Jellyfish: Friend or Foe?
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Vancouver) | Zoom Event
Jellyfish have been in the oceans for 600 million years – they are one of the oldest animal lineages that are still around today. Unfortunately, jellyfish are often seen as pests because of the negative interactions that they have with people. In fact, jellyfish are integral for healthy ecosystems, but they don’t get much credit for it. This session will explore some of the key roles that jellyfish play in the ocean and balance the narrative that is typically associated with these stinging beauties.

Jessica Schaub is currently a PhD Student in Oceanography at the University of British Columbia. Despite growing up in rural, northern Alberta, Jessica has been drawn to ocean sciences from a young age. In her final months of high school before moving to Vancouver to pursue her degree, Jessica watched a documentary that reported a jellyfish crisis that was unfolding among Japanese fishers. This documentary illuminated the huge knowledge gaps that surrounded jellyfish and pointed to a clear social impact that could be resolved by filling these knowledge gaps. Her interests quickly narrowed, and her entire post-secondary education has been a pursuit of the elusive and enigmatic world of jellyfish ecology. Jessica has been fortunate to conduct research along the BC coast from Calvert Island to Vancouver. Her research has included aerial mapping of jellyfish blooms with drones, figuring out their diets, investigating their microbiomes, and husbandry in aquaria. Jessica is looking forward to her PhD, where she intends to evaluate claims that jellyfish can be considered keystone species.

Rorquals: The Largest Whales on Earth
2022-02-17 20:00 - 21:30 | Zoom Event
Rorquals –
what a beautiful word, it rolls around your mouth
before unfurling on your tongue.
Rorquals –
what beautiful creatures, the ethereal giants of the deep.

Including the two largest animal species on planet Earth, rorquals are a group of baleen whale species which are characterised by deep ventral grooves that extend from the chin, down the throat to the belly and expand like a bellows to allow the whale to gulp-feed. Most of the rorqual species were hunted during the commercial hunting era, pushing their population numbers to the brink of extinction and leaving many still in dire need of conservation efforts. British Columbia is an important habitat for some of these rorquals, including an unusual occurrence of the predominantly oceanic fin whale in coastal BC. In this presentation, Éadin will focus on the rorquals of BC – taking you through some key aspects of their biology, culture, anthropogenic threats and finally touching on the ongoing research carried out by herself and the rest of the team at BC Whales.
About Éadin N. O’Mahony: Éadin, pronounced ‘Aid-een’, is an Irish-German marine biologist, coastguard rescue officer and novice potter. When she was a small child, her family moved from the urban jungle of Berlin to the wild Atlantic coast of southern Ireland, where her love of the sea was nurtured. During her undergraduate degree in conservation biology, Éadin had the opportunity to work with the North Coast Cetacean Society, or “BC Whales” – this becoming her very first visit to British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest. It didn’t take long for her to get hooked, recognising the integral part whales play in ecosystem health and human conservation efforts. Éadin continued to work with BC Whales for her Masters (by Research), collecting whale blow with drones as a source of DNA for population genetics research. She has just embarked on her PhD journey, together with BC Whales and the University of St Andrews’ Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU). Her PhD aims to bring together new and non-invasive genetic sampling techniques, aiming to develop a coastwide biomonitoring network that investigates biodiversity levels in relation to Marine Protected Areas. She is passionate about bringing people and nature together, and dreams of this project bringing together knowledge, biomonitoring tools, data and a care for the sea, to help local communities lead on the protection of their seascapes. Her winters are spent in Scotland, her summers in BC, and she is at her best when out in the elements, in, on or under the sea.

Giant Squid: #5 of the Giants of the Deep Speaker Series
2022-03-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
What is a giant squid? Many different species have been referred to by this name, from the “calamar gigante” that Danna studied in Mexico and California to other species alternately known as warty squid, clubhook squid, and colossal squid. Danna will give a tour of the unique features and record-holders of each species, with plenty of attention to the one most strongly associated with the name “giant”: Architeuthis dux. She’ll also present her research on Humboldt squid, a smaller but still formidable cousin, and discuss the crucial roles all of these “monsters” play at the center of oceanic food webs.
About Danna Staaf: Danna is a marine biologist and author with special expertise in cephalopods. After falling in love with octopuses at age ten, she kept two of these amazing animals in a home aquarium, learned to scuba dive, and eventually earned a PhD in Humboldt squid reproduction and development (or “squid sex and babies”) from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. Now a freelance science communicator, she wrote Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods (previously titled Squid Empire, and named one of the best science books of 2017 by NPR). Her next book, The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology, is coming out in October. She also created the science outreach program Squids4Kids, and visits schools at every grade level, as well as venues from museums and libraries to tech companies.

