Raincoast Education Society

Coastal Raincoast Ecology
2024-06-06 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-23 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-09 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Vancouver) | Ancient Cedar Loop/Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet
Part of the West Coast Ambassador Program: .Who knew old-growth forests are so dynamic? Far from being a static ecosystem our coastal temperate rainforest is always changing! From the forest floor to the top of the canopy, this course will explore the many interactions that make up the fabric of this iconic habitat. This is being led by Dr. Estelle Arebellay, join Estelle while we explore questions and ideas utilizing the Yellogate Trail & the Ancient Cedar Loop on the Wild Pacific Trail.
This course is in 2 different locations depending on the date: The Ancient Cedar Trail on the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet & the Yellowgate Trail in Tofino
Small Town, Big Picture is a suggested prerequisite for this course.
Ucluelet Location: The Ancient Cedar Trail on the Wild Pacific Trail
Time: 5:00 – 7:30pm
Dates in Ucluelet: May 9, 23 & June 6
Dates in Tofino: May 16, 30 & 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 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

Marine Ecology
2024-06-05 17:00 - 19:30 | Ucluelet Aquarium, 180 Main St, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
Part of the West Coast Ambassador Program:This 2 – 2.5-hour course will cover the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, including seaweeds, invertebrates, and marine mammals (and more!) as well as local oceanographic conditions. Learn about the rich marine environment that plays an integral role in life on this coast. This course will cover the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems 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: Ucluelet Aquarium
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
In Person Dates: May 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12

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
2024-06-04 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: June 4, 11, 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.

Coastal Raincoast Ecology
2024-05-30 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-16 17:00 - 19:30 | Yellowgate Trail across from Pacific Sands Resort, Tofino

Marine Ecology
2024-05-29 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-22 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-15 17:00 - 19:30, 2024-05-08 17:00 - 19:30 | Ucluelet Aquarium, 180 Main St, Ucluelet, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
Part of the West Coast Ambassador Program:
This 2 – 2.5-hour course will cover the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, including seaweeds, invertebrates, and marine mammals (and more!) as well as local oceanographic conditions. Learn about the rich marine environment that plays an integral role in life on this coast. This course will cover the intertidal and pelagic ecosystems 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: Ucluelet Aquarium
Time: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
In Person Dates: May 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12

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
2024-05-28 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 28, June 4, 11, 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: Tofino
2024-05-21 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 21 & 28, June 4, 11, 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: Tofino
2024-05-14 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 14, 21 & 28, June 4, 11, 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
2024-05-13 17:00 - 20:00 | George Fraser Room @ Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Mattison Dr, Ucluelt, BC, 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: June 10, 17, 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
2024-05-07 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 7, 14, 21 & 28, June 4, 11, 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
2024-05-06 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 6, 13, June 10, 17, 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.

Birds of the West Coast 2024
2024-05-03 19:00 - 2024-05-05 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 $360. 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 Afternoon (3:00 pm – 5:00 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 focuses on shorebirds & will include current studies & research analysis.

Sunday (8:30 am – 1:30 pm)
In the 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!
Wrap up at the RES office in Ucluelet

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 lunches, snacks, water/drinks on both days

The Coast with the Most: the Birds of Western Vancouver Island Presentation with Mark Maftei. 🪶
2024-05-03 19:00 - 20:30 | George Fraser Room @ Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Mattison Dr, Ucluelt, BC, V0R 3A0, Canada
Mark will present a broad overview of avian ecology with a focus on the birds of BC. What makes this place unique? What are some of the unique birds that live here?⁠ ⁠

Birding on the Mudflats
2024-05-03 09:30 - 12:00 | Hotel Zed Tofino, 1258 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R 2Z0, Canada
On the birding platform at Hotel Zed
FREE Drop-by Event
Friday May 3rd, 9:30am -12pm
Find fellow birders, spotting scopes and bird guides Mark Maftei from the RES & Liam Ragan from BC Nature!
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 offer some of the best and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat in Tofino. We’ve timed these session to coincide the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view. 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. Free Parking at Hotel Zed. No dogs please.

Birding on the Mudflats
2024-05-02 09:30 - 12:00 | Hotel Zed Tofino, 1258 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R 2Z0, Canada
On the birding platform at Hotel Zed
FREE Drop-by Event
Thursday May 2nd, 9:30am -12pm / Friday May 3, 9:30am -12pm
Find fellow birders, spotting scopes and bird guides Mark Maftei from the RES & Liam Ragan from BC Nature!
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 offer some of the best and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat in Tofino. We’ve timed these session to coincide the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view. 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. Free Parking at Hotel Zed. No dogs please.

