For Freeport resident Michael Frey, 36, inspiration came calling in his back yard after he began his career as a park ranger in his hometown Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park six years ago. Frey is one of a few staffers who lead discussions on the various ecological happenings that occur at the popular destination. In 1969, this area of more than 200 acres was given to the State by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence M.C. Smith of Freeport. The park contains varied ecosystems, including Eastern white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary, and the rocky shorelines on Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River.

Frey will lead a discussion on the rich clamming stocks of the park’s coast on Friday at 2 p.m., which is free with admission. Frey recently took time out of his busy summer schedule to speak with the Tri-Town Weekly about the history of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, the definition of the dreaded red tide, and how he eats his clams.

Q: What are some things that park rangers do at Wolfe’s Neck? How did you get your start?

A: Park rangers here do a number of things, primarily taking care of the upkeep of the park. Wolfe’s Neck is rather special in its purpose. The Smiths, who donated the land, required in the deed that educational outreach be a central component. That is a big function of my job as what is considered an interpretive park ranger. We do a number of different types of educational outreach. I started at the park a number of years ago as a receptionist and eventually a position as a ranger opened up.

Q: How do you satisfy that educational component?

A: We lead discussions on the habitat of the park, all of which are free with admission, and host a number of student groups throughout the year with programs specifically designed for them.

Q: As part of your educational outreach, you lead a discussion on clamming in the Freeport area. How long have people been clamming there?

A: There is a great deal of evidence that clamming was done by the Wabanaki people (the indigenous Native American tribe that inhabited the Freeport area). We know this through the discovery of shell middens, essentially trash heaps. We can actually date the heaps by the rings on the shells, much like rings on a tree, and have found evidence that the Wabanakis used clams as a food source.

Q: How would the Wabanakis harvested the clams? What did they use?

A: We haven’t been able to find a definitive answer for that. The technology or tools to harvest clams has not changed much in 100 years, however.

Q: What types of clams are found in the area of Wolfe’s Neck Woods?

A: There are a number of different types of clams, but primarily they are soft-shell clams, which people would recognize from restaurants. We also have hard-shell or short neck clams, commonly called quahogs.

Q: Clams are now considered a delicacy and are a staple on any summer menu in a coastal eatery. Has that always been the case?

A: No, they were pretty much considered a last resort back in the time of the first settlers to the area.

Q: Are clam stocks in the area higher or lower than they were a 100 or 50 years ago?

A: The information I was given by the Department of Marine Resources suggests that stocks are considerably lower. In 1977 there were over 38 million pounds of clams harvested. In 2012 there were just under 11 million pounds harvested, a 72 percent decline in a relatively short time period.

Q: What is the cause? Are there less people harvesting clams or something else to blame?

A: There are various reasons for this, including closures due to pollution. As people may know, we’ve had a problem with an invasive species of crabs that are eating the young clams. The greens crabs, as they are known, are not native to the area and were brought over on the ballast tanks of ships. This has happened once before in the 1950s due to warm water temperatures. What’s happening now with the green crabs is getting quite serious. The town of Freeport has allocated funds to study this and many area clammers have donated their time for the research.

Q: What brought the clam population back after the drop in number in the 1950s?

A: We’re not sure, it may have to do with the leveling off of temperatures. Evidence suggests that the clam population was back to normal number by the early 1960s.

Q: What is a red tide and why is it bad for clams and those of us who eat clams?

A: A red tide is a dinoflagellate, a plant that produces a toxin. Normally the concentrations of this plant are very small, but when conditions are right, the amount increases tremendously. Clams are filter feeders that suck in water, filter it, and then spit it back out. When the dinoflagellate level is high, the toxins are embedded in the flesh of the clams. So when that happens it can be extremely dangerous and potentially lethal for people to eat clams.

Q: How do you eat your clams?

A: I like them steamed. With butter.