Restoring Willapa Bay at Scale

We believe a farm should give back more to the ecosystem than it takes out.

1. The Goal: Setting a New Standard

Our goal is simple but ambitious: To be the most environmentally conscious oyster farm in the county.

For us, this isn't just a tagline; it is an operational mandate. We measure our success not just by the bushels we harvest, but by the habitat we restore. We are proving that aquaculture can be regenerative—leaving the water cleaner and the bay healthier than we found it.

2. The Milestone: The Largest Restoration in History

Willapa Wild led the largest privately funded eelgrass restoration in the U.S., enhancing marine biodiversity and ecosystem health

The industry standard in many places is still mechanical dredging, which can disrupt sediment and destroy critical habitat. We made the choice to mothball our dredge boat and switch to off-bottom hand harvesting to protect the bay floor.

That decision paved the way for a historic achievement.

We have now completed the largest privately funded eelgrass restoration in history.

  • The Scope: We have successfully restored 45 acres of native eelgrass beds.

  • The Impact: Eelgrass is the nursery of the ocean. These 45 acres now provide critical shelter for salmon fry, Dungeness crab, and forage fish, creating a thriving ecosystem beneath our farm.

     

3. The Science: Guardians of the Olympia Oyster

 

The Olympia Oyster is the only oyster native to the Pacific Northwest. After being decimated by over-harvesting in the 1800s, it was considered functionally extinct in many areas.

We didn't just bring them back; we built a sanctuary.

  • Largest Wild Population: Willapa Wild is now home to the largest wild population of Olympia Oysters anywhere.

  • The DNA Baseline: Our population is so healthy and genetically distinct that the State of Washington used our oysters to define the base DNA for the species in Willapa Bay.

When you support Willapa Wild, you aren't just buying dinner. You are supporting the genetic future of the Pacific Northwest’s native oyster.

4. The Data: Carbon Sequestration

We don't guess about our impact; we track it. By protecting the eelgrass and cultivating shellfish, our beds act as a massive "blue carbon" sink.

Research estimates that our regenerative farming methods result in a 3.6x increase in carbon sequestration compared to traditional methods. We are actively fighting ocean acidification one oyster at a time.