed species if it is within a certain extent and the mitigation measures proposed are deemed sufficient. Take is defined under the ESA as the harm, harassment or killing of any number of the species
Green Diamond Resource Company owns this land, and while their timber harvest plan for the area has expired with the turn of the new year and operations have now ceased, the cut stands as a testament to the brutality of clear-cutting
practices. “Even-aged management” is Green Diamond’s preferred term for the practice today. By whatever name, it’s regarded as destructive to native ecology and soil stability by advocates for sustainable logging and ecological restoration such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and Humboldt-based Environmental Protection Information Center.
“They use something called a feller buncher which is a giant machine of destruction, if you see pictures or see it in person it’s this terrifying thing,” Niko said. “They basically bring that down and it’s able to cut acres in like an hour, it’s crazy fast.”
Feller bunchers are motorized harvesters used to rapidly grasp and cut trees and can log with a speed that makes them well-suited to clearcutting. The cut trees are then pulled by cables up the hill to the logging road at the top where they’re loaded onto trucks and sent out for processing. It’s this practice that Niko has occupied the trees to defend against.
The dense forests of Humboldt County and the surrounding counties have been prime real estate for logging companies from the mid-19th century onward, with the logging boom sending steady transfusions of timber and new laborers along the asphalt veins of California.
While the present-day local industry is a far cry from what it looked like at the peak of the boom, logging companies remain a fixture of Humboldt County today, woven into the history of resource extraction in the Pacific Northwest. When logging companies like Green Diamond act in ways they consider unjust or unsustainable, tree sitters like Niko take it upon themselves to intervene.
is ill-advised because of the possibility of being caught by logging workers. Then, come dusk, a tree-sitter descends, makes a fire and sets about working on building projects and experiments. These experiments included one unusual-looking tree sit made with wood and what looked like glass or fiberglass windows from the ground—an attempt at winterizing a tree shelter—one that Niko said was not entirely successful and somewhat unsafe to use for the time being.
Due to the illegality of tree sitting on private land, tree sitters are targeted by both law enforcement and logging workers. Niko’s comrade who goes by Bamf is an older and more experienced
five years with no prolonged breaks. Recently people have been staying between two weeks and two months before going back home.
The population of Tsurai varies greatly throughout the year, but all group decisions are made by an agreement of all the residents.
“Everything we do is an autonomous and consensus-based organizing method, so that means everybody has an equal say and we all have to come together to make something happen,” Niko said. “So if one person has an issue with something then we have to go through a whole process to try and resolve that concern before we actually do anything.”
Your body’s on the line, your beliefs are on the line, and so you’re in a losing battle but you’re gonna see this through and no matter what the stake is, at that point, you’ve committed
Engaged in this work for two-and-ahalf years, Niko got their start protesting PG&E’s Enhanced Vegetation Management program in Humboldt Redwood State Park, in which tree sitters obstructed the mass clearing of redwood to make way for a power line, a practice that creates woody debris known to be easily flammable and a wildfire hazard. While there, Niko heard that tree-sitters had constructed a village of platforms and rope traverses on logging land near Trinidad’s Strawberry Rock and soon moved out to Tsurai. This began a six-month, unbroken residency in the trees. Niko has been returning periodically ever since. The location is convenient, only two miles from Trinidad, so supply runs are easy and if a person is committed they can sustain themselves more or less indefinitely. Most time during a typical day is spent in the trees, as being on the ground
activist and forest defender, who has been involved in forest action for 17 years and knows a thing or two about the risks involved. At ten years old, she read The Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill, a tree-sitter who became famous for spending two years in a tree from 1997 to 1999. Bamf met Hill herself a year later, eventually moving out to Humboldt as soon as she turned 18 to get involved in environmental action. Bamf said she eventually felt that Hill’s activism was too individualist, too focused on herself rather than her community. In spite of this disillusionment, the inspiration she felt as a child persevered.
“Your body’s on the line, your beliefs are on the line, and so you’re in a losing battle but you’re gonna see this through and no matter what the stake is, at that point, you’ve committed,” Bamf said.
The Tsurai village isn’t the first tree sit in the area. According to Niko, the region has had tree sitters occupying different parts of it for over a decade. A previous group of sitters even occupied an area by the Strawberry Rock trail for
The tree sits always have at least seven gallons of water per sit, and they try to keep three buckets of food stocked in case of a siege, when it may be difficult to leave for food without getting harassed or apprehended by police, loggers or security.
“In the winter or when there’s no logging operations, it’s really really chill and really easy,” Niko said. “You basically just wake up and do what you normally do but you’re in a 4’x8’ platform.”
On a logging day, however, a tree-sitter wakes up around five in the morning to beat the loggers to the site and spends the rest of the day trying to stop machinery, dodging cops and security. Large pieces of wood and stones can be placed in the logging road to stop vehicles from entering, and climbing traverses are tied between the tree platforms across the path of the tall machinery.
“When it’s logging it’s the worst feeling in the world. Going out and defending it is just, like, anxiety constantly,” Niko said.
According to the two tree-sitters, Green Diamond workers have been relatively reasonable in their treatment of them and their comrades. At so many feet up, however, and with logging opera-
tions coming very close to the tree-sitters at times, one can imagine how the scenario could quickly become dangerous.
Past the clearcut, at the top of the hill, the plant life looks strikingly different. Things are growing back but the color is a gray-green as opposed to the dark green and brown of the forest. Where the redwoods had stood, now are short trees and shrubs squatting near the ground and peppered everywhere with the pale tufts of invasive pampas grass. With the plants of the old understory now gone, the grass will continue to multiply with few native competitors to keep it in check.
“When forests have been logged, they need to be maintained by continued logging so the trees grow back healthily,” Ellen Fred, an environmental lawyer, former tree sitter and co-founder of the Humboldt Watershed Council, said. “If we just left them alone now that they’ve been clear cut they’re gonna grow up, they’re gonna be too thick, they’re gonna be fire dangers. The trees that tend to be stronger when it’s a clear cut will take over as opposed to the ones that need a little more time.”
Fred represents an era of Gen-X activists, those who made up much of the radical environmentalist movement in the ‘90s. Fred’s first experience with forest defense came at age 16 when an art museum was planned to be built on top of the forest next to her high school, a forest she regarded with love and admiration. There was little to no direct action against this, she recalled, and the art museum was built anyway. After college and some time working for nonprofits, Fred moved to Minneapolis and joined people engaged in civil disobedience against the unsafe storage of nuclear waste on the Prairie Island Mdewakanton reservation.
