2025 Seaweed Field Excursions
Calling all phycophiles (seaweed lovers): join us in the intertidal this season!
2025 Seaweed Field Excursions
Whidbey Island, Bellingham, San Juan Island, Orcas Island, WA
Embark on a hands-on, immersive learning experience, where you'll explore the fascinating world of seaweeds. Over the course of this 3-hour Seaweed Field Excursion, you’ll engage directly with our magnificent macroalgae in their natural habitat. From identifying edible species and learning basic harvesting techniques to discovering seaweeds’ incredible health benefits and making kelp pickles, this adventure offers an enriching experience for all levels. Ideal for anyone curious about marine life, foraging, or health—no prior experience necessary, just a passion for connecting with our marine ecosystems and the healing power of seaweeds!
The Seaweed Field Excursion is a unique, hands-on learning experience designed to immerse you in the fascinating world of macroalgae. Together, we’ll explore seaweeds’ vital role in human health and the amazing ways they’ve evolved to survive and thrive in one of the most challenging environments on the planet. This 3-hour Excursion will give you the chance to directly engage with our local seaweeds and marine ecosystem, gaining the skills to identify, sustainably harvest, and incorporate seaweeds into your daily life—whether for food, garden, or creative projects.
During this Excursion, you'll discover the biodiversity of the intertidal zone, where seaweeds have developed unique adaptations to flourish. Through guided, hands-on learning, you’ll cultivate a deeper understanding of how seaweeds interact with their environment and how they’ve evolved to survive in these highly variable intertidal conditions.
Seaweeds are not just fascinating organisms—they are incredible, nutrient-dense food sources and rich in bioactive compounds. Seaweeds offer us an exceptional range of flavors and health benefits. From supporting thyroid function and gut health to nourishing the skin in topical applications, seaweeds have long been revered for their wellness-promoting properties. During the Excursion, we’ll explore how seaweeds can support your health and how to integrate them into your daily diet.
Our interactive learning journey will be packed with information, demos, and practical experiences:
Seaweed identification: Learn to identify edible seaweeds in the field.
Harvest Timing and Conditions : Discover the best tides, seasons, and location criteria for harvesting seaweeds.
Sustainable Harvesting: Learn how to sustainably harvest, dry, and store seaweeds.
Seaweed Spa: Explore how seaweeds are used topically in rejuvenating treatments and wellness practices.
Nutrition & Health: Learn about seaweeds’ exceptional nutritional and health supportive benefits.
Pollution Awareness & Seaweed Health: Learn how to evaluate pollution risks and make informed decisions about collecting and consuming seaweeds based on local conditions, contaminant bioavailability, and your individual health picture.
Kelp Pickle Demo: Get hands-on in making a batch of delicious kelp pickles to take home and enjoy.1
Seaweed Art Activity: Create unique art inspired by the marine environment.
Seaweed Harvesting: Option to harvest and take home a selection of seaweeds to use in your own culinary or wellness practices, depending seaweed conditions and water quality.2
Mermaid Botanicals T-shirt Raffle: One lucky class participant will win a unique Bullwhip Kelp-themed t-shirt from Mermaid Botanicals!
By the end of the Excursion, you’ll feel inspired to incorporate seaweeds into your food, wellness practices, personal care routines, and more. You’ll leave with the basic tools you need to continue your macroalgal explorations—to identify, harvest, and enjoy seaweeds in your everyday life. Most importantly, you’ll develop a deeper sense of connection with our local marine ecosystems, our evolutionary ancestors, and the worldwide ocean community through the seaweeds we meet in our own backyard.
The May 1 Field Excursion will be the best class opportunity in 2025 for harvesting seaweeds during class. Due to the timing, however, there will likely be no kelp pickle–making in this class. For kelp pickle making, join us in Bellingham, San Juan Island, or Orcas Island.
We are looking for a work-trade assistant on the Bellingham, San Juan Island, and Orcas Island Excursions to assist with tracking class timeline, facilitating kelp pickle making, taking pictures, and help with class set up/take down. Canning experience preferred. If you’re interested, please email kristy@mermaid-botanicals.com.
For more details and to register for Field Excursions, click here. 🌊
Due to the early season timing there will likely be no kelp pickle–making on the Whidbey Island Excursion.
I would be joining you if I still lived out west! I used to love kayaking and collecting kelp for cooking and gardening :)
Here is a post I put together which I think you will appreciate: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/regenerative-ocean-gardening-kelp
I look forward to learning more about your work.