Back to All Events

Conservation Lunch Series: Abalone, the Remarkable History of an Iconic Shellfish

  • Shasta Land Trust 5170 Bechelli Lane Redding, CA, 96002 United States (map)

The Shasta Land Trust is excited to be hosting an exclusive book tour lecture by award-winning author Ann Vileisis, who will be speaking about the environmental issues and history of California's treasured and endangered abalone species.

Prized for their iridescent shells and delectable meat, abalone have a long, rich cultural history in California, but with increasing environmental stresses, these unique mollusks are now tragically imperiled. On Wednesday, October 12 join award-winning author Ann Vileisis for a deep dive into the environmental history of abalone, based on her recent book 'Abalone: the remarkable history and uncertain future of California’s iconic shellfish'.

From indigenous artisans, to bohemian writers, California cuisine, the popular sport of skin diving, and Marine biology, this illustrated lecture features historic images and compelling stories that braid together into a tale of epic proportions—ultimately affording an important perspective to help us better understand the challenges faced by all of marine life today.

The lecture will be hosted by the Shasta Land Trust at 5170 Bechelli Ln, Redding, CA. Signed copies of the speaker’s book will be available for sale after the talk.

For more information about author Ann Vileisis and her book Abalone, check out: www.annvileisis.com/abalone

About the Author:

Ann Vileisis is an environmental historian and independent scholar. Her first book 'Discovering the Unknown Landscape, a history of America’s wetlands', won two national history awards from the American Historical Association and the American Society for Environmental History. Her second book, 'Kitchen Literacy', how we lost knowledge of where food comes from and why we need to get it back, was recognized by Real Simple Magazine as one of “50 books that will change your life.”

And her new work, Abalone: the remarkable history and uncertain future of California’s iconic shellfish has been called by Dr. Callum Roberts “a truly marvelous, unexpected joy of a book.”