Eating with the Ecosystem is an educational dinner series coordinated by Sarah Schumann. Sarah is a fisherwoman and environmental advocate with a degree in environmental policy. Through these dinners, Sarah and her fellow speakers (chefs, fishermen, scientists, and fishery managers) teach us a new approach to eating seafood sustainably that involves enjoying a greater diversity of species and understanding each animal’s place in the context of its ecosystem.

I started following Eating with the Ecosystem on Facebook a few months before Sarah spoke at the forum and remember her updates as she gathered ingredients for the September 2012 dinner event at the Cook and Brown Public House in Providence, RI. It was exciting to see her post about periwinkles she just collected at Point Judith, shellfish from local salt ponds, and especially when she posted about collecting rose hips from one of my favorite spots, Seapowet Marsh in Tiverton.  The rose hips were used in both cocktails and dessert that night.

Each dinner event involves a presentation or lecture by both a fisherman and scientific advisor familar with the seafoodshed that you are eating from that night. As the ingredients are collected locally just a few days before the dinner, and the speakers are always changing, you can be sure that each event will be unique, educational, and delicious!

 All images are from the Eating with the Ecosystem Website