Like the “Johnny Appleseed of the coast,” one woman is replanting oyster reefs across New York City’s 520 miles of shoreline along New York Harbor, engaging communities and kids in restoration of their beloved waterways and ecosystems.

In this episode of The Conch podcast, we chat with Tanasia Swift, marine educator and field station program manager for the Billion Oyster Project. Tanasia shares her journey— from fishing in Brooklyn as a young woman with her father to bridging the gap between urban communities and marine spaces through oyster restoration and connecting women to the water.

Episode Transcript

Episode Guide:

• :00 Intro

• 00:58 Tanasia’s journey—from a little girl in Brooklyn to attending the New York Harbor School to leading the Billion Oyster Project’s oyster reef restoration in the New York Harbor

• 06:16 A recap of the historical and cultural importance of oysters in New York City, starting with the Lenape, the Indigenous people of the region

• 11:42 The process of restoration: Like a “mother of millions,” Tanasia recruits and trains an army of students and teachers in the classroom and in the field to help establish reefs and monitor and collect data on the growth of these incredible mollusks

• 16:52 Becoming part of the weaved community of the waterfront: How Tanasia engages stakeholders across the five boroughs of NYC

• 22:00 Bridging the gap between urban communities and the marine world

• 25:42 Introducing Water Women NYC - a community group aimed at getting women connected with water through mentorship

• 30:03 Who uses waterfronts and who has the most access to them? How do we ensure more diversity in these traditionally male-dominated spaces?

• 34:07 Tanasia passes on a piece of advice that once was shared with her for people who are breaking barriers

• 37:05 Uplifting fellow Water Women NYC founders and a young lady who doesn’t see herself in marine spaces (Keep going and create the community you hope to see!)

Resources:

1. Support Tanasia’s efforts to restore New York Harbor’s oyster reefs at the Billion Oyster Project and her mission to connect women to the water with Water Women NYC.

2. Recommend this episode to one person who is curious how to bridge the gap between urban communities and marine spaces!