Connecticut oysters are so good they were designated the state shellfish in 1989. Historians will tell you, however, that this was not always the case. New Haven Museum will kick off the summer season of the Pardee-Morris House with two fascinating accounts of one of our oldest heritage foods and demonstrate how the modest mollusk is helping to preserve the Connecticut coastline, during, “Aw, Shucks! The Extraordinary History & Outlook for CT Oysters.” The NH250 program will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026, 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. Weather updates on Facebook, Instagram and newhavenmuseum.org.

At 12:30 p.m. Tim Macklin will demonstrate the critical role oysters play in our ecosystem, and how the nonprofit he cofounded, Collective Oyster Recycling and Restoration (CORR), is taking a deep dive into how oyster shells are helping to preserve the coastline for future generations.

At 2 p.m., Brett Palfreyman, associate professor of American history at Wagner College, will present the story of how the bountiful bivalves that were once a dietary staple were declared unsafe to eat by the early 1900s (after years of overharvesting and increasing pollution), during his presentation, “Bringing Oysters Back to the Northeast.”

Macklin ‘s presentation, “Shell Recycling & Oyster Habitat Restoration,“ will offer insight into shell recycling, oyster-habitat restoration, and the environmental benefit oysters bring to Long Island Sound. Macklin maintains that oysters contribute significantly to the natural environment by forming reefs that provide new habitats for hundreds of marine species