SAMPLE LEARNING ACTIVITIES, PROJECTS & DISCUSSION TOPICS

We have compiled a few examples of learning activities that your group may wish to incorporate into your curriculum. We look forward to assisting you with logistical support and connecting you with local people and organizations. Please contact us if you have any questions about how to put these or other ideas into action.

ACTIVITY: Gardening in the Rainforest
A variety of horticultural activities are available on our property, including establishing experimental plots, hauling brush and everything in-between.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Invite George Patterson, founder and Director of Tofino Botanical Gardens Foundation to walk your group around the gardens and discuss the horticultural techniques used throughout the garden.
• Invite Carmen Bell from Clayoquot Botanicals to discuss her business of growing herbs in Tofino Botanical Gardens to create medicinal products.

ACTIVITY: Rainforest walks
There are numerous trails and boardwalks through the old-growth temperate rainforest in Tofino Botanical Gardens, Pacific Rim National Park, District of Tofino and the many BC Provincial Parks.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Rainforest ecology interpretive talk
• Discussion and examples of Traditional Nuu-chah-nulth uses of western red cedar
• Discussion of historical and current logging practices in Clayoquot Sound: social, ecological and economic implications
• Develop an old-growth rainforest trail guide

ACTIVITY: Hike the outer-coast beaches
Long Beach, Florencia Bay and many other long stretches of exposed sandy beaches with rocky outcrops provide an excellent classroom to study coastal ecological interactions and west coast history. University groups with a sense of adventure may be interested in a two-five night hike: this could be as easy as a one night stay at the Vargas Inn, or a 5 day hike on a coastal trail.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Beach clean-up while learning about toxins and hazards that are regularly discharged into the ocean
• Intertidal wildlife identification and interpretive talks with local biologists
• Collecting found objects to design and build artwork

ACTIVITY: Hike or Paddle the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area
Our property backs onto the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area, which is an excellent outdoor classroom to investigate nutrient and tide cycles, marine invertebrates; shorebirds bald eagles, and waterfowl; the eelgrass community.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Invertebrate Survey and Identification
• Edible Mudflats: Sample some of the edible species
• Sketching the sunrise on Raccoon Island
• Tidal Meditation

ACTIVITY: Sea Kayak Half-day through Multi-day Excursions
Tofino and Clayoquot Sound are world renowned sea kayak destinations. There is a variety of multi-day sea kayaking trips in the area, including stays on remote, protected beaches or at an island inn in Clayoquot Sound. Learn first-hand about currents, tides, and local natural history by participating in the temperate coastal ecological interactions.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Kayak and marine safety
• A trip to Meares Island Tribal Park for an interpretive hike on “The Big Tree Trail” (day trip).
• Photographing harbour seals, marbled murellets and great blue herons (day trip)
• Observing bald eagle nest sites (half-day trip)
• Wilderness skills
• Multi-day species observation and cataloging projects

ACTIVITY: Whale Watching, Black Bear Viewing and Marine Wildlife Exploration
Tofino is home to numerous marine tour and charter companies that guarantee whale and black bear sightings. With so many whales and bears around, it is often easy to forget about the other marine wildlife that is seen along the way. Sea Otters are coming back to Clayoquot Sound after decades of extirpation, Steller Sea Lions lounge on rocks, and a sharp eye will catch Harbor Porpoises diving down as your boat passes by.

Sample Topics and Projects

• Whale watching and black bear watching charters leaving from Tofino’s harbour
• Marine mammal conservation projects and speakers
• Investigating the remarkable story of the Sea Otter’s return to Clayoquot Sound
• Photographing Steller Sea Lions, Tufted Puffins and Rhinoceros Auklets