Birding on the Mudflats
2024-05-01 16:00 - 18:00 | Hotel Zed Tofino, 1258 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R 2Z0, Canada
On the birding platform at Hotel Zed
FREE Drop-by Event
Wednesday May 1st, 4 – 6pm / Thursday May 2, 9:30am -12pm / Friday May 3, 9:30am -12pm
Find fellow birders, spotting scopes and bird guides Mark Maftei from the RES & Liam Ragan from BC Nature!
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 offer some of the best and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat in Tofino. We’ve timed these session to coincide the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view. 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. Free Parking at Hotel Zed. No dogs please.

Birding on the Mudflats
2024-04-30 15:00 - 17:30 | Hotel Zed Tofino, 1258 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R 2Z0, Canada
On the birding platform at Hotel Zed
FREE Drop-by Event
Tuesday April 30th, 3 – 5:30pm / Wednesday May 1, 4 – 6pm / Thursday May 2, 9:30am -12pm / Friday May 3, 9:30am -12pm
Find fellow birders, spotting scopes and bird guides Mark Maftei from the RES & Liam Ragan from BC Nature!
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 offer some of the best and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat in Tofino. We’ve timed these session to coincide the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view. 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. Free Parking at Hotel Zed. No dogs please.

Birding on the Mudflats
2024-04-29 15:00 - 17:30 | Hotel Zed Tofino, 1258 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino, British Columbia, V0R 2Z0, Canada
On the birding platform at Hotel Zed
FREE Drop-by Event
Monday April 29th, 3 – 5:30pm / Tuesday April 30, 3 – 5:30pm / Wednesday May 1, 4 – 6pm / Thursday May 2, 9:30am -12pm / Friday May 3, 9:30am -12pm
Find fellow birders, spotting scopes and bird guides Mark Maftei from the RES & Liam Ragan from BC Nature!
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 offer some of the best and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat in Tofino. We’ve timed these session to coincide the rising tide when birds are pushed up towards the upper mudflats for a better view. 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. Free Parking at Hotel Zed. No dogs please.

Shorebird Soiree 2024
2024-04-28 17:30 - 21:00 | Roar @ Hotel Zed, 1258 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC, V0R 2Z0, Canada
We are having a party to bring in the 25th Tofino Shorebird Festival which celebrates the shorebird migration and the Raincoast Education Society!! 🎉.
Sunday April 28th, the Raincoast Education Society will be having our annual Shorebird Soiree fundraiser from 5:30 – 9pm at Roar & Hotel Zed.
This event will be a magical evening of good food, good people, shorebirds flying in the disco room, a nod to the much missed lantern festival, and music played by Hayden Roth. The evening will highlight our years of shorebird research and educational initiatives. We have a lineup of incredible items for our silent auction – thank you to our amazing business community. Roar is cooking up some great food and happy hour drinks, we’ll have buck a shuck oysters, and RES merch for sale.
friends + silent auction + music + food + drink = fun
Keep an eye on @raincoasted for the silent auction preview with all the generous donations from our community!
🙏🏽. If ticket price is a barrier please contact us.

Hagfishes and Slime
2024-04-04 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
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 is likely one of its primary functions in life. The slime is composed of fine protein slime threads as well as a mucus component that comes packaged in tiny vesicles. When these components are ejected from the slime glands, they combine synergistically to form a slime mass in which a large volume of water is entrained. Recent work in this area focused on the deployment of both the fibrous and mucus components of the slime in seawater. We now know that the swelling of the mucus vesicles is accelerated by the presence of water pores known as aquaporins in the vesicle membranes. We have also recently shown that unraveling of protein threads from their coiled state involves the dissolution of a seawater soluble glue and the release of strain energy stored in the thread coils. Current research is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which slime threads are manufactured within the cytoplasm of gland thread cells and identifying the proteins involved in slime deployment.

About our Speaker: Dr. Fudge runs the Comparative Biomaterials Lab at Chapman University. As an undergraduate, he studied biology at Cornell University, followed by an M.A.T. in science education, also at Cornell. For his M.Sc. research, he worked on the biology of bluefin tuna at the University of Guelph, and then moved to the University of British Columbia for his Ph.D., where he worked on the biomechanics of hagfish slime in John Gosline’s lab. As an NSERC postdoctoral fellow, he worked on cell biomechanics in Wayne Vogl’s lab in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He joined the faculty in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph in 2005, where he worked until 2016.

Marine Mammals of the West Coast with Dr. John K. B. Ford
2024-03-22 19:00 - 2024-03-24 13:00 | BC
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 include the life history, ecology and behaviour of the better known species, as well as the history of their exploitation and current conservation status, and more! This weekend coincides with the peak of the spring grey whale migration, so there will be very good chances of viewing them plus other marine mammals during the two boat excursions into Clayoquot & Barkley Sounds.

Course Registration is $450 per person, and includes Saturday & Sunday’s boat trips.

