March 2, 2026.
Longer daylight hours and low tides combined to create ideal conditions for an intertidal clam digging experience at the food beach at Sarita Bay. The event was led by the Huu-ay-aht Lands and Natural Resources Team—Tommy Joe, Abigail Andiel, and Stephen Smith.
Joining the harvest were Huu-ay-aht youth Vanessa Young and Issiah Dennis. Jacquie Dennis also brought a van load of youngsters from Paawats. Staff members from Nova Harvest participated as well, making it a lively and collaborative outing.
Participants enjoyed digging up clams and discovering many other intertidal organisms in the mucky clam garden. Tommy Joe, a true clam-digging machine, worked continuously and filled two buckets—the equivalent of about 100 pounds of clams. In total, 150 pounds of clams were harvested during this “introduction to clam digging” event.
The use of the food beach at Sarita Bay encourages its ongoing productivity and celebrates the construction of the clam garden, a project completed through the Huu-ay-aht Warriors program. Clam gardens are a prehistoric practice used to increase the production of culturally significant foods. Rock walls built in the lower intertidal zone filter sediment and create a shallow, sloped terrace—ideal conditions for clams to grow and spawn.
You can read more about clam gardens here: https://hashilthsa.com/news/2023-08-24/nuu-chah-nulth-youth-restore-clam-gardens-future-generations
photos: H. Alexander