Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2024-06-18 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | 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: June 18
Zoom Date: June 25
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 and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet
2024-06-24 17:00 - 20:00 | George Fraser Room @ Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Mattison Dr, Ucluelt, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
Due to low enrollment and delayed plane travel for our instructor, this date has been cancelled. Please contact info@raincoasteducation.org if you have a group of 5 + who are interested, we can rescedule.
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: June 24
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 and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino (via Zoom)
2024-06-25 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
Zoom Date: June 25
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, and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Beach Seine
2024-07-02 14:00 - 17:00 | Tofino Sea Kayaking, 320 Main Street, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
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 and act as a highly productive ecosystem. And it’s thanks to eelgrass that today’s halibut fish fry or tonight’s salmon dinner is possible. The meadows form a buffer in the water that softens the impact of waves and currents, reducing coastal erosion and creating a calm habitat. This provides a nursery for many juvenile fish, including rockfish, salmon and halibut, and also provides an ideal habitat for herring to spawn. These fish are preyed upon by waterfowl such as: Great Blue Heron, migrating shorebirds and ducks. In addition, eelgrass blades act as a substrate for diatoms and other algae, which get grazed upon by many eelgrass-dwelling invertebrates such as nudibranchs, crabs and shrimp.
We will work together to pull the seine net up on to the beach, and learn how to handle the animals we catch with care. All animals collected will be gently returned to the ocean.
Gumboots recommended – this program will run rain or shine!
Other dates: July 12, 16 & 29, 1 – 4pm /August 8, 9am-12pm, August 13 & 27, 1 – 4pm

Learn about the Intertidal Life with the RES on the Wild Pacific Trail
2024-07-09 10:00 - 16:00 | Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet, Canada
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a barnacle looks like? How do sea stars eat? Don’t miss the chance to learn more about intertidal life with our RES Interpreters on the Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet.
🦀 Free Program!
🌊 Where: Lighthouse Loop of the Wild Pacific Trail
🌊 Time: 10am-4pm
🌊 When: July 9th & August 13th

Plentiful Plankton!
2024-07-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Tofino Resort & Marina, 634 Campbell Street Tofino, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0
Plentiful Plankton!
Though you may not always see them – plankton are out there, and some will become a feast for tiny fish or giant whales. Come and observe plankton up close and learn more! Stop by – we will be outside with plankton samples ready for microscope observation of these fascinating creatures.
When: Every Wednesday
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Tofino Resort & Marina – down below, in the courtyard between the Adventure Centre & Shelter
Free…Free…Free
Dates: July 10, 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28

Spineless Wonders: the amazing diversity and adaptations of invertebrates. 🐚 ⁠
2024-07-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
Join us for an evening presentation with Dr. Gregory Jensen on Spineless Wonders: the amazing diversity and adaptations of invertebrates. 🐚 ⁠
⁠
Friday, July 19th, 7 – 9pm @ the Ucluelet Community Centre⁠
⁠
Like all other animals, invertebrates have to deal with the challenges of things like finding food, reproducing, and avoiding predators. For marine species living in the intertidal it Is even more daunting, dealing with the stresses of aerial exposure, waves, terrestrial predators, and more. Here we will look at the strange and creative ways in which they approach these tasks, given their bewildering variety of body plans.⁠
⁠
By donation.⁠

Marine Invertebrates of the West Coast
2024-07-19 19:00 - 2024-07-21 13:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
In this weekend field course get up close and personal with the invertebrates that inhabit the shallow waters of our western shores! in this weekend course you will learn all about the fascinating strategies that they use to survive the rigors of the intertidal zone; their varied and often bizarre means of reproduction, the critical roles they play in marine ecosystems, and much more.
We are excited to be adding this course to the Raincoast Institute weekend field course options, and thankful for having Dr. Gregory Jensen coming to Ucluelet to share his knowledge and expertise with us.

Course registration is $347 per person. (includes the Aquarium admission)

Friday, July 19th (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

Presentation: Spineless Wonders: the amazing diversity and adaptations of invertebrates.