In 1995, Fred and a friend took a road trip out West to explore and ended up in Humboldt in time for an activist conference and arts festival hosted by Earth First!, an environmental activist and direct action movement that originated in the Southwest in the early 1980s before spreading up the West Coast. On Sept. 15 of that year, she joined the Earth First! volunteers occupying what is now designated as the Headwaters Forest Reserve.
Fred tells a memorable story from that day when she and a few other volun-
teers locked themselves to a dilapidated car in the middle of the logging road. When police managed to move a vehicle around the car, she changed her strategy.
“I ran from my post through the woods and popped out of the woods and slid under the police car and locked myself to its axle. They didn’t really take kindly to that,” Fred said.
Over the next two years, she would be arrested seven times as she put herself between the machinery and the trees.
Fred also spent some time in tree sits, although she didn’t take to it the way some of her comrades did and would sleep in her climbing gear to be sure she wouldn’t fall off.
While Earth First! focused on nonviolent forest defense, the practice of tree spiking, which inflicted at least one millworker with a grievous jaw injury when an iron spike placed in a tree trunk caused a saw blade to shatter, was a cause of some controversy throughout the 1980s. In 1990, the movement publicly denounced the use of tree spiking as a logging deterrent in the lead-up to the Redwood Summer movement. This was a three-month nonviolent defense campaign for old-growth forests led by prominent Earth First! organizer Judi Bari in Northern California and the
campaign was elevated to international news after an attempted bombing of Bari in March of that year.
Fred stressed that nonviolence was always a principle of her work with the Earth First! movement and that extensive nonviolence training was required to participate; people who suggested violent action were shunned.
“I don’t think that type of activism is helpful, and in fact, I think it sets the movement back,” Fred said.
After two years, Fred moved on from direct action work, focusing on work that better matched her skills. In the 2000s she formed the Humboldt Watershed Council to advocate against the effects of unsustainable logging on the health of the watersheds and the lives of residents who live adjacent to these areas. Flooding due to the lack of trees to absorb the water had become a serious problem in some places in the watershed and was affecting the lives of its inhabitants. The Council would get legal assistance in litigating logging companies under public nuisance and trespass laws.
Fred received a degree in conservation law where she has focused her legal career ever since. According to Fred, this area of law focuses on voluntary transactions where the landowner agrees
to protect their land in perpetuity rather than being ordered to. Companies are incentivized to agree by using payments or tax deductions rather than penalties.
Fred doesn’t describe herself as anti-logging, and most of the agreements she’s worked on in the North Coast allow commercial logging with provisions that aim to make it more sustainable and less disruptive to the environment and neighboring communities.
While Fred found a career in law and policy to be more effective for her skillset than direct action, one seasoned activist still hasn’t changed his commitment to those ways.
At 91 years old, Jack Nounnan has been an elder and adviser to many bands of forest defenders. Whereas many activists for environmental justice moved into careers in environmental policy as they got older, Nounnan’s journey has revolved around direct action and he shows no signs of burning out soon, remaining impatient with policy as an effective means for change.
“We’ve got to get past discussion,” Nounnan said. “The latest thing that I can see that they’re using to keep pushing us off and marginalizing us is the fact of
discussion. They love us to discuss, as long as we keep fuckin’ discussing and we’re not doing anything… I don’t read everything, I don’t have time, there’s things to do, to save life.”
Nounnan emphasized that forest defense has long been a multi-generational affair, with older activists helping younger ones by advising them and helping keep them supplied in their activities.
Although he hasn’t been climbing up trees, having arrived in Humboldt in his early 60s, Nounnan already had 30 years of experience under his belt, having gotten started in anti-war movements in 1963. In the intervening years, he operated a homeless shelter in Southern California and was involved in environmental activism in the Southwest, including protests at the Nevada Test Site from 1986 to 1994 that called for an end to nuclear weapons testing at the site and elsewhere. Testing at the site ceased in 1992 but protests by the anti-nuclear movement continued for another two years.
“When our homeless center was taken down in Pomona, California, I got on my motorcycle and came up here,” Nounnan said.
Nounnan arrived with the goal of joining Earth First! and did so during the same period of forest actions in Headwaters that Fred took part in. Fred said the two may well have crossed paths as there was a wide age range in the movement, although she didn’t remember him by name.
The Save Headwaters Forest movement comprised over a decade of struggling to protect old growth and vulnerable species from Pacific Lumber’s aggressive clearcutting practices, which were ushered in after the hostile takeover of the company by Charles Hurwitz’s Maxxam Inc.
“They had done a decent job, let’s say, of discriminate cutting down, not doing too much, and then Charles Hurwitz bought it out without them knowing, got major control of the company,” Nounnan said.
In Headwaters Forest, 60 percent of the old-growth forest was lost to clearcutting by Maxxam, ending with a 1999 agreement that ceded the reserve to public ownership with guidelines for habitat protection in exchange for granting Maxxam an increased portion of timber in the surrounding area. Maxxam would soon bankrupt Pacific Lumber and the husk of the company that remained was absorbed by Mendocino & Humboldt Redwood Company, often shortened to Humboldt Redwood.
In 2019, Humboldt Redwood was involved in a prolonged standoff with tree-sitters and on-the-ground protestors at Rainbow Ridge, a stand of mature Douglas fir near Petrolia. In July of that year, Nounnan locked himself to the gate outside Humboldt Redwood’s sawmill in Scotia, blocking logging trucks from carrying timber to the mill.
In long standoffs like this, Nounnan was present for some empathetic
moments between forest defenders and apologetic loggers.
“Sometimes they came to our forest gatherings around the fire and would talk to us about what they really wanted to do with their life in Humboldt, how sorry they were that they were in this work but they had to,” Nounnan said.
While the loggers themselves may have been understanding, Bamf and Niko remember security at Rainbow Ridge being especially brutal in their treatment of forest defenders.
Stalking, “starve-out” tactics (surrounding tree sits with security to seize anyone who tries to leave for food), loudspeakers used to deprive tree sitters of sleep, and hunting dogs were among the methods Bamf claimed the security team used against tree sitters.
“Some of them are genuine psychopaths,” Bamf said.
Bamf described the security’s treatment of tree-sitters as a hunt through the woods, with the tree-sitters as the quarry. She said a friend of hers was chased by both security men and hunting dogs for three days through the woods and that the security seemed to find a kind of sport in the chase.
“It does seem to be a joyful experience for them,” Niko said.
“They were family dogs that they brought out to the woods to let them out. They’re not trained dogs, just pets,” John Andersen, Director of Forest Policy for Mendocino & Humboldt Redwood Company, said when asked about the use of dogs by security at Rainbow Ridge.