Discover and Dine: Shellfish
2022-04-10 10:00 - 20:30 | Long Beach Lodge Resort, 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy
This unique event offers nourishment for the mind and belly! In partnership with the Raincoast Society, Long Beach Lodge Resort is hosting a ‘Discover & Dine’ experience that include a hands-on, coastline-focused workshop on mollusks, followed by three-course-feast, prepared by Chef Shaun Snelling, in honour of the lesson.
Limited space available so be sure to reserve your spot today: events@longbeachlodgeresort.com or call 250.725.2442.
One day, three unique sessions:
Discover, 10 am- 12 pm
Meet in the Rainforest Room, lower level of Long Beach Lodge Resort, for an education session
The day will begin with a hands on lesson and field trip with Marine Biologist Educators from Raincoast Education Society. We will share our insights on bivalves and how their biology relates to safe and sustainable harvesting. Learn which species are found locally, how they are harvested, and what shellfish do for our oceans!
Discover more, 2-4 pm
Meet in the Rainforest Room, lower level of Long Beach Lodge Resort, for a culinary demonstration
Ever wondered how to prepare a shellfish feast? After a break for lunch we will reconvene at Long Beach Lodge Resort for a demonstration on shellfish preparation and cooking techniques. After the demonstration, take some time to relax in the Great Room while the kitchen prepares your feast!
Dine, 6 pm
Take a seat in the Great Room at Long Beach Lodge Resort, for a 3-course feast
To conclude the day we will enjoy a 3-course shellfish feast specifically designed by Executive Chef Shaun Snelling to highlight the delicious flavours of this diverse category of seafood.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (in person)
2022-05-03 17:00 - 20:00 | Long Beach Lodge Resort, 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy
WE APOLOGIZE! DUE TO ILLNESS WE HAVE HAD TO CANCEL THIS SESSION. SO SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO PICK AN ALTERNATE DATE HERE.
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: In person at Long Beach Beach Lodge in the Rainforest Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-05-10 17:00 - 20:00 | https://raincoasteducation.org/calendar-event/small-town-big-picture-tofino-west-coast-ambassador-program-may-10/
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet (in person)
2022-05-16 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-06-13 17:00 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Ucluelet. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Ucluelet.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: In person at the George Fraser Room at the Ucluelet Community Centre
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Zoom Dates: May 2, 30 & June 27
In Person Dates: May 16 & June 13
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (in person)
2022-05-17 17:00 - 20:00 | Long Beach Lodge Resort, 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy
This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: In person at Long Beach Beach Lodge in the Rainforest Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-05-24 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (in person)
2022-05-31 17:00 - 20:00 | Long Beach Lodge Resort, 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: In person at Long Beach Beach Lodge in the Rainforest Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24 & June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-06-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-06-21 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-06-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event

Seaweeds of the West Coast 2022
2022-06-17 08:30 - 2022-06-19 13:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
This weekend field course, based out of the Ucluelet Community Centre, will introduce participants to the world of west coast seaweeds. Topics to be covered in this year’s course include an introduction to seaweeds (What are they? What is their role in coastal ecology?), biodiversity of west coast seaweeds, essentials of collecting and identifying seaweeds, seaweed foraging, the relationship between seaweeds and people, pressing and preserving seaweeds, and more!
We are excited to welcome back course instructors Dr. Bridgette Clarkston and Dr. Katy Hind who will come to Ucluelet to share their seaweed knowledge and expertise with us.

Course registration is $250 per person, and includes lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, June 17 (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

Presentation – overview of west coast seaweeds, different seaweed groups, role of seaweeds in coastal marine ecosystems.