Saturday, July 20th (8:30 am -8:00 pm, with breaks)
Field exploration to explore invertebrates on Ucluelet’s outer coast and practice naturalist skills, including fundamentals of identification.

Collection of invertebrates on the outside of the peninsula, returning to the lab for the afternoon
We’ll observe firsthand how they move, feed, and other behaviors, and discover myriad organisms that were too small to see in the field.
Evening Presentation at the Ucluelet Aquarium: What’s love got to do with it? Reproduction in marine invertebrates.

Sunday, July 21st (8:30 am – 1:00 pm)
Field exploration to explore the habitats on the protected side of the peninsula.

Investigating the different suite of organisms inhabiting these sheltered waters, to compare and contrast how they differ from those on the more exposed side.
If time allows we will also look at the animals attached to the docks.
Course wrap-up

About Dr. Gregory Jensen:

Greg Jensen is a marine biologist that has spent the past five decades researching and photographing marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest. His main research interest is in the ecology and systematics of crabs and shrimps; despite their great ecological and economic importance, remarkably little is known about the myriad roles they play in marine food webs. Another facet of his work involves creating user-friendly identification guides to Pacific coast invertebrates and fish, and he is actively involved in the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, a citizen science organization that recruits divers to collect information on fish and invertebrate populations. It was his love for diving and photography that led him to publish his first book in 1995: an identification guide on the unique crab, shrimp, and lobster species along the Pacific Coast. Recently expanded, the new edition of Crabs and Shrimps of the Pacific Coast increases the total number of species described from 163 to nearly 300. He is also co-author of Beneath Pacific Tides: Subtidal Invertebrates of the West Coast and Nudibranchs & Sea Slugs of the Eastern Pacific.

Mushrooms of the West Coast 2024
2024-10-11 19:00 - 2024-10-13 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!
Thank you to Dr. Andy MacKinnon & Dr. Kem Luther for joining us on the West Coast to share their knowledge & passion!

Course Registration is $330. per person.

Friday (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)

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

Saturday (8:30 am – 5:30 pm)

Field collection of wild mushrooms at field site.
Sorting of mushroom collections, spore prints, microscope ID session.
Afternoon presentation on foraging and identifying edible mushrooms.

Sunday (8:00 am – 1:00 pm)

Field collection and identification of wild (edible) mushrooms.
Mushroom cooking demonstration and tasting.
Group lunch and course wrap-up.

About the instructors:

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2023 Mushroom Course Photos!

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2024-11-21 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Visitor Centre, 1426 Pacific Rim Highway, 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.
Location: Tofino Vistitor Centre Conference Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: November 21st

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 and Tourism Tofino. The Raincoast Education Society is responsible for course curriculum, registration, and program delivery.

Introduction to the ecology and diversity of earthworms
2025-01-30 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
Join Dr. Sam James as he uncovers the fascinating world of earthworms, nature’s ecosystem engineers. Learn how these remarkable creatures aerate soil, recycle nutrients, and support sustainable agriculture. Discover groundbreaking research on their biodiversity, ecological importance, and the challenges they face. Travel the globe with Dr. James as he shares stories of weird and wonderful earthworms and the adventures behind his research expeditions, from local landscapes to far-flung corners of the world. Don’t miss this captivating look at the hidden heroes beneath our feet!
About our Speaker, Dr. Sam James: I am a specialist in the diversity of earthworms, their classification and their evolutionary history. My interest in nature, ecology and other natural sciences began at an early age, and was maintained in spite of exposure to many other areas of learning, all interesting but none with the appeal of being in the natural world looking and finding. Now I am 71 years old and still happier in the forest than in the lab. My three children have gone in other directions but they all got to see what their father does by coming along on expeditions to tropical forests and other places. Presently I am retired from university duties I have discovered and described (often with collaborators) hundreds of new species of earthworms, and continue to add to the list. There are thousands more out there, and hundreds more in my collections. I have also worked on figuring out the evolutionary history of earthworms using DNA and other molecular data.

