Shorebirding by Traditional Style Canoe
2019-05-04 12:30 - 16:30 (America/Vancouver) | T’ashii Paddle School, 1258 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
With Nuu-chah-nulth guide Tsimka Martin and Raincoast Education Society birding guide
12:30 pm – 4:30 pm
T’ashii Paddle School
$89 per person + tax
One of the most unique experiences in Tofino, join a Nuu-chah nulth guide for a paddle in a traditional dugout cedar canoe up Lemmens Inlet to the mudflat area to explore the mudflats at high tide – a perfect way to get up close to shorebirds foraging during their annual migration north. This is a form of transportation that has been used on the west coast of Vancouver Island for thousands of years, making it a special way to learn about local indigenous history and culture as well enjoy some wonderful birding.
Space is limited to 5 people. Please book your trip online at T’ashii Paddle School or call 250-266-3787.

Birding on the Mudflats
2019-05-04 09:30 - 12:30 | Tofino Botanical Gardens, 1084 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
with bird guide Ian Cruickshank from Parks Canada
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Tofino Mudflats @ the Tofino Botanical Gardens – follow trail to beach area (1084 Pacific Rim Highway)
FREE event
This is the best opportunity to spend some time down on the Tofino mudflats to view flocks of shorebirds foraging and resting during their annual migration north. The mudflats at this location offers a viewing platform, a beach area, as well as a forest trail walk to another open bay for shorebird viewing. Several expert birders will be on hand to help you make the most of the best time of day for watching shorebirds – the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view (high of 3.1 m @ 13:31 pm). This is a great event for both new and experienced birders, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area.
Bring your binoculars or spotting scope, or else we will have a couple to share. No dogs please.

Shorebirding 101
2019-05-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Long Beach Lodge Rainforest Room, 1441 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, Canada
with Shanti Davis from the Raincoast Education Society
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Long Beach Lodge Function Room (1441 Pacific Rim Highway)
FREE event
After Birder’s Breakfast in the Great Room, come downstairs for an introduction to birding and shorebird identification. We will go over some key points to help you identify and recognize the common shorebird species you can expect to see around Tofino in the spring. Identifying shorebirds can seem daunting at first, but becoming familiar with a few basic features such as bill shape and size is a sure-fire way to take your birding to the next level.
We encourage you to head over to the Tofino Botanical Gardens after this presentation wraps up for some first-hand observations of shorebirds on the mudflats.

Opening Night of the Tofino Shorebird Festival
2019-05-03 18:00 - 21:00 | Middle Beach Lodge, Middle Beach Lodge, 400 MacKenzie Beach Road, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
Welcome to the 22nd Annual Tofino Shorebird Festival!
with guest speaker Dr. Grant Gilchrist, Research Scientist with ECCC
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Middle Beach Lodge Conference Room (400 MacKenzie Beach Road)
$20 per person ($15 for kids) *tickets must be purchased in advance, limited seating
We will kick off the Tofino Shorebird Festival with a social evening to celebrate the migration of the shorebirds, meet other bird enthusiasts, and go over the festival schedule while enjoying food and drink. The meet and greet will be followed by a presentation from Dr. Grant Gilchrist, an ECCC Research Scientist.
Research in a Changing Arctic: Conservation Biology of Arctic Birds
We often view the Arctic as a pristine wilderness largely free of environmental threats, but times are changing. Climate change can influence species directly by modifying their physical environment, or indirectly by altering interactions among organisms. For example, changes affecting the ecology of top predators are expected to be a particular concern because variation in predator behaviour has the potential to restructure food webs and lead to cascading ecological impacts on prey populations. From egg-eating polar bears to insatiable snow geese, Grant will examine a number of fascinating case studies tracking the response of waterfowl, seabirds and shorebirds to shifts in climate and local conditions on their Arctic breeding grounds.
Space is limited, with tickets available for purchase to the left of this page.
Ticket purchase includes hors d’oeuvres, one drink ticket, and the evening presentation. This event will fill up quick so please get your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

Dr. Grant Gilchrist is a Research Scientist at the National Wildlife Research Centre in Ottawa (Environment and Climate Change Canada) and currently an adjunct professor at Carleton University, Acadia University, McGill University, and the University of Windsor. Early in his career he was influenced and inspired by several long-term ecological studies led by Jamie Smith (song sparrows, University of British Columbia), Tony Gaston (seabirds, Environment Canada), and Ian Stirling (Polar Bears, Environment Canada). These studies not only quantified environmental change over time, but also the often-complex responses of wildlife to these changes. These rare studies were instrumental when detecting ecological change driven by extreme weather events, diet shifts, the emergence of diseases, and climate change; all issues that might otherwise have gone undetected.
After joining Environment Canada in 1995, Grant worked to emulate these studies when designing his own research program to address Federal priorities to conserve Arctic birds and ecosystems. He now leads multidisciplinary research programs in the field to provide insights into the underlying processes of Arctic bird ecology. These include foraging behaviour, reproduction, migration, winter distribution, and how birds are affected by changing climate and emerging diseases in the north. His studies are very collaborative and multidisciplinary in nature; linking academia, government, industry, and Indigenous organizations. He takes a particular interest in communicating his scientific discoveries to the public and supporting early career scientists.