Saturday, June 18th (8:30 am – 8:30 pm, with breaks) Low tide is at 10:49 am (0.2 feet / 0.7 m)

Field trip to explore seaweeds on Tofino’s rocky coast and practice naturalist skills, including fundamentals of seaweed identification.
Collection of seaweeds at field site.
Workshop to practice using dichotomous keys, field guides and online databases to identify unknown specimens
Create your own scientific and artistic seaweed presses.
Cynaoptype, Seaweed as art: create your own beautiful botanical blueprint using the traditional method of cyanotype printing.
Presentation – seaweeds and people: from traditional uses to modern foraging, and everything in between.

Sunday, June 19th (8:30 am – 12:00 pm) Low tide is at 11:40 am (0.4 feet / 1.3 m)

Putting it all together – field trip to identify seaweeds and their communities in nature, including opportunities to share what you’ve learned with the group.
Course wrap-up.

About the instructors:
Dr. Bridgette Clarkston loves seaweeds and thinks you should too. Bridgette is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of British Columbia and co-author of the field guide Pacific Seaweeds: A Guide to Common Seaweeds of the West Coast (Harbour Publishing). A delightful moment in a lifetime spent appreciating BC’s seaweeds was discovering a new genus of beautiful red seaweeds and naming it after the Salish Sea (Salishia). A Vancouver Island settler, Bridgette was born and raised on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land. Learn more about Bridgette on the UBC Botany website here.

Dr. Katy Hind is a seaweed biologist and teaching professor at the University of New Brunswick. She has taught seaweed biodiversity courses at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and the University of Victoria. Katy’s research focuses on understanding the ecology, biodiversity and communities of marine calcifying algae (coralline algae) around the world. She has described over 10 new species of coralline algae! To find out more about Katy’s teaching and research visit www.katyhind.com.

Check out photos of the previous years:

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2022-07-05 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 3, 17 & 31
Zoom Dates: May 10, 24, June 7, 21, 28 & July 5
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Mushrooms of the West Coast 2022
2022-10-07 19:00 - 2022-10-09 13:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
This weekend field course will introduce participants to the wonderful world of West Coast Mushrooms. Topics to be covered include introduction to fungi (what are they, and what is their role in our forests?), essentials of collecting and identifying fungi in the field, edible, medicinal and poisonous fungi, cooking with wild mushrooms, and more!

Course Registration is $250 per person, and includes lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Friday (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

Presentation – overview of wild mushrooms, different fungus groups, role of fungi in ecosystems, and mushroom identification.

Saturday (9:00 am – 4:30 pm, and 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

Field collection of wild mushrooms at field site.
Group lunch (provided).
Sorting of mushroom collections, spore prints, microscope ID session.
Mushroom cooking demonstration and tasting.
Evening presentation on foraging and identifying edible mushrooms.

Sunday (9:00 am – 1:00 pm)

Field collection and identification of wild (edible) mushrooms.
Group lunch (provided) and course wrap-up.

About the instructors:

2021 Mushroom Course Photos!

Best of both worlds: Moth antenna on a smelling drone
2023-02-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Nature has developed amazing chemical sensors which greatly surpass man-made sensors in sensitivity and speed. A male Manduca sexta hawkmoth can sense the female’s pheromone in concentrations as small as 1 in 10^17 molecules of air! To learn more about and mimic the way moths locate food and mates, I equipped a small palm-sized drone, dubbed “the Smellicopter”, with a live moth antenna to smell odors. This autonomous drone flies in a way inspired by how moths seek out the source of an odor, and is able to do so even while flying around obstacles. Join me and learn about the amazing smelling ability of moths and the Smellicopter!
About our speaker: Dr.Melanie Anderson is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington under Professor Tom Daniel in the Biology Department and is funded in part by her Fellowship through the UW CoMotion Startup Incubator. She received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2021. Her research focuses on biohybrid robotic systems, especially those that fuse multisensory input towards fully autonomous operation. She has received the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (2018-21), the UW Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Dissertation Award (2022), her Fellowship through the UW CoMotion Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Program (2022-23), and has recently been selected for a Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023-2026). Her most notable academic achievement is the creation of the Smellicopter, a biohybrid palm-sized drone which uses a live moth antenna as a chemical sensor to autonomously seek out the source of a chemical odor. The Smellicopter has been featured in news articles and film segments such as UW News, IEEE Spectrum, WIRED, and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Melanie Anderson currently is working towards exploring commercialization of her biohybrid technologies which, in the future, she hopes can be used in scenarios such as detecting pests and disease in agriculture, locating bombs/drugs in law enforcement or the armed forces, or even quickly locating survivors in disaster scenarios with search-and-rescue services.

