ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk about learning, equity and collaboration in Maine and Wabanaki wild shellfisheries from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, April 12.

The future of shellfishing across Maine and Wabanaki homelands is uncertain, as wild clam and mussel fisheries face pressures from warming ocean temperatures and unsustainable economic and social conditions.

There is room for optimism, however, as a growing network of partners across coastal shellfish communities work together for the health and resilience of these fisheries. The Maine Shellfish Learning Network plays a key role in these efforts, with a mission to promote learning, leadership and equity in wild clam and mussel shellfisheries.

The network has helped create new spaces for collaboration, contributing to a variety of positive impacts for sustainability and adaptive capacity of the communities and fisheries.

In this talk, Bridie McGreavy, Anthony Sutton and Gabrielle Hillyer will describe the process of building the network, progress on multiple projects and plans for collaborative legislative policy development.

McGreavy is an associate professor of environmental communication at UMaine and project leader for the network. Sutton recently completed a doctorate in ecology and environmental sciences at UMaine, where he focused on Wabanaki food systems, and is community food facilitator for the network. Hillyer is network project coordinator and a doctorate student in ecology and environmental sciences.

The talk is free and available via Zoom; registration is required. To register and receive connection information, visit umaine.edu. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth at 207-581-3196 or [email protected].