Episode 130 with Kim Tetrault, Community Aquaculture Specialist & Founder of SPAT, Cornell Cooperative Extension

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Tetrault, Community Aquaculture Specialist & Founder of SPAT, Cornell Cooperative Extension. He begins by reflecting on his family background and the influence it had on his values and lifelong connection to the natural world. He shares his journey from studying marine biology to launching the SPAT program Suffolk Project for Aquatic Training through Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Through SPAT, Kim has helped hundreds of Long Islanders raise oysters and take part in the restoration of local waterways. We talk about the ecological importance of shellfish, the evolution of community aquaculture on the East End, and the surprising connections between cultivating oysters and playing jazz.