The Magical World of Bats
2023-03-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Zoom Event
Life At Night, Speakers Series 2023

The Magical World of Bats
Like bats or not, you will after hearing and seeing for yourself what Dr. Tuttle has learned about these mysterious but magical animals. As you’ll see bats come in an amazing variety, as cute as any panda or as strange as any dinosaur, ranging from giant flying foxes with up to six-foot wingspans to tiny bumblebee bats that weigh less than a penny. Highly sophisticated, they maintain long-term social relationships similar to humans, sharing food and information, taking turns babysitting and even adopting orphans. They provide billions of dollars annually in crop protection without which we would be threatened with more deadly pesticides and pay higher prices for products from cotton to sugar, rice, chocolate and macadamia nuts. And that’s not even to mention their roles as essential pollinators and seed dispersers from deserts to rain forests, all of which Dr. Tuttle will illustrate through his personal experiences and stunning photography.

About our speaker: Dr. Merlin Tuttle is a resident of Austin, Texas. He is an internationally recognized leader in research, conservation and photography of bats. His photos and research have been featured in five National Geographic articles, the journal Science, and many other leading publications. He founded Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation (MTBC) where he is currently and solely active. Merlin also founded and led Bat Conservation International for nearly 30 years before leaving in 2009.
Through MTBC Dr. Tuttle continues to provide the world’s finest bat photo gallery and the most up-to-date responses to grossly exaggerated disease speculation about bats. This is also the only place to access his more than 60 years of unique expertise or support his work. At age 80, he is still passionately teaching the world to understand and appreciate the vital roles of bats. Since founding MTBC, he has continued his worldwide efforts from Brunei, Bulgaria, and Cambodia, to Taiwan, and Thailand, and from Brazil, Chile, and the Vatican, to South Africa.
His first book, America’s Neighborhood Bats, published in 1988, played a key role putting unfounded fear in perspective and in outlawing the then widespread poisoning of American bats living in buildings. His 2022 publication, The Bat House Guide, is the most comprehensive bat house book yet. His
inspiring autobiography, The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals, was published in 2018, with top reviews, including from The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and National Geographic. And in 2019, he served as science editor and sole photographer for the Smithsonian book, BATS: An illustrated guide to all species. He also serves as a Research Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin and still takes approximately a thousand new photos annually.
To learn more and support his work visit MerlinTuttle.org.

Owls: A short tale about long-ears
2023-03-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Since 1984 my wife Patsy and I have studied owls in Manitoba, Canada. Recently we wanted to start a new research project using camera traps to record owl breeding behaviour. In 2015 a pair of Long-eared Owls nested on our farm literally a stone’s throw from our house. This was a great chance to test this method and camera equipment on this enigmatic nocturnal species that has never been studied in this manner.

Join us as we peer into to the secret lives of this widespread migratory owl based on an intensive analysis of 128,694 images collected over 15 d during the nestling period. In this study we reveal new information on Long-eared Owl behaviour and diet. Experience their struggles to incubate eggs, and then raise and defend their young from extreme weather and predators. The results from this study were presented at the World Owl Conference in Pune, India, and it is a pleasure to now share it with you. This study demonstrates the advantages and limitations of nest camera traps for research now underway on Great Gray Owls and Barred Owls in Manitoba.
Joining me to help deliver this presentation will be Rusty, a live female Long-eared. Rusty is one of our education ambassadors, a dear feathered friend and a ruthless heckler. Hope she doesn’t steal the show, again!
About our speaker: Dr. James Duncan obtained a Ph.D. in 1992 from the University of Manitoba for research on the Great Gray Owl. Throughout his biology career Jim was active in diverse local, national, and international conservation initiatives until his retirement in 2018 as Director of Manitoba’s Wildlife and Fisheries Branch.
Jim claims that his various jobs were simply a way to support his obsessive habit of studying owls with his life partner and fellow zoologist, Patsy. Together, they have researched owls for over 35 years, have banded over 2,500 owls, and have published hundreds of articles, papers and several symposium proceedings on owls. Jim’s three beautifully illustrated books on owls of the world are an example of the importance Jim places on sharing scientific knowledge with the public in an engaging manner.
In 2018 Jim established a social enterprise called Discover Owls* which conducts education, research and conservation programs on owls in Manitoba and around the world. To date he has delivered over 480 live owl presentations to school classrooms and other venues and has delivered over 170 lectures and keynote talks on owls and conservation.
If people want to donate to Discover Owls, they can contact me at owlfamily@mts.net
More info on our website & follow us on Facebook