According to Andersen, Humboldt Redwood Company had hired security contractor Lear Asset Management during this time, who have been profiled in Time magazine and are known for clearing out trespass cannabis grows for large private landowners. According to Time, many are ex-military, and while they aren’t particularly many in number, they cultivate a formidable aesthetic of assault rifles, camouflage and black helicopters.
“Even if they are ex-military, we hire them with strict instructions on what to do and what not to do,” Andersen said.
Despite increased police brutality and the violent precedent set by the recent treatment of forest defenders in Atlanta’s ongoing Stop Cop City movement, Jack
Nounnan still remains confident that people shouldn’t be dissuaded from the effectiveness of direct action as long as it is non-violent and level-headed.
“It’s not like it’s easy work, I can’t promise anybody’s not gonna get slugged or lose their life. It’s like putting your life on the line every day if you do the right kind of work,” Nounnan said. “It’s tough right now, but just see it through.”
Across generations, people who have lived in Humboldt tend to feel a strong connection to our native ecosystem, and for some, this becomes a conviction by which they chart the course of their lives. Whether it’s through policy work, continuing to put life and limb on the line directly, or supporting and advising their
younger compatriots, these people have taken the call to defend our forests with them throughout their lives and into the lives of others. In a place so rich with life, it’s no wonder that in some this call can spark an almost religious fire.
“When I was in those forests and I saw the [logging of] ancient redwoods for the first time, I swear it was like watching a church burning,” Fred said. “So it was like if someone was burning down my church, or someone else’s church even, and I went to defend their church.”
In Trinidad on the ridge of that hill on a February morning, at the raw edge of the wound, between the clearing and the scar tissue of shrubland, a naked rectangle of dead gray wood stood straight
and tall, untouched by the feller-bunchers. At this transition point, it seemed like a monolith marking one spot where the romantic notion of the redwood forest fell away, not a primordial realm outside of human disputes any longer. No more escapism and smiling hikers, no longer separate from choices made back home.
Niko stood wrapped in their light brown scarf, looking out into the great juxtaposition.
“There was a lot of life in the canopy, there were these little squirrels that loved to come harass us, the flying squirrels, there were probably like a dozen that would go up there…” they said. “It was just so full of life.”
Heart Eyes is About to Make You Cry
by Noelle Doblado
Blaring lights, chaotic energy and sound radiating off the walls.
Can you hear it? Can you feel it? Heart Eyes is about to make you cry.
The local music scene braces itself for the impact of Heart Eyes, a feminist queercore punk band breaking down barriers, expectations and hearts around Humboldt County. In search of people who shared similar desires to make music for the people, Kianna Znika, Lexi Takaki and Milo Lorence-Ganong were hidden in plain sight and had no idea they were on the same quest before they met.
The Trio's Journey
They each went out individually inThey each went out individually into the community, hoping to find someone else who wanted to be something different than what was typically showcased in the local music scene. Connecting with one another wasn’t just the “right place, right time,” but a vital chance to fill in the gap of diversity. Kianna Znika played her first show with the desire to share her creativity, little did she know her future bassist was in the crowd mesmerized by her stage presence.
“I went to an open mic and I was outside hanging out and I heard someone playing a song I didn’t recognize, which was pretty rare in this small town, and I ran inside and it was Kianna playing,” Lexi Takaki said. “I got really excited and I thought wow this person is so cool and this genre is so amazing, we don't have enough of this. So I psyched myself up to introduce myself.”
While sharing dinner over Green Day and Jimi Hendrix records, Znika and
Takaki fantasized about the realities of being in a band, waiting for that missing piece to fall into place. Around the corner, Milo Lorence-Ganong was looking for them as well.
“I really tried to put myself out there in as many ways as I could and I ended up connecting with a bunch of musicians who were men and they were great, but
they didn't share the same vision I had of having a feminist punk band,” Lorence-Ganong said.
Individually seeking out potential bandmates was exhausting. Despite this, the trio persevered, pushing their limits and conquering rejection.
“Sometimes it sucked and it was really hard and it felt like it wasn't going
to work but you have to pick yourself up and say, ‘Okay I’m gonna go to the next thing,’” Lorence-Ganong said.
Introduced by a mutual friend, Takaki and Lorence-Ganong spent the first night they met at a local show getting to know each other. Bound by a drive to expand the local music scene and live out their passion, the trio moved quickly into their musical journey.
“All the motivation from me wanting to get the three of us in a room as quick as possible came from me being so mad that every time I saw a local band it was men in bad outfits,” Takaki said. “We rode that motivation because there was a need. There was a hole to be filled.”
Mixing passion and hope, the trio knew their purpose long before they met. It wasn’t till they found each other that they could truly live it.
“That was our thing for Heart Eyes, to inspire other performers and other people to go attend live music,” Znika said. “That's why diversity is so important. I want to see something different.”
Breaking the Mold
The band’s name was inspired by a lyric from “Nice Guys” by Beach Bunny stating, “I want someone who actually wears hearts inside their eyes, and isn't only interested in what's between my thighs, you win me like a trophy, not a consolation prize.”
“I love how it plays on how you can be whatever you want. Empowering yourself and the people around you can look however you want it to look and that's valid,” Takaki said.
Heart Eyes isn't just a feeling of empowerment, it's a community and a representation of the people in Humboldt. Emphasizing the punk influence, the trio’s essence stems from the idea of punk being a sense of community and a lifestyle.
“The second I think Heart Eyes I think gay. We are all gay, a lot of our songs are gay. Gay is punk and we know how to show up and perform. I want to inspire people to really be themselves and have fun and stop listening to others' expectations of what punk should be,”
Znika said. “Punk is all about community, acceptance and authenticity. I want to have fun and talk about stuff that actually matters and be around people that I care about.”
Where It All Began
At five years old Znika envisioned herAt five years old Znika envisioned herself on stage. She clung on to the idea of being a musician until that dream slipped away in her adolescence after her musical experience in middle and high school band left her unfulfilled. That spark was revived in 2020 as she impulsively bought an acoustic guitar when she was ready to be a musician.
“I used to love sitting on the floor of my room a lot in front of my mirror and right after I wrote my first song I looked in the mirror and it was like this ‘oh shit moment’ where I thought, ‘Do I actually get to be a musician in this lifetime?’ ” Znika said. “After that I just went all in and made music my life. That's why I pushed myself to go to the open mics here because I wanted to continue doing it and pushing myself.”
Stepping into their mother’s shoes, Lorence-Ganong used music as a creative outlet, testing different instruments from piano to saxophone until they found that drums were their true style. In high school their mother passed down her drum kit from when she was in a punk band, creating a generational bond. Making music became an exercise of joy for Lorence-Ganong.
