Raincoast is in the News!
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We`re excited to gear up for Mushrooms of the West Coast 🍄🟫
A Raincoast Institute Weekend Field Course: October 11 - 13th
We`re thrilled to welcome back Dr. Andy MacKinnon for his 11th year! Andy is a forest ecologist from Metchosin, BC, with expertise in BC’s native plants, fungi, and lichens. He’s the co-author of Mushrooms of British Columbia and six other field guides on plants of western North America. Currently, he serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University and is the past President of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society.
Joining Andy for his second appearance as co-instructor is Dr. Kem Luther. A Canadian citizen residing in Victoria, Kem has lived across North America and taught at several universities. In addition to his academic contributions, Kem is a published author, with his writing aimed at non-academic readers since the early 1990s. Along with Andy, he co-authored Mushrooms of British Columbia.
We also want to give a huge shout-out to Dr. Shannon Berch, who has generously contributed to our program for many years as a co-instructor with Andy. Though Shannon is retiring from the Mushrooms of the West Coast course, she will continue her incredible work in the field of mycorrhizal fungi.
We are deeply grateful to our course instructors, true experts in their fields, who come to the West Coast to share their knowledge and passion with us. Their dedication and enthusiasm are truly legendary. 🙏🏽
For more information or to register, follow the 🔗 in our bio.
Sep 11
The coastal temperate rainforests in British Columbia are unlike any other kind of forest in the world , they’re quite the treet! 🌲
Not only do the Rainforests on Vancouver Island make up over half of all coastal temperate rainforests in the world, but they are also largely influenced by the marine environment. 🪼
A study was done at the University of Victoria in 2002 to assess the impact that marine nutrients have on our forests and it was found that up to 75% of all Nitrogen (N15) found in our forests are marine-derived. 🌊 This means that there is a strong correlation between the health of our forests and the health of our salmon. 🎏
Therefore, the decline in our fish stocks could mean a reel problem for the conservation efforts of our forests. 🐟 Our West Coast forests are an essential habitat and we must do our part to preserve it as best as we can! 🌎
#research #rainforests #nerd #tofino #ucluelet #vancouverisland #events #science #researchers #fieldwork #workinginnature #nature #outdooreducation #learning #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #natureschool
Sep 9
Puffin’ Around!
Did you know that the Clayoquot Sound is home to a colony of Tufted Puffins? Puffins are expert fishers, diving up to 200 feet to catch their prey, and their burrowing habits help aerate the soil. 🐧
During breeding, yellow feather tufts appear on the side of their heads! From June to September, they come in from offshore and burrow in coastal cliffs and islands to lay eggs and breed little pufflings. 🦜
They nest in colonies along the Pacific Rim, from northern California to Alaska and along Asia, making them a key species for maintaining the health of this unique environment. ✨
In the Clayoquot Sound region, they nest in the rugged cliffs of Cleland Island Ecological Reserve, an island northwest of Tofino where breeding populations of many seabirds nest. 🏞️
Next time you`re out on the water, keep an eye out for these avian anglers! 🌊
#research #shorebirds #nerd #tofino #ucluelet #vancouverisland #events #science #researchers #fieldwork #workinginnature #nature #outdooreducation #learning #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #natureschool
Sep 6
Nature’s own flycatchers!
🌿 Feeling a bit `dew`zy? Meet the sundew—Clayoquot Sound`s own plant with a taste for flies! Drosera, which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species! 🦠
🌱 Ever wondered how sundews catch their meals? This little carnivore lures insects, traps them with its sticky, dew-like glands on their leaf surface and digests them. It`s like nature`s own flypaper, but way cooler! 🦟
✨ Long tentacles protrude from their leaves, each with a sticky gland at the tip. These tips look like droplets of dew glistening in the sun, thus their name. The glands produce nectar to attract prey, powerful adhesive to trap it, and enzymes to digest it.
Located in Clayoquot Sound’s bogs, look for these beautiful but deadly carnivores; they`re `dew-lightful` to observe! 🌟
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#research #shorebirds #nerd #tofino #ucluelet #vancouverisland #events #science #researchers #fieldwork #workinginnature #nature #outdooreducation #learning #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #natureschool
Sep 4
What do jellyfish eat for breakfast? Floatmeal! 😋
Just kidding! Jellyfish have a very diverse diet – they eat plankton, crustaceans, plants, small fish, and sometimes even other jellyfish! But how does this boneless, brainless and bloodless organism eat? 🪼
A typical Jellyfish will have basic sensory organs and a simple digestive cavity at their center that acts as a stomach, intestine and esophagus all in one. They wait for their prey to brush up against a tentacle. This triggers the stinger cells (known as nematocysts) to release a tiny venomous barb that paralyses the prey. Once the prey is stuck, the jellyfish contracts and pulls its tentacles up and brings it to the digestive cavity. Here it will be digested, and the nutrients can be absorbed and distributed. Any material that can’t be used is expelled out of the same cavity! 🌊
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#research #shorebirds #nerd #tofino #ucluelet #vancouverisland #events #science #researchers #fieldwork #workinginnature #nature #outdooreducation #learning #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #natureschool
Sep 2
We are hiring! We are looking for a full-time ambassador/interpreter to staff the newly created Amphitrite House Interpretive Center. Greet visitors and share your passion and knowledge of the ecology and history of our region!
Are you nerdy about nature? A history buff? Someone who gets excited about sharing your knowledge and excitement with others? If so, this could be your dream job!
Job title: Ecological Ambassador
🌿 Full time, year round position.
🌿 Frontline position, focused on visitor engagement and natural
history interpretation.
🌿 Wage $21 an hour but commensurate with experience and
qualifications.
A successful applicant will have a solid background in general ecology and local history, but more importantly a passion to learn more! Any sales experience is a plus.
To Apply: send your resume to mark@raincoasteducation.org
#tofino #ucluelet #education #tofinojobs #uclueletjobs #tofinohiring #ucluelethiring #hiring #raincoasteducationsociety #ecological #ambassador #cooljob
Aug 27
🌊 Come & lean about how & what is involved in a Beach Seine - ocean creatures - ecosystems - cool stuff - Tuesday August 27th! This is an opportunity to get some hands-on experience and discover the critters that live in eelgrass meadows 🌱
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🦪 When: Tuesday , August 27th, 1 - 4pm
🦀 Where: Meet on the beach in front of Tofino Sea Kayaking (320 Main St.)
🐚 Who: Everyone welcome, all ages!
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Don`t forget your gumboots!! -this program will run rain or shine! See all of our FREE Summer Programming in the 🔗 in our bio.
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#eelgrass #beachseine #outdoorclassroom #getoutside #neverstoplearning #explorebc #yourtofino #tofino #pnw #lovewhereyoulive
Aug 27
Black Bears are the topic tomorrow on the Wild Pacific Trail with the RES!
Black bears on the West Coast are intertidal foragers-meaning they love to eat mussels, crabs and barnacles. The West Coast is one of the best places to learn about bears so don’t miss your chance! 🌿🦀
Drop in between 10am & 4pm, Tuesday August 27th. We are on the Lighthouse Loop in the Discovery Tent!
📸 Matthew Maran
#raincoasteducationsociety #outdooreducation #raincoasteducation
#wildpacifictrail #discoverucluelet #shorebirds #learning #outdoored #experientallearning #naturebasedlearning #natureschool #tofino #ucluelet #vancouverisland #events #communityevents
#explorebc #explorecanada #britishcolumbia
Aug 27