Galactic Archaeology: The history of our home in the cosmos
2023-03-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Event
Life At Night, Speakers Series 2023
Galactic Archaeology – This is the encore presentation of February 23

The history of our universe spans 13 billion years, 99.998% of which humanity did not yet exist. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is at least ten billion years old, having survived what we believe is a violent history including several galactic collisions. While it is difficult to comprehend how ancient the majority of the night sky is, the physical scale of the Universe is also staggering. Despite being responsible for all life on Earth, the Sun is an average star – dwarfed by true stellar giants hundreds of times its size. And the Milky Way? Miniature compared to the ancient “red dead” galaxies littering the night sky. Join me as Galactic Archaeologists for the evening as we tour the cosmos, spanning both space and time. Together we’ll navigate the smallest atomic scales, through to the Solar System, into the Milky Way and beyond. We will explore questions like when and how did the hydrogen, oxygen and iron in our bodies form, what are the physical processes that govern the Earth, how does the history of our Galaxy compare to others and how will the Universe end?
About our speaker: Dr. Stephanie Monty is an astronomer primarily working in the fields of Galactic Archaeology and astronomical instrumentation. The aim of her research is to understand the history of the Milky Way and how both the light and dark components came to be. Stephanie is currently employed as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Astronomy within the University of Cambridge. Prior to that, she completed my PhD in Astrophysics at the Australian National University and her BSc in Physics & Astronomy at the University of Victoria, Canada. For more info visit Dr. Monty’s website.
‘In her heart I’ll always be a West Coast Canadian, happiest when on rainy forest walks surrounded by cedars and firs.’

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2023-05-04 17:00 - 20:00, 2023-05-18 17:00 - 20:00 | Načiks/Monks Point, 174 West St., Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
We are extremely grateful to be able to offer this course on Načiks/Monks Point property , a heritage site full of fascinating history. Such a perfect location to host this course.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Načiks/Monks Point
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 4, 11, 18, June 1, 8, 22
Zoom Dates: May 25, June 15 & 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Birds of the West Coast
2023-05-05 19:00 - 2023-05-07 13:30 | Ucluelet & Tofino
The west coast of Vancouver Island features some of the best birding opportunities in North America. Lying directly along the Pacific Flyway, this region hosts huge numbers of migrating birds of all kinds each spring and fall. In the winter, the diversity and abundance of non-breeding birds remains high thanks to wide range of habitats and a mild climate.
Expansive mudflats near Tofino provide an ideal stopover site used by tens of thousands of shorebirds each spring and fall, highly productive coastal waters sustain several large colonies of seabirds and a mix of coastal rainforest and deciduous forest habitats attract a wide variety of breeding songbirds. A little further south down the coast, Amphitrite Point in Ucluelet offers some of the best sea watching opportunities on Vancouver Island.
In this weekend workshop (Friday evening until Sunday afternoon), participants will be introduced to the general ecology and biology of birds with an emphasis on commonly encountered species. This course is specifically scheduled to overlap with the peak shorebird migration as well as the presence of large numbers of other migrating species.
Topics covered will include: basic ID skills, breeding biology, physiological adaptations, migration ecology, and conservation issues. This course is designed as a way to learn more about birds in general rather than how to ID specific species. Extensive birding experience is NOT required.

Course Registration is $330. per person, and includes Sunday’s boat trip.

