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Field Trips

Tuesday May 11 is the Field Trip Day. Most field trips are just for the morning to allow to some free time in the afternoon, and so that you can attend the Poster Session from 3:00 - 6:00 pm.
 
Some field trips are free of charge, and others have costs attached to them. Prices include ALL TAXES. Please read below then click to register for a field trip. 
 
You can only choose only one field trip. Once you have signed up, you will receive a confirmation by email. You will receive confirmation of all trip details before the Congress, as well as in your Congress Packages.
 
 
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The Nuu-chah-nulth Trail   (4 hrs, FREE)
 

The Nuu-chah-nulth trail is an interpretive trail that links Florencia Bay to Long Beach, in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Starting at the Wickaninnish Centre, about 28 km south of Tofino, it is an easy 2.5 km hike that follows the remnants of an early path used by the Nuu-chah-nulth traveling between what are now Tofino and Ucluelet. Join PRNPR staff and Ucluelet First Nations hosts to walk part of this trail and learn more about the relationship between the Park and First Nations. There will be for further exploration.

  • Outdoor walking on gravel path with some hills required, about 2-4 km round trip depending on your interest.
  • Wear sturdy shoes, warm clothes and bring rainjacket
  • Bring water bottle. Snack provided.

Click here to register for the Nuu-chah-nulth Trail. (Don't forget to read the rest of the options FIRST!)
 
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Schooner Cove Rainforest Interpretive Walk and visit to the Tla-o-qui-aht Community of Esowista    (4 hrs, FREE)
 
Join Pacific Rim National Park Reserve interpreter Carl Sieber for a fascinating walk down the 1 km boardwalk trail to Schooner Cove (about 12 km south of Tofino). Carl will discuss the ingredients of a coastal temperate rainforest – with plenty of time to explore the beautiful Schooner Cove beach. Walk back through the Tla-o-qui-aht Community of Esowista, to meet community residents!

  • Outdoor walking on boardwalk with stairs.
  • Wear sturdy shoes, warm clothes and bring rainjacket
  • Bring water bottle. Snack provided.

 Click here to register. (Don't forget to read the rest of the options FIRST!)
 
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Tofino Botanical Gardens: An ethnobotanical and mudflat interpretive walk at  (4 hrs, FREE)
 
Join local naturalist Jen Pukonen for a fascinating ethnobotanical walk down to the Tofino Mudflats, with specific focus on three plants that are used by the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Jen recently completed her masters degree with Dr. Richard Atleo and Dr. Nancy Turner on Nuu-chah-nulth Root Gardens, and has worked as a naturalist in British Columbia for over eight years.
 
After spending time with Jen, you'll then join George Patterson - director of the Tofino Botanical Gardens - to hear the story about the development and creation of the Tofino Botanical Gardens. George lived in Boston, Florida, and Costa Rica before moving to Tofino in the 1990s. In 1997, he began building the Tofino Botanical Gardens, opening it to the public in 1999. After spending some time with George, you'll understand how this whimsical and educational garden came into being, and what its future is.
 
This event then culminates in an optional salmon bbq lunch at the Gardens (~$15-20 per person) 

  • Outdoor walking on sidewalk, gravel trails, and cobble beach
  • Wear sturdy shoes, warm clothes and bring rainjacket
  • Bring water bottle. Snack provided.
  • Event culminates with salmon bbq at the Botanical Gardens for lunch (small fee will apply)  

 
Click here to register for the Tofino Botanical Gardens trip.
 
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The Healing Fair – A field trip for the mind, body and spirit.   (2-6 hrs, you choose the length of time to stay, FREE
 
Enjoy a day of healing at Tofino's Botanical Gardens -- an excursion for the mind, body, and spirit.  The local healing community and surrounding First Nations invite you to cross cultural boundaries and experience a diversity of healing arts. Offerings include: massage, acupuncture, Reiki, reflexology, shiatsu, yoga, intuitive readings, herbal tea infusions, and much more.
 
The first part of this Healing Fair will provide an opportunity to visit each healing station and learn about the tradition or practice being featured, and you will be able to sign up for mini-treatment slots. Further details will be provided at the Congress.
 