“When I was a kid I did really enjoy a lot of women musicians but the main kind of musician that I was fed was straight white men playing the guitar,” Lorence-Ganong said.“Hearing other perspectives really inspired me and I was
able to connect to the songs a lot more. Seeing someone who is like you on stage is a really powerful feeling.”
At 15, her first mosh pit experience proved that she wanted her life to be fearless and unapologetic. When she was 20 she picked up her friend’s bass and in an adrenaline rush, bought it from them at that moment. Since then, Takaki has dedicated hours of practice to learning chords and pushing herself beyond what she knew.
“I want our influence to be that people are not afraid to go to a show or be in a room with other people where they are dancing, and go up to the person they want to be friends with or think is cute, and not be afraid to pick up an instrument, and not be afraid to stick up for themselves in their everyday life,” Takaki said.
The First Adrenaline Rush
Moments before their first performance, the trio was overwhelmed with anxiety and excitement or, as they described it, “screaming, crying, and throw-
Lexi Takaki (above), Milo Lorence-Ganong (left) and Kianna Znika (next page) performing with Heart Eyes.
ing up.” Eager to jump into the music scene, December of 2022 marked Heart Eyes’ first live performance at Blondies after having their first practice the month prior. The loud cacophony of the room and maxed-out capacity were unexpected and exceeded the trio’s expectations for their debut.
“The audience was way more supportive than we thought, especially for our first show, it was amazing how the audience responded,” Lorence-Ganong said. “Local music is just so fun and to see people like you or people who will inspire you to pick up your own instrument, it's just a really great way for people to express themselves.”
Their first interaction with a crowd became a core memory for the band. Similarly, the audience found the same attachment to that moment. Johanna Nagan, owner and founder of local establishment Blondie’s for 15 years, has hosted local bands since their opening. For Nagan, witnessing Heart Eyes was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that she
never forgot about.
“They are amazing, very intentional humans, we are just so happy they are in the world,” Nagan said. “It's what life is supposed to be about. It's just these beautiful moments and Heart Eyes was definitely one of those moments.”
Nagan began incorporating live shows into Blondie’s for the purpose of uplifting local voices and being an outlet for creative minds. Heart Eyes felt lucky to begin their journey with a place that nurtured their growth as individuals, artists, and members of the community.
“These young people, not only are they supporting each other in this way, they just melted my heart,” Nagan said. “It's really important for young people to have activities and be able to have outlets and go dance, hear music, make music, and as a whole the more opportunities that we give young people to do that the healthier the community.”
As Heart Eyes grew as a band, the profound connection with other local musicians became a valuable part of their development as they found support in one another. Peter Ramos, a member of the local band, Something Wicked, recognizes the unmatched energy of the band’s vulnerability that resonates with listeners.
“We know that we are always there for each other outside the music scene,” Ramos said. “They are very welcoming to thoughts and feelings you usually wouldn’t express, they give you that chance to have the thoughts in the back of your head finally reach the front of your head.”
For Heart Eyes, the driving force behind their liberating stage presence derives from wanting to be what the media is missing and releasing the burden of
trying to make performing look effortless.
“I think something we try to emphasize on stage is we don't care about trying to make it look easy. That is a huge problem in the music industry for me is that everyone tries to make it look easy and effortless and it's so not like that and I don't want it to look like that,” Takaki said. “I want to know how much my favorite artists are putting everything they have into their music and how it's breaking their heart, that's what I want to hear.”
More than Music
Defying opinions and altering expectations by staying true to their voice is what made Heart Eyes become a beloved band in the local community. By constantly focusing on the passion behind their music, the band found a voice that became their power.
“Each of us are talented as hell, we are super skilled, we're confident, we're passionate and we were never taken seriously in music before,” Znika said. “Stay true to your own voice and your own style and don't try to fit a mold. There really is an audience for everyone.”
The deep rooted friendship between the trio created a space for vulnerability to not only exist but to flourish. Vocalizing the passion behind their music, the band shares with others the need for authenticity.
“The songs we write are really vulnerable and it's because we are very attentive to each other during practice and we do a lot of care so that we can actually write songs about how we feel,” Takaki said. “It's really individual and collaborative and then we send it to the whole world because anyone can walk into the door during a show which is really a crazy concept to think about.”
Heart Eyes is bigger than just music, it's a reminder of the lasting impact of human connection and the role we all play in each other's lives.
“That is the biggest impact that we as a band could have is that someone has a good time on a Saturday night and when they wake up on Monday morning they feel just a bit better about themselves,” Takaki said. “That's enough.”
MOUNT EERIE LIVE AT RICHARD’S GOAT
BY HANK WICKLUND
The music of Phil Elverum is hard to classify. He’s often described as an indie folk singer-songwriter, but he’s less Elliott Smith and more a gentle-voiced mad scientist controlling a flock of astonishing sounds. Never confining himself to only acoustic material, his soothing talk-singing rises up from a bed of fuzz-drenched bass and electric guitar, organ and synth drones, crashing cymbals and more. Hailing from Anacortes, Washington; Elverum, who has recorded under the names Mount Eerie and The Microphones, clearly pays a lot of attention to atmosphere. Because of his use of ambient sound, space and heaviness in his compositions, I associate his music strongly with the Pacific Northwest, which is why I was so thrilled to hear that Elverum would be performing at
Richard’s Goat in Arcata on March 5. The Goat has a very small and intimate stage; perfect, I thought, for an artist whose music is as intimate as his.
I was a little nervous, at first. Would he be playing with a band or solo?
Acoustic or electric? Would his songs feel as impactful without a full band?
As it turned out, I really shouldn’t have worried; with a single additional guitarist on stage, Elverum’s attention to atmosphere and weight came through remarkably well and showed that even with a minimalist style, these are at their core really, really, really good songs.
The show began with an opening set by Skullcrusher, an atmospheric folk project by Helen Balentine, a singer-songwriter from Greenburgh, New York. While her recordings rely on acoustic guitar primarily, this performance featured her and collaborator Noah Weinman on electric guitar, sharing amplifiers with Mount Eerie. The result was a ghostly and ethereal set of songs, with ambience blooming out from under twinkling dual guitar arrangements. Balentine’s voice coasted above it all, soft and airy but with a restrained power that came through on some of the songs’ emotional peaks, like a fire flaring or a rogue wave surging up suddenly.
After Skullcrusher finished up, Mount Eerie, consisting of Elverum and his touring guitarist, took the stage. With their small combo amps cranked up, there was a bite and rawness to the sound that would die down when they plucked the strings softly and then come in again with stronger strumming, a ragged edge that sets Mount Eerie apart from a Pacific Northwest cafe act. Very early into the set, I
gained a real appreciation for Elverum’s guitar playing. In order to approximate some of the sounds of his recordings, he taps on his guitar to make knocking sounds, hits the body of it with his fist to make the strings resonate ambiently and strums strings behind the bridge to make chimes. These are things that I know from experience come from lots of time spent tinkering with the instrument, trying everything you can think of to get new sounds out of it.
