The Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum welcomes visitors year-round. It's a great rainy day activity for the whole family. 

Hours: The museum typically opens daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hours may vary seasonally. 

The museum is closed on all statutory holidays.

Admission: They are a non for profit and entry is by donation, with the suggested amounts of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children and seniors . Special events and programs may have separate fees.

Guided tours: The museum offers one hour guided tours every Wednesday 11 am and 2pm that provide deeper insights into the exhibits and the history of Tofino. Reservations are recommended for larger groups.

Join the Raincoast Education Society for their 2025 Speaker Series! 

Under Stories | How I Capture the Secret World Beneath Our Feet

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. 

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!

RSVP to this session HERE

Photo credit: Raincoast Education Society

Join this event made possible by a Clayoquot Sound Neighbourhood Small Grant and Tourism Tofino to learn all about the importance of Breath!

• Learn the Indigenous worldview on the importance of Breath.
• Gain a scientific perspective - knowledge of the importance of our rainforest.
• Breathwork and yoga history - a brief overview of yoga’s origin for breathwork.
• Experience a healing circle that will tie the whole workshop together.

RSVP here for this FREE event. 

Ever wanted to see your world change for the better, but not sure where to start? Join Clayoquot Action for their Doing Democracy FREE workshop series and get the opportunity to learn essential tools for change-makers! 

This series of free workshops will take the mystery out of change-making, by examining the patterns of social movements around the world. You are welcome to join any or all of the series.

Clayoquot Action will present one tool per workshop, followed by a discussion of how you can apply them. These workshops will be extremely useful to anyone working for social change, whether by helping people, animals, or Nature.

Presenter Dan Lewis has 35 years of advocacy experience. These are the tools he uses daily.

8 STAGES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS - Workshop #1

All social movements go through stages—from business as usual, through ripening conditions, to movement take-off and ultimately achieving alternatives. Figuring out what stage your movement is at allows you to choose tactics most likely to succeed at that stage. Bill Moyer, author of Doing Democracy, mapped all this out back in the 1980s and even came to Tofino to offer a workshop—right before the rainforest movement achieved movement take-off! Presenter Dan Lewis was mentored by Bill himself.

Photo credit: Clayoquot Action 

Join the Raincoast Education Society for their 2025 Speaker Series! 

Under Stories | Introduction to the ecology and diversity of earthworms

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!

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.

RSVP to this session HERE

Photo credit: Raincoast Education Society

The Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum welcomes visitors year-round. It's a great rainy day activity for the whole family. 

Hours: The museum typically opens daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hours may vary seasonally. 

The museum is closed on all statutory holidays.

Admission: They are a non for profit and entry is by donation, with the suggested amounts of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children and seniors . Special events and programs may have separate fees.

Guided tours: The museum offers one hour guided tours every Wednesday 11 am and 2pm that provide deeper insights into the exhibits and the history of Tofino. Reservations are recommended for larger groups.

Ever wanted to see your world change for the better, but not sure where to start? Join Clayoquot Action for their Doing Democracy FREE workshop series and get the opportunity to learn essential tools for change-makers! 

This series of free workshops will take the mystery out of change-making, by examining the patterns of social movements around the world. You are welcome to join any or all of the series.

Clayoquot Action will present one tool per workshop, followed by a discussion of how you can apply them. These workshops will be extremely useful to anyone working for social change, whether by helping people, animals, or Nature.

Presenter Dan Lewis has 35 years of advocacy experience. These are the tools he uses daily.

4 ROLES OF ADVOCATES - Workshop #2

There are many different roles to play in any social movement—something for everyone! Understanding the 4 roles will help you figure out how best to join and support the movement of your choice. Each role can be played in an effective way which builds your movement, rather than ineffectively in ways that can harm your movement. Different roles may become more or less important, depending on which stage your movement is at. Ideally, an advocate will learn to play all 4 roles effectively.

Photo credit: Clayoquot Action 

Join the Raincoast Education Society for their 2025 Speaker Series! 

Under Stories | Notes from the Underground

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.

RSVP to this session HERE

Join the Raincoast Education Society for their 2025 Speaker Series! 

Under Stories | Spring Mushrooms: The Other Mushroom Season

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.

RSVP to this session HERE

Photo credit: Raincoast Education Society

Ever wanted to see your world change for the better, but not sure where to start? Join Clayoquot Action for their Doing Democracy FREE workshop series and get the opportunity to learn essential tools for change-makers! 

This series of free workshops will take the mystery out of change-making, by examining the patterns of social movements around the world. You are welcome to join any or all of the series.

Clayoquot Action will present one tool per workshop, followed by a discussion of how you can apply them. These workshops will be extremely useful to anyone working for social change, whether by helping people, animals, or Nature.

Presenter Dan Lewis has 35 years of advocacy experience. These are the tools he uses daily.

Spectrum of Allies - Workshop #3

It’s easy to think in black and white, and to divide your world into ‘us and them’. The real world is a bit more complicated—people defending the status quo may have the best of intentions, or may actually be onside with your movement’s goals, even though they work for the status quo. This session will help you to understand how to move people towards supporting your goals, even if they are on the other side of an issue.

Photo credit: Clayoquot Action 

The Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum welcomes visitors year-round. It's a great rainy day activity for the whole family. 

Hours: The museum typically opens daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hours may vary seasonally. 

The museum is closed on all statutory holidays.

