Yaretzi Moncayo: From Baja to Maine – Scallops, Science, and Two-Eyed Seeing

A real Norwegian sailboat? And not only that, one that was part of the United Nations and the Ocean Decade! I couldn’t believe it when my work in science communication and raising awareness made it possible to accompany EPI and so many incredible scientists, environmentalists, and land stewards on this one-week journey around the Baja California Peninsula, all the way home. Aboard the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, I spent a magical week where we learned from other organizations, collectives, the crew themselves, and… where I had my first taste of a science that I was about to deep dive into: Aquaculture.

It was on this boat that I met Meggan Dwyer (Associate Director, University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute) and Damian C. Brady (Agatha B. Darling Professor of Oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences), and I began learning about the important work they do at UMaine and, particularly, at the Darling Marine Center. That experience motivated me to apply to the Aquaculture Research Institute’s Aquaculture Experiential Opportunities for Undergraduate Students (AquEOUS) program, one that I knew I needed to join because it brought together the two main passions in my life, Indigenous knowledge being woven with Western science (Etuaptmumk or two-eyed seeing).

This resonated with me since all my life I’ve felt connected to my Mexican roots, with my name being Nahuatl and having had so much curiosity about how indigenous values and knowledge would help us improve our day-to-day life. Mixed with that is the memory of listening to my father explain about fish, moving to La Paz B.C.S surrounded by the ocean, and starting a science club with my mother to raise awareness for a better environment. Also, the international science fairs I’ve won that have led me to give talks, contribute to research papers as well as doing a lot of work with youths, and finally starting my undergrad in Marine Biology at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS); so AquEOUS was the best in between I could wish for.

The next thing I knew, it was my first day at the DMC (also my birthday, and what a gift!) where I got to know the places we’d work with, the rest of the AquEOUS fellows and finally in person my mentor Phoebe Jekielek who (besides being the one who showed me how to assemble a spat bag) taught me with so much enthusiasm about scallops, followed up every step of the way and encouraged me to adapt my interests and strengths to the program! Those two months flew by, but the things I learned will stay with me forever, from talking to incredible scientists and storytellers at the brown bag lunches to accompanying scallop and oyster farmers for a day and getting to admire and appreciate the huge effort and creativity needed in this field.

Also, by getting to know many research centers such as CCAR (Center for Cooperative Research), DEI (Downeast Institute), Cobscook institute and so many research projects at the Brady Lab. Still one of the things that stood out was the interaction with the Wabanaki Nations, from knowledge Keepers and storytellers in Sipayik whose passion transported you to different times and make you feel proud of indigenous cultures and their resistance, Micmac farms where you see the effort to give back to the community and in speakers like Sherri Mitchell that not only inspire but opened their doors to learning their values and returning to better, more connected ways of life.

It was by combining these experiences that I decided to develop my project. It was a lesson plan or curriculum designed to teach middle schoolers about scallops and two-eyed seeing! It was called: “Learning the Cultural and Ecological Importance of the Sassiest Shellfish: Mitessit, the Scallop”. It was the result of meeting all these people in the summer, of including my Mexican heritage and blending it with the new Indigenous knowledge and tribes that I met; and happily, I was able to test it out at Hurricane Island with a group of middle schoolers. I not only saw them having fun but also reflecting on how their actions not only in the game but in real life can actually help and make an impact on the ecosystem. 

This was the goal, to help people, to raise awareness, and to help the environment, by keeping indigenous knowledge present through younger generations, with the help of scallops, science, and the friends made along the way. That is what I seek to bring back home, the values of knowledge keepers, the dedication of farmers, and the passion, kindness, and professionalism of scientists from Maine.