About your instructor:

Dr. John K. B. Ford has been involved in field studies of marine mammals off Canada’s west coast since the mid 1970s. He is a research scientist (emeritus) at the Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, where he headed up the cetacean research program for 17 years. His main areas of research include the life history, ecology, behaviour and acoustic communication of cetaceans, especially killer whales. John is author of Marine Mammals of British Columbia (Royal BC Museum Handbook). He is a Co-Chair of the Marine Mammal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and a member of the IUCN’s Cetacean Specialist Group.

Weekend Schedule:
Friday Evening (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
George Fraser Room at the Ucluelet Community Centre

Presentation: marine mammals of the west coast with Dr. John K.B. Ford, exploring marine mammals of British Columbia, their natural history, exploitation and the current conservation status.

Saturday (8:30 am – 2:00 pm)

Explore marine mammals with John in Clayoquot Sound on the the Lukwa, this boat is part of the Jamie’s Whaling Station Tofino fleet

Saturday Afternoon (3:00 pm – 5:00 pm)
Hotel Zed in the Rec Room

Marine Mamal Presentation covering topics such as: general biology, including how they feed, communicate, reproduce and behave in the marine environment. Including their distribution, habitat, social organization, exploitation by humans, and conservation status

Sunday (8:30 am – 1:00 pm)

Explore marine mammals in Barkley Sound from zodiac boats, part of the Jamie’s Whaling Station fleet in Ucluelet
Group lunch and course wrap-up

*Important note about Zodiac Boats – please read before booking this course: Jamie’s Whaling Station does not recommend this boat to anyone with a history of serious medical conditions. These include, but are not limited to, anyone who is pregnant, those with back, neck or knee problems, osteoporosis, incontinence, recent surgery or limited mobility. Anyone under the height of 4’8″ (142cm) is also unable to ride in a zodiac.

Conservation Status of Marine Mammals of BC: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
2024-03-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Ucluelet Community Centre, 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet, British Columbia, V0R 3A0, Canada
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 Peoples for millennia, many marine mammals were driven to near extinction by uncontrolled exploitation following the arrival of Europeans. In this illustrated lecture, Dr. John Ford will provide an overview of the natural history of marine mammals of BC and describe their past exploitation and conservation status today.
When: Friday, March 22nd @7pm. By Donation
Where: Ucluelet Community Centre, George Fraser Room
*seating is limited so we are encouraging RSVP just so people aren’t driving to Ukee to find the event sold out

Are we Prepared for the Zombie (Fungi) Apocalypse?
2024-02-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
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. Though zombie fungi are best known from tropical and subtropical ecosystems, there are a number of species known from BC, and from Clayoquot Sound. These zombi fungi are the basis of the popular video game, and subsequent television series, ‘The Last of Us’.
About our Speaker: Dr. Andy MacKinnon is a forest ecologist who lives in Metchosin BC. His fields of study include BC’s native plants, fungi and lichens. Andy is co-authorof Mushrooms of British Columbia , and of six field guides to plants of western North America. He is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, and past President of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Andy is going on the 11th year of co-teaching RES’s “Mushrooms of the West Coast’ with the RES.

Giant Salamanders
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Event
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 hellbender (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis). In this talk, I will introduce my work on parental care, male-male combat, and conservation issues of the Japanese giant salamander.
The giant salamanders are top predators and thus ecologically important. They are also invaluable to our scholarly field because of their unique life history. Parental care, in particular male parental care, is rare among amphibians. In the giant salamanders, males provide prolonged parental care for embryos and larvae. The giant salamanders are fully aquatic and prey on small invertebrates and vertebrates through suction feeding. However, the giant salamanders have numerous sharp teeth, unlike aquatic, suction-feeding frogs with missing teeth. Our recent study on salamanders’ injuries revealed the intense male-male combats, suggesting the significant function of teeth as weapons.
My true passion is to use scientific data to promote the conservation of these charismatic and ecologically important species. I will end the talk with the conservation issues surrounding the species, including the construction of concrete banks and dams, the hybridization between the Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders, and climate change.

About our spearker: Dr. Mizuki Takahashi is an associate professor of biology and animal behavior at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania, USA. He was born in Hokkaido and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. As a child, Mizuki enjoyed his freedom and spent after-school hours chasing after small animals in the nearby forest while his parents worked as school teachers. His parents bought him a children’s picture book about giant salamanders, which instilled a strong interest in the species in his mind. He majored in forestry as an undergrad and a master’s student in Japan.
He came to the US in his late 20s with little English. Since then, he has studied ecology, evolution, and conservation of amphibians (along with American culture and English!). His current research focuses on the interspecific competition of local amphibians such as spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and the conservation ecology of the giant salamanders, the hellbenders and the Japanese giant salamander.
He is a co-editor of the international peer-reviewed journal Herpetological Conservation & Biology and co-charing the journal’s DEI committee. In 2022, he published a book, “Is Mass Extinction Going to Happen Again?” targeting teenagers and the lay audience in Japan (see the book cover on the right). He loves the outdoors: hiking, camping, fishing, mushrooming, and trail running.
More info on his lab website.
