"Evolution built advanced minds not once, but at least twice, gifting them not only to mammals and their kin, but also to cephalopods, and especially to the animal at the apex of ocean intelligence: the octopus. These are animals so unlike us that most aliens we imagine in our fantasies about outer space have more in common with humans. But there is no denying their sentience. I believe the first aliens we encounter will rise to greet us from the sea.”― Ray Nayler, The Mountain in the Sea
Love, Grief and Octopuses on the Monterey Bay
I used to work at Moss Landing, between Santa Cruz and Monterey, and the wildlife was astonishing. Some days it was a watery Serengeti - humpback, blue and even killer whales would feed just offshore. Dolphins surfed in the waves. Sea lions roared, seals slipped by silently, busy fishing. Squadrons of pelicans soared the sky and sea otters – those adorable, furry, marine mammals floated and paddled all over the place. These frenzies often coincided with a school of mackerel or anchovies passing by. But much of the richness of the Monterey Bay is due to submarine canyons that fork through it like deep, long lightning bolts.
Many of the towns along the Monterey Bay share names with these canyons - Año Nuevo, Cabrillo, Soquel, Sur, Carmel, Lucia, and La Cruz. These canyons, with their varied terrain of steep rocky walls and gentle slopes are rich habitat for many deepwater fish in Monterey Bay, like black cod. The terrain, combined with prevailing winds, creates a fairly constant upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that feeds the abundance of sea life. In fact, the biggest fishery in California is squid from the Monterey Bay.
The deepest, longest submarine canyon is the Monterey Canyon. Similar in size to the Grand Canyon, it is 292 miles long and goes down to 5,577 feet, making it the largest canyon in the Pacific. That’s why the upcoming Institute for Ecosystem Based Living is going to be at the Elkhorn Slough Yacht Club, right where the Monterey Canyon begins. A place of rapturous wildlife and incredible beauty. Of depth and mystery. So please join us on August 11st for Love, Grief and Octopuses on the Monterey Bay. MBARI octopus researcher Christine Hubbard will give an overview of the Monterey Canyon and talk about the Octopus garden they discovered there, with over 20,000 brooding octopuses. Artist Kalie Granier will show her poetic short films inspired by the kelp forests of the Monterey Bay; Luke Pustejovsky, co-founder of Tactogen and producer of the Candlelight Club will talk about Climate Grief and how we can hold our love for beautiful places and our grief at the same time. And singer/songwriter Brian Wood Capobianchi will perform his magic. The dinner menu, based on Forage. Gather. Feast. will showcase the delicious wonders of the Monterey Bay region.
The Scent & Taste of an Ecosystem
Forage. Gather. Feast. will be the launch of the Cookbook Club at San Francisco's Mechanic's Institute in San Francisco. They asked if I wanted to invite a guest to join me in conversation, and I immediately thought of Jennifer Juniper Berry. She's a beekeeper, an artist, a biologist, and most recently, a perfumier.
We are collaborating on a grazing table of wild scents and flavors.Like Forage. Gather. Feast, the grazing table will have three sections - The Coast, The Woods and Urban Edges. Jennifer will blend scents inspired by these ecosystems. Many of her perfumes are based on her experiences in Northern California; from the forested microclimates of the Suntrail on Mt. Tam to the sensory experience of low tide on the Northern Sonoma Coast. We’ll talk about how both taste and scent are built by sensation and memory. And how food – both the smell and taste -- can transport us back to places we love. She’ll also bring some of the raw materials so people can see how she blends a scent.
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