Fellowship Experiences

There are many things that matter to me: My family, my studies, my guitar, and my heritage. But one thing holds a special place in my heart: The ocean. Having grown up in El Salvador, the Pacific Coast was a common destination on every holiday or opportunity we had.

For the past two years, I’ve traveled tidewater Maryland, asking people, “why aquaculture?” I ask entrepreneurs why they decided to get involved in growing oysters in tanks or floats in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. And for the commercial fishermen who aren’t, I ask, “why not?” This very basic question begins the discussion with each person I talk to, in order to understand on a larger level what motivates individuals towards or away from oyster aquaculture.

​A recent NPR Hidden Brain podcast discussed the idea of the edge effect, which is the concept of encouraging collaboration between people with diverse interests and backgrounds.

It’s 5:20 a.m. and the alarm is blaring. I get out of bed, drink a glass of water, and lace up my shoes. I open the door and am greeted by the cold, dark morning. I begin slowly jogging, gradually accelerating to a comfortable pace, and continue this simple exercise of placing one foot in front of the other for the next 30 to 60 minutes.

“Livelihood diversification” describes the process by which an individual or household takes on multiple income-generating activities.