“We don’t think of the environment in NYC as being this natural wonder”, states Pete Malinowski, the Executive Director of the Billion Oyster Project. In this episode we hear about the ways in which the city contains that wonder, and how Billion Oyster Project helps sustain that vision of a healthy, biodiverse New York Harbor with the power of education. Also in this episode: Pete shares his climate story, we chat about the role of education and equity in conservation, and learn just how oysters can help us with climate change.

Pete Malinowski grew up farming oysters with his parents and siblings on the Fishers Island Oyster Farm. His passion for the environment and education led him to the New York Harbor School, where he founded the school’s Aquaculture and Oyster Restoration Programs and spent five years as a teacher. Pete serves as a Co-chair of the Governor’s Shellfish Restoration Council and sits on the Mayor’s Waterfront Management Advisory Board. Pete spends as much of his free time as possible on the water or in the woods with his three children Adrian, Maxwell and Daisy.