How I Capture the Secret World Beneath Our Feet
2025-02-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
Right outside our door lies a secret world. Thousands of tiny creatures living out complex lives that go largely unseen by human eyes. But if you know where to look, and how, you’d be shocked at the complex dramas that are unfolding in our very backyards, this very minute. Today we’re going to take a tour of some of the hidden stories that play out right under our feet. Just centimeters below the surface of what might be an unassuming patch of soil are some of the weirdest creatures imaginable, and with tools that fit right in our pockets, we can capture their stories for the world to see. What I want to introduce to you today, are some of the inner workings of the documentary filmmaking process of some of these tiny beasts, and show you how telling these stories can help save our planet’s biodiversity.

About our speaker: Spencer Hoffman is a documentary filmmaker with a background in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From a very young age, he found his imagination captured by the strange little things that lurked out in nature. This secret world, as he grew to call it, offered him an escape from the mundane and hustle of regular life, and became a way for him to merge his creative and scientific passions. Inspired by the likes of Steve Irwin and Jeremy Wade, his work follows him on a journey to uncover the natural world’s greatest secrets. On his YouTube channel, MyWildBackyard, he features everything from the world’s deadliest spiders to obscure insects that have never been filmed before in history. His goal is to capture the imagination of the public with the same creatures that captured his own as a child, and shift public opinions on “creepy-crawlies” to create meaningful cultural shift that will lead to better conservation of our biosphere. While sensational encounters have driven the best results, the types of animals that never fail to bring him back out into the field have always been the most strange and obscure, and have fueled a passion that takes him all over the world.
Check out Spencer’s YouTube Channel @mywildbackyard – AMAZING!

Notes from the Underground
2025-02-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
More species live underground than live aboveground. There’s more life, and more living, in the soil, than there is above it. And everything that happens in our world is dependent on, and to some extent determined by, what happens in the subterranean world. Our land use and management have profound, and mostly unknown, effects on this underground world. This presentation will dig into west coast soils and see who lives there, what they’re up to, and what effect their activities have in our aboveground world.

Dr. Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist and environmental educator with a deep passion for the natural world. His extensive field experience and profound knowledge of local ecosystems allow him to provide rich, detailed insights into the flora and fauna of British Columbia and beyond. His books are characterized by their clear explanations, vivid descriptions, and practical guidance, making them appreciated by both beginners and seasoned nature lovers alike.

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2025-02-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Visitor Centre, 1426 Pacific Rim Highway, 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.
Location: Tofino Vistitor Centre Conference Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: February 19th

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.

Spring Mushrooms: The Other Mushroom Season
2025-02-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
In BC, mushrooms are most typically associated with the autumn, but springtime can bring its own fungal surprises. There are fewer mushrooms around in spring days–inventories of mushrooms in this season report about a third as many species as autumn inventories. Still, spring-fruiting mushrooms can be just as exciting (and challenging) as the ones that come up in the autumn. Foragers are not left out in the spring—it’s the time for such popular edibles as oyster mushrooms and morels. This talk, which presents about two dozen spring mushrooms divided into ten different categories, will get you ready for forays in April and May, when you can enjoy both the spring flowers AND the spring mushrooms.

Dr. Kem Luther has lived in Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia and Ontario. He is a Canadian citizen and currently resides in Victoria, British Columbia. Kem has been on the faculty of several universities. He began writing for non-academic readers in the early 1990s. Among other books he is co-author with Andy MacKinnon of Mushrooms of British Columbia.

‘SLIME-in’ the Pacific Northwest
2025-03-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
With its moist and moderate climate, the Pacific Northwest provides an ideal home for a rich variety of land snails and slugs. More than 150 species of terrestrial gastropod – including both native and introduced species – inhabit this region, providing important ecosystem services throughout our forests, wetlands, parklands, and mountains. Many of these are small and inconspicuous, but even larger species are often overlooked – sometimes by even the most enthused natural historian. Come learn more about the land snails and slugs of the Pacific Northwest, from iconic banana slugs and sidebands to unique taildroppers and jumping slugs. SLIME is included.