You could say that about all of Elverum’s studio recordings too. His first project, The Microphones, was born out of lots of free time alone with recording equipment and instruments, just trying things out in a backroom studio at a record store. This informal and personal way of making music is what made this performance so powerful. There were times when Elverum and his guitarist would go slightly out of sync, chords strummed slightly sloppy on occasion, but these didn’t feel like mistakes, more like a passion project Elverum was making for himself and we just happened to be in on it.
What made the performance feel even more special was the fact that most of Mount Eerie’s set consisted of unreleased material, songs that Elverum has been taking out on tour over the past year. Songs like the distorted, droning and almost psychedelic Wind and Fog and the striking narrative poetry on Huge Fire can’t be found anywhere else than at a live concert or scattered, mostly low-quality recordings on YouTube. If this tour is building up to an album release then color me very intrigued, as Elverum is always different but always the same; I’m intrigued by whatever he comes up with next. I found this concert downright inspirational, and I hope this won’t be the last time Mount Eerie plays in Humboldt County. Elverum’s music just fits here.
TOXIC WATER
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN COMMON WITH A POLAR BEAR?
PFAS chemicals have been found in the bodies of polar bears as well as humans. In fact, they have crept their way into the bodies of people and animals across the globe. Once it is there, it lingers for decades, poisoning lifeforms, as well as any further down the food chain. In production since the 1940’s, it has been used in commercial and industrial products like firefighting foam and non-stick cookware.
WHAT ARE PFAS?
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a large synthetic group of chemicals used in industrial products and consumer products, such as cosmetics and personal care items.
ARE PFAS HARMFUL?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, report that 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood. The Food and Drug Administration suggests that people are exposed to PFAS by consuming contaminated food, water, through consumer and industrial products, or breathing air that contains PFAS.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT PFAS?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a study analyzing tap water for 32 types of PFAS. After collecting and testing tap water collected across the nation, it is estimated that over 45% of US tap water contains PFAS. Since the persistent chemicals do not readily break down, they build up in our bodies, as well as the environment. You can ask your local water provider to see if PFAS are in your water, as well as urge state legislators and manufacturers to limit the usage of the toxic PFAS in the environment.
HOW DO I AVOID PFAS?
Contamination may be present in food such as dairy, fish and meat from livestock exposed to PFAS. Plastic coated food packaging may also be a source of contamination. Most water treatment centers do not treat for the removal of PFAS from tap water. Reverse osmosis, distillation and activated carbon filters are better at removing PFAS from water. Household and personal care products may contain PFAS. Typically used on non-stick, stain and water resistant items. Avoid products containing PTFE and “fluoro” on labels.
The results of multiple studies have shown that there is a link between PFAS and the following health effects.
CANCER
KIDNEY DISEASE
LIVER DISEASE
FERTILITY ISSUES
DEVEOPMENTAL EFFECTS
DECREASED IMMUNITY
HORMONE DISRUPTION
DEPRESSION
Humboldt County’s First Aquaculture Symposium
by Amber Rae Dennis
On the first clear and sunny morning in what seemed like weeks, attendees from near and far flocked to the Sapphire room at the Blue Lake Rancheria on Feb. 8th, 2024 where the first-ever Humboldt Aquaculture Symposium was held. This event brought together over 130 attendees.
The audience and presenters consisted of an eclectic group of representatives from aquaculture and offshore wind industries, state, federal and local government partners, tribal communities, and academics. Sponsored by Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods, Lost Coast Ventures, Blue Lake Rancheria, and the Trinidad Rancheria, this landmark symposium was the first of its kind in Humboldt County.
With an objective to share and showcase aquaculture and mariculture success stories, the Humboldt County
Aquaculture Symposium aimed to cultivate the exchange of knowledge while maintaining respect for tribal, cultural and historical practices. Bringing industry experts from across the United States, the aquaculture symposium consisted of various panels and presentations that facilitated industry and community collaboration. Multiple community partners coordinated to organize this event.
Dr. Jason Ramos, Tribal Administrator and Council Member for the Blue Lake Rancheria was one of numerous members of the planning team. Ramos is known for being the driving force behind a multitude of community projects that benefit the Tribe and surrounding community. Another Planning Team member and panel moderator, Dr. Rick Zechman is the Associate Dean of Marine Operations at Cal Poly Humboldt. Zechman oversees the Telonicher Marine Lab
and the university’s research vessel, the Coral Sea.
Starting at 9:00 a.m. the symposium kicked off with an official welcome and opening remarks. Throughout the day, the idiosyncrasies of Humboldt's waterways were discussed by key constituents including tribal leaders, college and university representatives, regulators, and community partners alike. Many attendees voiced concerns they have about the proposed offshore wind project and how it could affect local farms such as Hog Island Oysters and Sunken Seaweed, who have created a reciprocal relationship with Humboldt Bay where they co-cultivate oysters and seaweed in the town of Samoa.
Aquaculture and Mariculture
Aquaculture, or aquafarming, is the production of aquatic organisms that are grown under controlled conditions
for all or part of their life cycle. Bred, reared and harvested in either freshwater, brackish, or salt water, the cultivation of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, algae, seaweeds and other organisms are reflected in today’s international aquaculture industry.
Mariculture, sometimes referred to as marine farming or marine aquaculture, is a subset of the aquaculture industry, and consists of the cultivation, management and harvesting of organisms in their natural environment or in enclosures such as pens or tanks. For the most part, mariculture consists of growing plants, animals and algae in saltwater.
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Model in Humboldt Bay
Keynote speaker and industry trailblazer, Dr. Thierry Chopin, set the enthusiastic tone that permeated the day by discussing possibilities for
his popular Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) model, which he invented in 2003, to be further implemented in Humboldt Bay.
In his presentation, he discussed the differences between monoculture and polyculture aquaculture farming and the challenges that come with both. Monoculture farming is a method in which only one crop or organism is grown at a time, in contrast to polyculture, where multiple organisms are grown in tandem allowing for symbiotic relationships to flourish. Stressing that "IMTA is a concept, not a formula", Chopin focused on the ways in which he thought Humboldt Bay provided a unique environment perfectly equipped for aquaculture to thrive.