Admission: They are a non for profit and entry is by donation, with the suggested amounts of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children and seniors . Special events and programs may have separate fees.

Guided tours: The museum offers one hour guided tours every Wednesday 11 am and 2pm that provide deeper insights into the exhibits and the history of Tofino. Reservations are recommended for larger groups.

Join the Raincoast Education Society for their 2025 Speaker Series! 

Under Stories | ‘SLIME-in’ the Pacific Northwest

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.

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?

RSVP to this session HERE

Photo credit: Raincoast Education Society

Ever wanted to see your world change for the better, but not sure where to start? Join Clayoquot Action for their Doing Democracy FREE workshop series and get the opportunity to learn essential tools for change-makers! 

This series of free workshops will take the mystery out of change-making, by examining the patterns of social movements around the world. You are welcome to join any or all of the series.

Clayoquot Action will present one tool per workshop, followed by a discussion of how you can apply them. These workshops will be extremely useful to anyone working for social change, whether by helping people, animals, or Nature.

Presenter Dan Lewis has 35 years of advocacy experience. These are the tools he uses daily.

Decolonisation with Pawa Haiyupis - Workshop #4

Aboriginal title and self-governance are linked to anything to do with Nature. Navigating quu’as (Indigenous) and settler tensions takes a team approach, ongoing reflection, and learning. It’s time for settlers to move beyond the paralysis and fear of doing something wrong, to sample and try new ways of improving this relationship. Innovation is born from diversity! Learn how you can join the journey towards decolonization together with Indigenous people. Facilitator pawatsqwačiił (pawa) is Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, French, and Scottish. She has 23 years of experience hosting spaces to explore difficult questions.

Photo credit: Clayoquot Action 

The Pacific Rim Whale Festival is an annual event celebrating the return of Pacific Grey Whales to the west coast of Vancouver Island on their Northern migration route. The week-long festival hosts a number of fun events throughout Tofino, Ucluelet, and the Pacific Rim National Park.

Stay tuned for more details about the full schedule! Check back regularly for updates. 

The Pacific Rim Whale Festival is a non-profit society that began over 30 years ago with a group of concerned citizens who wanted to create awareness about this pristine ecosystem, the endangered Grey Whale population, and coastal traditions. The festivities each spring are centered around these great ocean giants while focusing on their incredible migration and long-term protection.

The Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum welcomes visitors year-round. It's a great rainy day activity for the whole family. 

Hours: The museum typically opens daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hours may vary seasonally. 

The museum is closed on all statutory holidays.

Admission: They are a non for profit and entry is by donation, with the suggested amounts of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children and seniors . Special events and programs may have separate fees.

Guided tours: The museum offers one hour guided tours every Wednesday 11 am and 2pm that provide deeper insights into the exhibits and the history of Tofino. Reservations are recommended for larger groups.

More information to be shared in the New Year about this 5 day festival hosted by the Carving on the Edge Festival. 

The Raincoast Education Society's West Coast Ambassador Program “aims to build a strong and healthy community, encouraging a positive attitude among responsible citizens, improving community relations with visitors, and growing support for the diversity and well-being of area businesses.”

2025 Dates TBA

Who is the program for? All local residents including seasonal staff, newcomers, and business owners. All local residents new and old are welcome to participate in this great, free initiative to expand their knowledge of the area and increase their participation in the communities of Ucluelet and Tofino.

How do I register? It’s simple! Once current course dates are confirmed, click the course topic you wish to attend, complete the online registration form and mark your calendar!  You will receive an email confirmation from the Raincoast Education Society.

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.

The Tofino Clayoquot Heritage Museum welcomes visitors year-round. It's a great rainy day activity for the whole family. 

Hours: The museum typically opens daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. Hours may vary seasonally. 

The museum is closed on all statutory holidays.

Admission: They are a non for profit and entry is by donation, with the suggested amounts of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 for children and seniors . Special events and programs may have separate fees.

Guided tours: The museum offers one hour guided tours every Wednesday 11 am and 2pm that provide deeper insights into the exhibits and the history of Tofino. Reservations are recommended for larger groups.

The Raincoast Education Society's West Coast Ambassador Program “aims to build a strong and healthy community, encouraging a positive attitude among responsible citizens, improving community relations with visitors, and growing support for the diversity and well-being of area businesses.”

2025 Dates TBA

Who is the program for? All local residents including seasonal staff, newcomers, and business owners. All local residents new and old are welcome to participate in this great, free initiative to expand their knowledge of the area and increase their participation in the communities of Ucluelet and Tofino.

How do I register? It’s simple! Once current course dates are confirmed, click the course topic you wish to attend, complete the online registration form and mark your calendar!  You will receive an email confirmation from the Raincoast Education Society.

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.

The Wild Pacific Trail naturalists and other local partner organizations look forward to meeting you for walks and events at their Discovery Tent overlooking Amphitrite Lighthouse on the lighthouse Loop Trail section.

The Wild Pacific Trail is a unique outdoor classroom that offers incredible opportunities to connect people to nature. Their seasonal Discovery Tent at the lighthouse offers revolving topics for all ages.

Easy to walk, one-hour programs aim to engage both visitors and local communities. Topics range from natural to cultural history. 

Learning opportunities are offered most days of the week from June until September. Stay tuned for more details - full schedule of events coming soon!

Photo Credits: Wild Pacific Trail