Spring 2023

March 24, 2023

Spring is here! Have you been lucky enough to see the magical colors of the herring spawn, spotted a few migrating whales from shore, or started seeing new growth in your garden? Maybe you have felt the shift in the air or have noticed a change in your energy as the days get longer, warmer, and (sometimes) sunnier even here on the wet west coast! Spring is truly an exciting time of year and it is a great season to set new learning goals, and maybe even dive into something completely new. What will you focus on?

Past Event Success!

The West Coast N.E.S.T. hosted the Nuu-chah-nulth/Maa-nulth First Nation's Historical & Contemporary Relationship with Invertebrates event in early March and we were happy to see more than 30 participants join us at Big Beach in Ucluelet for the occasion. We were grateful for having Dennis Hetu as our guest speaker. Not only is he highly knowledgeable and kind, but he truly knows how to captivate an audience with great storytelling and humor. Thank you to everyone who has joined us and we look forward to hosting other similar events in the future!

Carving Club with Robinson Cook

The Carving Club is an informal gathering of carving artists hosted by the Carving on the Edge Festival. It is an opportunity for carvers to hang out and ply their craft in the company of each other. The carving Club was inspired by the desire to sustain the energy of the creative community that is felt at the biennial Carving on the Edge Festival and to create a place to come together to perpetuate this art form. Make sure to join them on April 5th & April 19th, 2023, everyone is welcome! Bring projects that you are currently working on or contact the Carving on the Edge Festival if you aren't sure where to start.

Growing West Coast Gardeners Workshop Series

This is a 4 module workshop series from the Tofino Community Food Initiative designed to support the beginner gardener to grow food on the coast. At the end of this program, every participant will have successfully grown produce from their garden, they will have received tangible tools & information to advance their foundational knowledge of gardening in our climate and they will have made clear choices to plan their gardening space. Are you ready to grow?

SKILS Spring Courses

Have you always wanted to become a sea kayak guide or become a more proficient paddler? This spring, SKILS is offering multiple courses recognized by the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia that will suit your ability level. No matter if you are looking for your first paddling course or if you are a seasoned veteran, SKILS has you covered! Take a look at our courses page to learn more and get ready to have fun on the water this season.

International Lifesaving Spring Courses

You could earn your International Lifesaving certification in Tofino with experienced instructor Shandy Kariatsumari! This course is for surf instructors hired in Tofino and Ucluelet or for anyone 15 years and older looking to build their surf lifesaving skills. It is a great opportunity to get your universally recognized, global standard water safety course and certification for surfing and stand-up paddle (SUP) coaches and instructors.

Human-Wildlife Coexistence

Did you know that you can take the Bear Safety when Recreating course and the Wildlife Awareness and Safety Level 1 course online at your own pace with WildSafeBC's digital platform? The spring is a good reminder to do our best to coexist with all the amazing wildlife that calls the west coast home as many of them will start getting more active in the region. These resources are full of tips and tricks, make sure to check them out!

The West Coast N.E.S.T. hosted a two-day Youth Career Exploration Camp!

Led by local experts, the workshop included an introduction to interpretation guiding, marine biology, youth environmental stewardship as well as the behind-the-scenes of being a sea kayak guide. The goal of the event was to offer the opportunity for youth to acquire knowledge as well as be inspired by some of the different organizations and individuals that do incredible work in the natural sciences and ecotourism field in the region.

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