IMTA farming is a flexible concept that can be applied worldwide to landbased systems as well as open water farms, in both freshwater and marine environments. Commonly misunder-
Aquaculture presenters and attendees (left) Cal Poly Humboldt Professor Rafael Cuevas Uribe (right)
Nathan Churches, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Holdfast Aquaculture
stood by the general public, IMTA systems do not have to include fin fish farming and often consist of shellfish, seaweed and invertebrates alone. This polyculture method of farming consists of diverse applications, some of which Chopin shared images of in his presentation. His first example being Sanggou Bay in China where the co-cultivation of seaweeds and invertebrates flourish. Another highlighted farms in South Africa where sea urchins, abalone, and sea lettuce are grown, and in Brazil where shrimp, oysters, seahorses, and seaweeds are grown using the IMTA model. When asked by an audience member why seahorses were grown on the Brazilian farm, Chopin responded by explaining how organisms such as these are grown to supply the international aquarium trade.
The Aquarium Trade
The aquarium trade is not often highlighted in aquaculture discussions, but it does make up a significant portion of aquaculture industry sales. In an effort to curb aquarium fishery, the process of harvesting wild fish for
sale to aquariums, many aquaculture farmers have found it lucrative to grow organisms such as fish, crustaceans, corals and echinoderms for sale as exotic pets, to aquariums, or sold as delicacies in foreign countries. In recent years, millennials have been the driving force behind the industry’s exponential expansion, and a major factor for the forecasted 7.8% yearly growth.
According to Straits Research consumer reports, “the global ornamental fish market was valued at USD 5,862.1 million in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 11,524.5 million by 2031”. Ornamental fish are organisms that are utilized for decoration in aquariums or ponds and are not consumed for sustenance, primarily found in residential and commercial sectors such as hotels and restaurants. Tetras, betta, and goldfish are some of the more commonly farmed ornamental fish for the aquarium trade.
The Turquoise Economy
Promoting his theory dubbed the "Turquoise Economy,” in which seaweed cultivation provides environmental benefits such as bioremediation and economic benefits in the form of
industry sales, Chopin explained that until recently, seaweed and similar extractive species have only been valued in the industry mainly for their biomass and trade value as a food source. In his most recently published article, Chopin has, “identified 37 ecosystem, bioeconomic and societal services provided by seaweeds,” including carbon sequestration.
“However, to calculate IMTA’s full value, they also need to be valued for the ecosystem services they provide, along with the increase in consumer trust and the societal/political license to operate that they give to the aquaculture industry within a circular economy approach”, Chopin said.
Status and Vision of Aquaculture in California and Humboldt County
Bouncing between moderated discussions and individual speaker presentations, the remainder of the symposium touched on numerous facets of the aquaculture industry including past, present and future hurdles faced in California and globally. The presentations consisted of an array of topics such as: the Ancestral Culture and History of Humboldt County Rivers, Bay, and Ocean; the History of Aquaculture in Humboldt County; and the future of Offshore Wind Energy and Aquaculture in the region.
Marnie Atkins, member of the Wiyot Tribe and Tribal Council Secretary, began by sharing a beautiful story that highlighted the cultural significance of the bay and the Wiyot Tribe’s history and engagement with regional waterways. Explaining how local Tribes have always been connected to and concerned with the health of the bay,
Atkins touched on the importance of this relationship, encouraging industry professionals to consult with Tribes in order to stabilize the environment and ecosystem collectively.
Subsequent presenter Greg Dale, discussed the history of aquaculture in Humboldt County. Starting with an overview of shellfish culture in Humboldt Bay, Dale then touched on the water quality issues experienced in the 1930’s, including a cholera outbreak. Then he presented his argument for the intrinsic improvement of estuarine health, asking aloud, “Why should we care?” Dale says that we should care about estuarine health improvement because not only does it affect public health, fish and wildlife health, but it also directly affects economic development, water and food quality. Stating that today, Humboldt County “is widely known for high-quality shellfish”.
Conversations on aquaculture workforce development, local internship opportunities and the many economic and bureaucratic challenges associated with the industry permeated the afternoon. With a sense of camaraderie in the room, the future possibilities of industry expansion in Humboldt Bay were discussed in tandem with a sense of pride for the unique opportunities this rural region is capable of as well as the rich cultural history that runs through their waters.
Multiple Humboldt County Aquaculture symposium presenters touched on key characteristics that set the region apart from the rest of the United States.
The biodiversity of Humboldt Bay provides an environment that is in a class of its own for various reasons including the fact that the cleanliness of the bay is unlike nearly any other in the country, something absolutely necessary for the local aquaculture farming industry to continue thriving.
and desires to continue growing a local industry that facilitates the responsible expansion of aquaculture and mariculture as a whole, collectively understanding the important role a healthy bay plays in the matter. Aware of the risks that are associated with climate change, industry officials and scholars discussed the need for sustainable planning and the desire to build regional climate resilience through collaboration.
Permitting and Regulation Hurdles
A common theme of permitting frustrations seemed to weave throughout the day’s conversations. Unfortunately, attaining the permits needed to run an aquaculture farm is a very complicated and costly process for many farmers in California because unlike other industries, the process is not streamlined. Despite the implementation of the Permit Streamline Act in 1977, the process still requires farmers and investors to jump through lots of hoops and was described multiple times throughout the day as, “a non-linear process”, and a “very, very long timeline” for those wanting to start a new operation.
Those who attended a panel on permitting included John Finger of Hog Island Oyster and Scott Thompson
Cody Carlson, asked the panel, “besides having lots of capital and patience, what type of advice would current business owners have for a prospective aquaculture business owner?”
“Always remember that aquaculture is farming, and the demands of the job are 24/7–the organisms you're responsible for don’t care what day it is– whether it’s feeding, cleaning, harvesting, or maintaining life support systems. Vacations and holidays take on different implications to planning your operation, its design and its reliability; it is unlikely you’ll feel confident being separated from it for long without the next item,” Lovelle said. “You can’t do it by yourself, so invest in good people, in motivating and listening to them and recognizing/sharing in your collective successes.”
“Get as much hands-on experience as you can. Learn as much as you can about pumps, electrical, plumbing, construction, filtration, tools, boats and motors. Get wet. Get dirty. Get good boots. Get experience. While the degree is an excellent foundation (especially from Humboldt) there’s no greater teacher than hands-on experience”, Todd Vann Herpe of Humboldt Bay Oyster Company responded.
Farmers Speak Up
CONVERSATIONS ON AQUACULTURE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND THE MANY ECONOMIC AND BUREAUCRATIC CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INDUSTRY PERMEATED THE AFTERNOON
Attendees expressed their thoughts
of Nordic Aquafarms. Moderated by Dr. Laurie Richmond, this panel also included Randy Lovelle, state Aquaculture Coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Student and audience member
Humboldt farmers like Torre Polizzi, Humboldt alumnus and co-founder of Sunken Seaweed, a seaweed aquaculture farm, discussed the ways in which their businesses operate touched on the collaborations they've made in the region. Polizzi touched on the importance of collaborative industry relationships as well as the avenues in which his company has ventured in.
