Environmental Conference at Islandwood May 21 (WU-348)

Listen here as Maradel Gale, Frank Stowell, and Charles Schmid describe the upcoming May 21st Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference at Islandwood, where the topic will be: “Changing the Nature of Puget Sound: A Look at the Impacts of Industrial Aquaculture.” The event runs from 12:30 to 5:30pm.

As they explain, “industrial aquaculture” includes two commercial activities which, if unchecked, could dramatically impact Bainbridge shorelines -- shellfish farming on beaches, and in-water pens for farmed fish like Atlantic salmon.

Seating for the conference is limited. As of the podcast recording date, there are only about a dozen seats left. To reserve a seat, register at the Sustainable Bainbridge website or at the Islandwood website.

Our podcast guests include:

Maradel Gale, a founding board member and current officer of Sustainable Bainbridge, and a director of Bainbridge Beach Naturalists, which offers walking tours of the marine life along Bainbridge shorelines; Frank Stowell, a long-time member of the the Association of Bainbridge Communities (ABC), president of the ABC Foundation, and the moderator of the Environmental Conference; and Charles Schmid, one of the founders of the ABC organization in 1978, and a continuing officer.

The Conference will include an exhibition in the main reception area at Islandwood, representing many of the local and regional environmental organizations co-sponsoring the event. Presentations will include:

An overview of the impacts of industrial aquaculture A talk by a marine ecologist dispelling the myths of aquaculture An attorney explaining the legal aspects, and describing the “Shellfish Initiative” An explanation of regulatory gaps in the permitting of aquaculture A talk on Atlantic salmon net pens -- friend or foe? An overview of pesticide use in shellfish aquaculture A panel discussion about impacts for Puget Sound homeowners Final thoughts on how you can get involved in local efforts

The primary sponsor is ABC, and, in addition to Sustainable Bainbridge, there are more than a dozen additional co-sponsors including the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, the City of Bainbridge Island; Kitsap Audubon; and a committee of the Sierra Club.

In this podcast, Maradel explains why this topic matters on Bainbridge Island and compliments the City for significant and valuable improvements in its shoreline regulations. Frank discusses the notable history of neighborhood and community organizing -- and environmental activism -- on Bainbridge Island. Charles notes that this is the 14th environmental conference on Bainbridge, and offers highlights of prior conferences.

This is BCB’s first podcast in its new Media Arts Studio at BARN. The public grand opening of the newly constructed BARN center will be Saturday, June 3rd from 10am to 4pm.

Credits: BCB host: Barry Peters; audio editor: Chris Walker; social media publisher: Diane Walker.