About our speaker: Melissa Frey is the Collection Manager of Invertebrate Zoology at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle. Prior to her current position, she served asthe Curator of Invertebrates at the Royal BC Museum. Her past research focused primarily on marine molluscs, however, since moving to the Pacific Northwest, she has become increasingly fascinated by (and fond of) terrestrial gastropods. As part of her current research, she has created a community science project called SLIME Pacific Northwest, hosted on iNaturalist, to document the presence and distribution of land snails andslugs throughout the region. See more: https://www.burkemuseum.org/news/behind-glass-snails-slugs-social-media-transforming-research-community-science?

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2025-03-19 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Visitor Centre, 1426 Pacific Rim Highway, 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.
Location: Tofino Vistitor Centre Conference Room
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: March 19th

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
2025-04-14 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Community Hall
Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino, is a three-hour orientation session that 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.
Location: Tofino Community Hall
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: April 14th

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: Ucluelet
2025-04-14 17:00 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet, is a three-hour orientation session that 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 Tofino.
Location: Ucluelet Community Centre
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: April 14th

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
2025-04-28 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Community Hall, 351 Arnet Road, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R3A0, Canada
Part of the West Coast Ambassador Program:
Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino, is a three-hour orientation session that 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.
Location: Tofino Community Hall
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: April 28th

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. These programs are FREE.

Nuu-chah-nulth Land and Waters with ƛaʔuuk/Gisele Maria Martin
2025-05-01 17:00 - 20:00 | Tourism Tofino, 1426 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
Resident guests and visitors in Tofino are invited to an ntroduction session with Gisele Maria Martin to learn about Indigenous Nuucaanut/Nuu-chah-nulth Cultural Lifeways,
protocols, laws, and living teachings which protect this beautiful place, as well as early and ongoing contact and the importance of language.
Gisele is a Cultural Lifeways Guardian, language educator, storyteller and artist in the T la-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks located”in the Nuučaanuł of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Ḥawiiḥ
Location: Tourism Tofino Board Room
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Dates: May 1st
Free Event
Photo by Gisele Maria Martin.

Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet
2025-05-05 17:00 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet, is a three-hour orientation session that 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 Tofino.
Location: Ucluelet Community Centre
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: May 5th

About your Instructor: Silva Johansson is a naturalist, heritage interpreter, and interpretation skills trainer. She loves exploring the west coast – the beings, the places, the cultures, and the stories. Her connection to the BC coast began when she was growing up aboard the tall ship North Star of Herschel Island. She’s lived in Ucluelet since 1996. ⁠⁠ Silva currently works for Parks Canada as an Education Outreach Officer with the Coastal BC Outreach Team.⁠⁠ She also guides for the Wild Pacific Trail Society and Long Beach Nature Tours, and is an occasional volunteer interpreter at the Ucluelet Aquarium. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
⁣We are so privileged to have Silva live and work in our community! Now YOU have an opportunity to learn from her experience and soak up her knowledge of Ucluelet during this year’s West Coast Ambassador Program!⁣⁠⁠
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.

Coastal Raincoast Ecology in Ucluelet
2025-05-08 17:00 - 19:30 | Ancient Cedar Loop/Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet
This outdoor course focuses on our coastal temperate rainforest. From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, you will explore the many interactions that make up the fabric of this iconic habitat. Join us to discover the dynamic nature of old-growth forests!
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Where: The Ancient Cedar Trail on the Wild Pacific Trail
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Date: May 8th
This FREE program is offered as 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: Two Corvids, April Bencze, Capturing the Coast 2018

Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino
2025-05-12 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Community Hall, 351 Arnet Road, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R3A0, Canada
Small Town, Big Picture: Tofino, is a three-hour orientation session that 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.
Location: Tofino Community Hall
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: May 12th