Small Town, Big Picture - TAP Session
2019-05-01 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Community Hall, 351 Arnet Road, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R3A0, Canada
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 locals information about living and working in Tofino.
This course is a suggested prerequisite for other courses.
Location: Tofino Community Hall in the multi-purpose room (351 Arnet Road)
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: May 1, May 8, May 9, May 15, May 22, June 5, June 12, June 13
Participants of the Ambassador course will receive an Ambassador Card. Show your card for discounts and benefits at many local businesses!
This program is offered as a joint initiative of the Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Raincoast Education Society. Thank you to the District of Tofino for donating this space. Tourism Tofino is the main sponsor of this FREE program, along with the Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards gala event (May 9th).

Marine Ecology - TAP Session
2019-04-30 17:00 - 20:00 | Tofino Community Hall, 351 Arnet Road, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R3A0, Canada
This three-hour session focuses on the rich marine environment that plays an integral role in life on this coast. This course will cover the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems of Clayoquot Sound, including seaweeds, invertebrates, and marine mammals (and more!) as well as local oceanographic conditions.
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Location: Tofino Community Hall in the multi-purpose room (351 Arnet Road)
Time: 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Dates: April 30, May 16, June 3
Participants of the Ambassador course will receive an Ambassador Card. Show your card for discounts and benefits at many local businesses!
This program is offered as a joint initiative of the Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Raincoast Education Society. Thank you to the District of Tofino for donating this space. Tourism Tofino is the main sponsor of this FREE program, along with the Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards gala event (May 9th).

Birds of the West Coast 2019
2019-04-26 19:00 - 2019-04-28 13:00 | Tofino Botanical Gardens, 1084 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
This course is now full! Email us to be added to the waitlist in case of cancellation.

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. Tofino in particular is well-known birding hot-spot. Expansive mudflats 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.
In this three day workshop (Friday evening until Sunday noon), participants will be introduced to the general ecology and biology of birds with an emphasis on the species commonly found in and around Clayoquot Sound. 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. Although participants will certainly learn how to ID common species, extensive birding experience is NOT required.

Course Registration is $280 per person, and includes Sunday’s boat trip and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Course instructor Mark Maftei’s passion for birds has taken him around the globe, from Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic to South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean. Although he specializes in Arctic species, Mark’s more recent work with Environment Canada focused on ecological studies of colonial seabirds along the BC coast. Mark has been involved with several projects right here in Clayoquot Sound, and he has a unique insight into the ecology of the region. Mark is also the Executive Director of the Raincoast Education Society.

Weekend Schedule (subject to change):
Friday (7:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
Darwin’s Cafe at the Tofino Botanical Gardens

Introduction to the general biology and ecology of birds.
What makes birds unique?
How have they adapted to the habitats in which they live?

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 – 10:00 am)
Darwin’s Café

· Basic ID skills – what to look for in the field

(10:00 am – 4:00 pm) Field

We will spend the day outside looking at birds in a number of habitats around Tofino

(6:00 pm – 8:00 pm) Darwin’s Café

Life History – what are the strategies and adaptations birds have evolved to thrive in virtually every single habitat on earth?

Sunday (6:00 am – 1:00 pm)
Field

Boat trip! We will spend the day on the water observing and learning more about seabirds, the coolest birds of all!

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

Shorebird Shoreline Clean up
2019-04-13 10:30 - 13:30 | Tofino Botanical Gardens, 1084 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
In preparation for an annual feeding frenzy, and to salute World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), the Raincoast Education Society, along with partners, the Tofino Botanical Gardens, Surfrider Pacific Rim, and Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society, will be cleaning up plastic pollution from the mudflats shoreline.
The Tofino Mudflat areas and adjacent beaches bustle with busy bills frantically fueling up for a long and arduous journey. With 10’s of 1000’s of these feathered friends due to arrive on the shorelines, and the 22nd annual Tofino Shorebird Festival both quickly approaching, the aim is to help restore this critical stopover site and ensure the success of each bird along its migration route.
If you’d like to learn more, stop by The Tofino Botanical Gardens, on April 13, 2019, from 10:30-1:30. Better yet, grab a bucket and some friends, head to your favourite beach or area of the Inlet, and help us this spring, as we welcome back the birds.

Raincoast Walk
2019-04-05 10:00 - 11:30 | Tofino, Tofino, BC, Canada
Come learn about local ecology and the connection between the land and the sea, with Raincoast Education Society biologist. Meet at the Whale Lot (Lighthouse Loop). Rain or shine!

Orcas at Risk? Culture & Conservation of West Coast Killer Whales
2019-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Tofino Botanical Gardens, 1084 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
The plight of Southern Resident Killer Whales has received international attention in recent years. Too much noise, disturbance and contaminants, and –– perhaps most importantly –– insufficient food, have all played a role in putting this population at serious risk. But while Southern Residents are struggling, other killer whale populations along the west coast are thriving. In this lecture, cetacean research biologist Dr. John Ford describes the importance of cultural traditions in the lives of orcas and how these dictate where they go, who they associate with, what they eat, and, ultimately, how well they can cope with a changing marine environment.