“Not quite at scale yet, but thanks to reinvestment in our company by the port of San Diego and the support and infrastructure from our friends at
Hog Island Oyster Co. and Holdfast Aquaculture, we have been able to setup a pilot scale tumble culture site on the Samoa Peninsula, where we grow about 18,000 pounds of red and green seaweeds a year as well as a line based farm within Humboldt Bay where we can grow around 10,000 pounds of larger brown kelp a year,” Polizzi said.
Kim Rich, another Humboldt alum and co-owner of Mad River Slough Shellfish Nursery also spoke during the afternoon presentations about the various species historically grown at her recently purchased facility. Stating that although her operation has been inhibited by the complicated and costly permitting process, Rich stressed that her nursery is looking to the future and aims to provide commercial and niche market species such as Pacific Oysters, Manila Clams and Olympia Oysters—which will be sold to farmers elsewhere.
Opportunities for Scholarly Study and Research
Nearing the end of the day, Dr. Rick Zeckman enthusiastically mon-
derated a back and forth open-question forum among four aquaculture scholars and the audience.
“I think you'll agree that we have a really diverse and passionate panel... they're very passionate about this field of endeavor and this field that seems to be growing in popularity across the nation but particularly in this area”, Zeckman said.
Sharing their opinions on current research and the directions of the local industry, Professor Jasmine Iniguez at College of the Redwoods and Dr. Rafael Cuevas Uribe from Cal Poly Humboldt, both reflected on current aquaculture research being conducted by their students and areas in which they believe education fuels the aquaculture industry.
Uribe described the beginning of the aquaculture program at Cal Poly Humboldt by stating that, "The first aquaculture class was taught in 1940, so as you can see our program is more than 80 years old. We were the first university that adopted a recirculation system, we pioneered wastewater aquaculture.”
Continuing, Uribe described the
current research underway at the university. “Right now the current research in our fisheries biology department ranges from eDNA, predictive modeling, ecology to seaweed farming, culture of trout and sturgeons, chromosome and sex manipulation methods and other research areas. So we recognize a need to educate our future aquaculturists and support our local industry by doing applied research,” Uribe said.
Humboldt alumni and Trinidad Rancheria Marine and Climate Resiliency Program Manager, Jessica Gravelle was also a member of this panel.
"Climate change and the exploitation of indigenous people are inextricably linked so if we want to move forward into a more sustainable future, that is going to include having the old or traditional knowledge that has been passed down since time immemorial. So having that be a crucial component to how we move forward is going to be really important,” Gravelle said.
Nathan Churches, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Holdfast Aquaculture discussed his company's mission to supply seeds for sustainable
aquaculture farming.
“Feeding people nutritious food should not come at a cost to the environment,” Holdfast Aquaculture aims to "provide resources to strengthen and expand the sustainable aquaculture industry in California and broader United States," Churches said.
A partner with Sunken Seaweed, Holdfast Aquaculture is a new member to the local industry and hopes to produce oyster seeds and genetic breeding programs. Determined to get colleges to buy into blue energy, Churches has extensively been involved in workforce development and aquaculture training programs in Southern California.
Industry Statistics and Challenges
Sebastian Belle, economist and Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) who has over 35 years of experience in international aquaculture practices discussed his background in the industry as well as important economic figures related to US imports and exports. Brought in by Cal Poly Humboldt as the symposium's closing speaker, Belle has been a long-time leader in the aquaculture industry and has been an significant player in the international aquaculture industry having spent over 20 years overseas consulting on projects.
“I am not here as an outside voice to tell you how to do things,” Belle said. “If I leave you with one thing, keep doing what you’re doing, keep having the discussions that you’re having amongst yourselves.”
Belle was appointed as president of the board of directors for the National Aquaculture Association (NAA) in April of 2022 and prior to his joining the MAA, Belle served as state aquaculture coordinator, working for the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Currently, he also serves on NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee as well as on the board of directors of the Maine Fishermen’s Forum, The Island Institute, and The Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center. Also, Belle is vice president
of the International Salmon Farmers Association.
“We import most of the seafood that we consume in this country… It's an outstanding data point compared to other protein sources on the market,” Belle said. “If you look at chicken or poultry or beef or swine, we grow most of what we consume in this country, in this country. In the case of seafood, we grow less than 5%.”
“The reality is that we don’t produce enough seafood in this country, but we are the third largest market in the world and we have relatively low production in the United States of America compared to other places in the world…So it’s a tremendous disconnect between what we consume and what we actually produce.”
On discussing the global and national growth rates Belle discusses how the aquaculture industry is the fastest growing food production method in the world.
“Globally, for the last 20 years it's been at about 8% growth per year… nationally we have been at about 1%, and in recent years we’ve actually been below 1%,” Belle said.
“The reality is we have to figure out a way to grow more food…to help solve this problem at a national level,” Belle said. “We have to totally change the way we think about the aquaculture sector.”
Further touching on the investment process, and how one goes about getting into the aquaculture sector, he reflected on risk management tools, and on industry challenges in America specifically.
“Part of the reason we have agriculture in this country is because we as a country decided that it was a priority to develop the means to feed ourselves, and then we as a country put in place government programs that allowed farmers to mitigate risks. We really don’t have that in aquaculture, we’re starting to get that,” Belle said.
Ending with describing what has been done in Maine’s aquaculture industry, Belle argues for a shift of
perspective. Echoing previous speakers throughout the day, he states that instead of thinking of aquaculture as a resource management issue, he argues that we should instead treat it as an economic development issue.
Sharing his biggest takeaway from the day, Belle ends by reflecting on the tribal relationships that are prominent in California and specifically Humboldt Bay.
“We’re in a very different place on the East Coast with Tribal issues than you are on the West Coast. We have a lot to learn from you folks on the West Coast… I’m going to go back to Maine and sit down and figure out how we are going to increase our connection and our dialogue with Tribal entities in Maine…I know we’re behind just by listening to what I heard today.”
Conference attendees, including Laurie Richmond, mingle at the Hosted Reception at Humboldt Aquatics Center, Eureka (previous photo)
Environment and Community Program returns to Cal Poly Humboldt
BY AMBER RAE DENNIS
The Environment and Community program (E&C) at Cal Poly Humboldt is one of 15 graduate-level degree paths currently being offered at the University. After a two year enrollment pause, this interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Social Science program has returned with a new cohort wrapping up their second semester of the two-year degree path program this May.