These free West Coast Ambassador Programs are 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: Ucluelet
2025-05-12 17:00 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
Small Town, Big Picture: Ucluelet, is a three-hour orientation session that 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 Tofino.
Location: Ucluelet Community Centre
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: May 12th

About your Instructor: Silva Johansson is a naturalist, heritage interpreter, and interpretation skills trainer. She loves exploring the west coast – the beings, the places, the cultures, and the stories. Her connection to the BC coast began when she was growing up aboard the tall ship North Star of Herschel Island. She’s lived in Ucluelet since 1996. ⁠⁠ Silva currently works for Parks Canada as an Education Outreach Officer with the Coastal BC Outreach Team.⁠⁠ She also guides for the Wild Pacific Trail Society and Long Beach Nature Tours, and is an occasional volunteer interpreter at the Ucluelet Aquarium. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
⁣We are so privileged to have Silva live and work in our community! Now YOU have an opportunity to learn from her experience and soak up her knowledge of Ucluelet during this year’s West Coast Ambassador Program!⁣⁠⁠
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.

Marine Ecology
2025-05-14 17:30 - 20:00 | Ucluelet Aquarium, 180 Main St, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
Part of the West Coast Ambassador Program:
This 2- to 2.5-hour course explores the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, highlighting the incredible diversity of seaweeds, invertebrates, marine mammals, and more. Participants will also learn about local oceanographic conditions and the vital role this rich marine environment plays in sustaining life along this coast.

Beyond education, this course is about connection—helping people develop a deeper appreciation for this beautiful space and equipping them with the knowledge needed to care for it thoughtfully, especially in the face of growing pressures and increasing use. Through our exhibits, we facilitate in-depth conversations and hands-on activities that illustrate how every part of the ecosystem interacts, fostering a greater understanding of the intricate balance that sustains marine life.
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Ucluelet Aquarium
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Date: May 14th
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.

Marine Ecology
2025-05-21 17:30 - 19:30 | Ucluelet Aquarium, 180 Main St, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
This 2- to 2.5-hour course explores the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, highlighting the incredible diversity of seaweeds, invertebrates, marine mammals, and more. Participants will also learn about local oceanographic conditions and the vital role this rich marine environment plays in sustaining life along this coast.

Beyond education, this course is about connection—helping people develop a deeper appreciation for this beautiful space and equipping them with the knowledge needed to care for it thoughtfully, especially in the face of growing pressures and increasing use. Through our exhibits, we facilitate in-depth conversations and hands-on activities that illustrate how every part of the ecosystem interacts, fostering a greater understanding of the intricate balance that sustains marine life.
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Ucluelet Aquarium
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Date: May 21st
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.

Coastal Raincoast Ecology in Tofino
2025-05-22 17:00 - 19:30 | Yellowgate Trail across from Pacific Sands Resort, Tofino
This outdoor course focuses on our coastal temperate rainforest. From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, you will explore the many interactions that make up the fabric of this iconic habitat.
Join us to discover the dynamic nature of old-growth forests!
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Where: Yellow Gate Trail (across from Pacific Sands)
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Date: May 22nd
This FREE program is offered as 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: Two Corvids, April Bencze, Capturing the Coast 2018

Nuu-chah-nulth Land and Waters with ƛaʔuuk/Gisele Maria Martin
2025-05-22 17:00 - 20:00 | Tourism Tofino, 1426 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
Resident guests and visitors in Tofino are invited to an introduction session with Gisele Maria Martin to learn about Indigenous Nuucaanut/Nuu-chah-nulth Cultural Lifeways,
protocols, laws, and living teachings which protect this beautiful place, as well as early and ongoing contact and the importance of language.
Gisele is a Cultural Lifeways Guardian, language educator, storyteller and artist in the T la-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks located”in the Nuučaanuł of the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Ḥawiiḥ
Location: Tourism Tofino Board Room
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Dates: May 22nd
Free Event
Photo by Gisele Maria Martin.
