Learn about local history, cross-cultural understanding, businesses and activities, festivals, host etiquette, and important civic information specific to Tofino.
Explore intertidal eelgrass meadows and learn about the animals that live in this important habitat at a beach seine this summer! FREE EVENT Most of us have probably encountered eelgrass – from spending hours in the ocean alongside these green ribbons, or exploring eelgrass-filled mudflats. Eelgrass meadows create habitat for a myriad of coastal species […]
Join our summer educators as they explore local science focused topics. These will be inclusive, interactive and open to all. The topics vary- examples are: Kelp forests, sea star wasting syndrome, shorebird migration, salmon forests, bears, whale migration. Where: Visit the Discovery Tent with Raincoast Education Society on the Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific […]
Though you may not always see them – plankton are out there, and some will become a feast for tiny fish or giant whales. Come observe plankton from up close and learn more!
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 […]
Introducing two unique gelatinous zooplankton and their roles in the ocean. Salps and pyrosomes are zooplankton – free floating animals that drift with the ocean currents. They are unique because they have gelatinous bodies, similar to cnidarian jellies, but unlike jellyfish they don’t have stingers and primarily consume phytoplankton. They are part of a group […]
Related to dull-colored, garden-munching land slugs, “naked gilled” sea slugs (nudibranchs) are some of the most colorful and charismatic inhabitants of the marine world. They come in all different shapes and sizes – as small as a grain of rice or as large as a loaf of bread - yet these animals have no commercial […]
Little Known Giant: The life history of the world's largest amphibians The giant salamanders in the Family Cryptobranchidae represent the largest amphibians in the world. Five giant salamander species are currently recognized, all of which are of conservation concern. Over the past decade, I have studied the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) and the eastern […]
Are we Prepared for the Zombie (Fungi) Apocalypse? Zombie fungi are a group of ascomycetes, all formerly in the genus Cordyceps, that parasitize insects (and a few other organisms). The fungi often alter the behaviour of the insects, to the benefit of the fungi, essentially turning the insects into 'zombies' under the control of the fungi. […]
Conservation Status of Marine Mammals of BC: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Dr. John K.B. Ford The ocean waters of British Columbia have a remarkable diversity of marine mammals 31 species have been recorded here, this is one-quarter of all marine mammal species in the world! After co-existing with coastal First Nations […]
BC’s west coast waters are home to a great diversity of marine mammals – 31 different species have been documented here! Join Dr. John K.B. Ford on this weekend course, where he will introduce participants to the cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), and sea otters of BC. Topics to be covered […]
Hagfishes are bottom dwelling marine animals that are capable of producing startling amounts of defensive slime when they are provoked. We have investigated the composition and mechanical properties of the slime using a variety of techniques. We have also demonstrated that hagfish slime is especially good at clogging the gills of would-be fish predators, which […]
Shaping an environmentally sustainable future for the Clayoquot and Barkley Sound region through education and community stewardship