About your instructors:
Mark Maftei serves as Executive Director of the RES and he draws on nearly 20 years of experience as a field biologist specializing in the ecology of birds. From the Arctic to the Antarctic to the open ocean, Mark has traveled the world studying birds. His research has included work on migration ecology, population biology and the census of poorly known species. His work in BC (including several years spent working with the Wildife Research Division of Environment and Climate Change Canada) was focused on colonial seabirds and migratory shorebirds. One of Mark’s greatest pleasures is sharing his passion for birds with like-minded nature lovers, and there is nowhere he’d rather doing that than his home on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Kaiden Bosch: Ever since one fateful encounter with a bird feeder at age 13 Kai has been an avid birdwatcher. Working as a field technician/guide for many years Kai has birded a diverse range of habitats, from the Andean cloud forests of Colombia to the frozen continent of Antarctica. Despite all of his travel’s, Kai’s favourite place on earth is still coastal British Columbia and its unique biodiversity.

Weekend Schedule (subject to change):
Friday Evening (7:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
George Fraser Room at the Ucluelet Community Centre

Opening night lecture introducing birds in BC. Life History – what are the strategies and adaptations birds have evolved to thrive in virtually every single habitat on earth?

Note: this evening talk will be open to the public. Course participants do not have to pay admission as it is included in the cost of the course.
Saturday (8:30 am – 4:00 pm)
First 1/2 of the day will be in Ucluelet & the later 1/2 in Tofino.
· Basic ID skills – what to look for in the field

We will spend the day outside looking at birds in a number of habitats around Tofino
Forest Birding in the morning (Ucluelet 8:30- 11:30am)
Shore Birding on the mudflats in the afternoon (1pm)
These sessions will be informal and focus on helping participants identify common birds as well as put these species into an ecological perspective.

Saturday Evening (6:00 pm – 8:00 pm) Hotel Zed in the Rec Room.
This time is extremely flexible – consideration for group preference; to condense the day vs. have a few hour break will be discussed – group decision)

This lecture focus on shorebirds & will include current studies & research analysis.

Sunday (8:30 am – 1:30 pm)
Field

We will spend the day on the water observing and learning more about seabirds, the coolest birds of all!
Half day boat adventure in Barkley Sound (some offshore if weather permits) with Jamies Whaling Station!

Recommended Equipment and Reading

Any good bird guide (Sibley’s, Peterson’s, National Geographic)
A decent pair of binoculars
Field notebook and pencil
Camera
Appropriate clothing for all day in the field—rain or shine
Bring lunch, snack, water/drinks on both days

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2023-05-11 17:00 - 20:00 | Načiks/Monks Point, 174 West St., Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
We are extremely grateful to be able to offer this course on Načiks/Monks Point property , a heritage site full of fascinating history. Such a perfect location to host this course.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Monks Point
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 4, 11, 18, June 1, 8, 22
Zoom Dates: May 25, June 15 & 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet
2023-05-15 17:00 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Ucluelet. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Ucluelet.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: George Fraser Room at the Ucluelet Community Centre
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In-Person Dates: May 15, June 12, 19, 26
Zoom Dates: May 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2023-05-25 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 4, 11, 18 & June 1, 8, 22
Zoom Dates: May 25, June 15 & 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.

Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet (via Zoom)
2023-05-29 17:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Event
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Ucluelet. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Ucluelet.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Zoom Meeting Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In-Person Dates: May 15, June 12, 19, 26
Zoom Dates: May 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo: Capturing the Coast submission, 2018

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2023-06-01 17:00 - 20:00, 2023-06-08 17:00 - 20:00 | Načiks/Monks Point, 174 West St., Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0
The West Coast Ambassador Program: This three-hour orientation session delivers the “big picture” of living in Tofino. Learn about local history and basic ecology, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information. This is a great way to get up-to-date local’s information about living and working in Tofino.
We are extremely grateful to be able to offer this course on Načiks/Monks Point property , a heritage site full of fascinating history. Such a perfect location to host this course.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Načiks/Monks Point
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
In Person Dates: May 4, 11, 18 & June 1, 8, 22
Zoom Dates: May 25, June 15 & 29
The West Coast Ambassador Program is a joint initiative of the Raincoast Education Society, the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Ucluelet and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Photo by Shaun Stewart, Capturing the Coast submission.