Designed with the flexibility that allows students to conduct research in fields that they find personally compelling and fulfilling; such as sustainable food systems, social justice, and environmental education, this graduate program offers a unique opportunity. Required courses include: Climate Resilience, Social Change and Advocacy, Critical Ecology, Decolonizing Methodologies, and a Cohort Field and Immersion Experience. In providing educational support in the form of 1:1 advising that nourishes each student’s individual academic journey, the plethora of research currently underway in this department is truly outstanding.
Geared toward facilitating a strong foundation in theory and research, this social science program prepares graduates for entry into and advancement in various fields such as education, government, and nonprofit organizations. According to their official website, this degree path provides opportunities to "find just and sustainable solutions to complex social and environmental challenges, grounded in the knowledge that racial justice, settler colonialism, and environmental problems are deeply intertwined.”
Karley Rojas, a student that has
been enrolled in the E&C program for two semesters shared their thoughts regarding why they applied to the program and what makes this opportunity unique.
"I applied to the program initially because of the work that was done by, essentially, the Native American Studies Department affiliated faculty and faculty from other Ethnic Studies Department[s] to restructure the program to be rooted in decolonizing and liberating methodologies and anti-colonial and anti-racist praxis and frameworks,” Rojas said. “It's an interdisciplinary program that I have never encountered and the opportunity to work in a structured way with the communities that I wish to collaborate with was very attractive to me.”
Also in their second semester of the program, Julia Dunn expressed their reasoning for why they were drawn to the E&C program.
"I was looking for disability justice programs and they're very, very few and far between... There's lots of disability studies, but I wasn't able to find disability justice and I was getting really frustrated,” Dunn responded. “So at that time I had seen that there were some professors here that were doing research on that and so I was interested then, and then the program took a pause, but I thought that it might come back strong based on how that was moving and my experience of going to the Zoom meeting ‘The Racial Reckoning’, and so I decided to still move out to California and start to learn more about folks here.”
Speaking with Andrea Delgado, a
faculty member involved in the E&C program, shed light on the collaborative opportunities available to students.
"The E&C program brings together lots of different voices…I am an English professor who is affiliated with E&C which means I get to serve on master's committees of students in E&C, and I also have the option to teach within the program when a class that matches up on my expertise is available, and then some of my classes are also available to E&C students as electives,” Delgado said.
This partnership between the English Department and the E&C program allows students to take grad-level English courses such as Digital Humanities and Theory of Rhetoric, both of which were recently taught by Delgado. Another English class that E&C students were able to take as an elective this spring was called Problems in Form, Genre and Media. The area of focus of this class, taught by Renee Byrd, is studying Black feminist literary innovators.
“I lived out on Karuk and Hoopa land for a long time before I moved down to the coast, and just through some organization work I do with Black Humboldt and Building Black Community and NAACP, I happened to meet Cutcha [Risling Baldy] and she told me about the program,” Dillon Harp, an E&C student, said.
Harp is studying under a blended pathway, known as the Dual Degree Pathway option, which simultaneously allows students to obtain both their Bachelor's and Master’s degree in five years. This is another unique aspect
offered to students enrolled in this program. Students interested in this dual pathway degree option typically apply as an undergrad during their sophomore or junior year and get a jumpstart on planning with the help of advisors.
For this option, it’s required that students finish all undergrad degree requirements and graduate requirements, including completing either a traditional thesis or completing a Master’s project within the five years.
“I'm in the last semester of my undergrad, and the first year of my grad program…I think I'm the first one to do it out of Ethnic Studies,” Harp explained.
Reflecting on what drew her to the program, Delaney Shroender-Echavarria, an E&C graduate student stated that she “wouldn’t be in the program if it weren’t for [Cutcha Risling Baldy]. She’s the one that inspired me and encouraged me to join, and I’m really grateful and appreciative to her… everybody in the Native American Studies Department [NAS] has been a huge mentor and advocate for me,” Shroender-Echavarria said.
Other students such as Baron Parks were drawn to the program after completing their Bachelor’s. Parks’ research focuses heavily on community engagement and working with local youth. Parks feels that the shining aspect of the program is the talent of everyone studying E&C.
“When I listen to my colleagues or read their stuff, or we do group proj-
ects on my shit, this is dope. Like legit, this is dope,” Parks said. “And for them to have my back and support me, often as we read material that is tough to digest, I think has been an amazing experience that also allowed me to grow as a person and as a professional.”
From working with local tribes, building community through knowledge sharing, to creating environmental curriculum for incarcerated folks, the diversity of research currently underway in the Environment and Community Program is outstanding. Through interdisciplinary connections including working with various community partners, this program aims to empower students who want to make a difference in their environment and community and hope to graduate as effective leaders and change-makers.
“This is a program that inherently considers and values community and indigenous wisdom,” Rojas said. “At a level that is equivalent or greater than what an academic sphere in an academic education can offer us, and that's a really unique educational opportunity.”
STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR RESEARCH:
“I think what my research has shown me is how complex intersectional systemic oppression is to communities of color, to communities that struggle economically, to communities that don't identify as normal, where normal is often straight, white, Christian male, and making sure that they know and feel seen. So that's really what my project is about” (Baron Parks, he/him).
“I run a nonprofit that's a genealogical study. That's kind of my thesis. I wrote a grant last year in a community organization for a project called Black to our roots… It's like an afro descendancy project. I'm working like with the BSU’s [Black Student Unions] in the area and community members to help them with genealogical and archival research into their family histories” (Dillon Harp, he/him).
“As a participant in academia, my real goal is to leverage the resources from the university, from these institutions, and give them back to community and collaborate with community. To make sure these resources are used in a way that is actually beneficial rather than furthering that settler colonial project. So all of my work is framed with this goal in mind. So studying indigenous-facing ethnobotany is really around place-based learning” (Karley Rojos, they/ them/elle).
“I had gotten a call to work at San Quentin Prison to be a co facilitator for a program around diabetes justice. So looking at chronic illness in prisons, the way that the carceral system causes and perpetuates chronic illness rather than healing it or being supportive of its care and management. And I co-facilitated that with an incarcerated person who's a researcher, activist whose name is Kelton. And through that process we kind of co-founded and co built Earth Equity, which is the nonprofit that we manage together. The focus of this nonprofit is to look at both food justice and food systems within prisons and beyond. And then also environmental restoration and how that mixes and mingles with decarceration. So particularly my work now is looking at kelp reforestation and decarceration together and thinking about how those things can inform just food systems for people in reentry, as well as business ownership as well as community care…it’s this kind of nexus for healing” (Julia Dunn, they/them).
