What’s a Murrelet?
Why I chose to name my farm after a mysterious little seabird.
Adult Marbled Murrelet on the Oregon Coast adjacent to Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, OR Photo: Roy W. Lowe/USFWS
When choosing a business name, most people opt for something catchy, easy to remember, and phonetically intuitive to spell.
I decided to ignore ALL of that advice.
Instead, I named my farm after an endangered seabird: the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus). Murrelet is pronounced "Murr-Let".
Marbled Murrelets are remarkable. Unlike most seabirds, and other birds in the auk family Alcidae (like puffins and murres), they don't nest in colonies, on cliffs, or on haystacks. In fact, they don’t really build nests at all. Instead, they fly up to 50 miles inland to lay a single precious egg in the soft moss growing on old growth tree branches. Scientists didn't even observe or study these elusive nests until the 1970s!
While Marbled Murrelets spend most of their lives in nearshore ocean waters, their profound connection to old growth forests makes them the perfect symbol for the two ecosystems I cherish most: the ancient, lush forests and the rugged, cold coastline of the Pacific Northwest. This bird's dependence on these interconnected habitats make it a powerful symbol for habitat conservation and effective climate action.
In 2021, Oregon achieved a conservation victory by reclassifying the Marbled Murrelet from threatened to endangered. This required all state-owned land to develop management strategies to protect murrelet nesting habitat. These protections, however, don't apply to privately held land or non-state owned public land. Since 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan has worked to protect nesting habitat on federal land. Yet, despite policy progress, murrelets still face significant conservation challenges.
I named my project Murrelet Herb Farm to highlight both the positive impact that policy changes can have on species recovery and to draw attention to ongoing threats from antiquated industrial logging practices, inadequate climate policies, and more.
As an herb farmer who loves surfing, hiking, and foraging, I believe the Oregon Coast offers far more than just extractable resources. The biodiversity and beauty of the Pacific Northwest coast are priceless, irreplaceable, and innately valuable.
The name Murrelet demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and a vision for a more equitable, ecologically balanced future.
There's also a certain mystery in the murrelet's story that mirrors the experience I want to create for people enjoying our teas. The murrelet's understated beauty, elusiveness, and quiet presence in our regional ecosystem reminds us that the most extraordinary things aren't always the loudest or most obvious, but those that reveal their complexity and wonder gradually—much like a perfectly steeped cup of tea.
Until next time,
Kelly
Read or watch more about this incredible little seabird below:
Bird Alliance of Oregon
Find the Marbled Murrelets on our custom packaging!
Blockprint artwork by Alice Projects