Click here to register for the Healing Field Trip. (Don't forget to read the rest of the options FIRST!)
 
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Aquaculture Tour and Discussion (5 hrs with break for lunch on your own,  $32 per person)
Aquaculture is the growing of aquatic plants and animals for food. In Clayoquot Sound there are two predominant types of aquaculture operations - salmon farming and oyster farming. For this field trip, 20 people will have the opportunity to visit a salmon farm, and 10 people will have an opportunity to visit a shellfish farm. All 30 people will come back together after their tours for an hour-long discussion.
 
Option A: Salmon Farming Take a boat trip to visit one of Clayoquot Sound’s salmon farms (2.5 hrs). One group will visit an Atlantic salmon farm, the other group will visit a Chinook salmon farm. Upon return to Tofino, both groups will meet to discuss salmon farming issues in Clayoquot Sound. Click here to register and pay for the salmon farm tour.
 
Option B: Oyster Farming Join Tofino resident and oyster grower Michael Mullin for a boat trip up Lemmens Inlet to his oyster farm. Learn about the development of shellfish aquaculture on the west coast of Vancouver Island and what it’s like to be an oyster farmer. Click here to register and pay for the shellfish farm tour.
 
For both options,

  • Life jackets provided
  • Bring snack and water bottle
  • You will need to sign a waiver
  • Salmon farm visitors must provide their shoe size (for special boots that will be provided by the company)

 
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Sea Kayaking or Dugout Canoe Expeditions (3-4 hrs, depending on trip, see costs below)
 
These trips will take you out on the waters of Tofino Harbour and Clayoquot Sound under your own power. Everything changes when you are out on the water and you look back onto the village of Tofino, realizing that you are completely escaping an urban setting and heading towards either Meares Island (home of the Hanging Garden Tree and some of the tallest western red cedars in Canada) or the Tofino Mudflats (an internationally significant migratory shorebird stopover and source of many foods for the Tla-o-qui-aht people for generations). Kayaking and canoeing are two of the most wonderful ways to experience Clayoquot Sound. All equipment and instruction is provided, and all trips are suitable for beginners. Please pick one of three options below.
 
Option A: Sea Kayaking with Paddle West Kayaking to Meares Island (2-3 hrs, $32 Now FREE, thank you to Paddle West!). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
Option B: Sea Kayaking with Tofino Sea Kayaking to the Tofino Mudflats (2-3 hrs, $32 Now FREE, thank you to Tofino Sea Kayaking!). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
Option C: Dugout Canoe with Tla-ook Cultural Adventures to Meares Island (4 hrs, $81). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
For all options: 

  • Life jackets & equipment provided
  • Suitable for beginners
  • Bring snack and water bottle
  • You will need to sign a waiver

 
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Wildlife Watching Boat Trips in Clayoquot Sound (2.5-3 hrs, depending on trip, costs vary)

 
Going on a whale watch is a classic activity that many visitors to Tofino and Clayoquot Sound participate in. Imagine a fresh salty breeze, the open Pacific ocean, and the opportunity to see some of the Earth’s most amazing creatures. Most often viewed are the Pacific Grey Whales, either migrating or as summer residents. Humpback Whales are often seen throughout the season as well as Orca Whales (Killer Whales). There are a number of other animals which may be seen on a whale watching trip: harbour seals, eagles, sea lions, porpoises, sea otters, tufted puffins, murrelets, cormorants and more! Below are four different whale watching opportunities.
 
Option A: Remote Passages “Clayoquot Sound through the Eyes of First Nations” with First Nations guide (3 hrs, $98, 30' (10 m) covered boat with heated cabin). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
Option B: Jamie's Whaling Station Guided Whale Watching with Marla Barker (3 hrs, $78, 66' (20 m) covered boat with heated cabin, washroom and snack bar). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
Option C: Ocean Outfitters Guided Whale Watching with Peter Schulz, (2.5 hrs, $74, 30' (10 m) covered boat with heated cabin). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
Option D: The Tofino Whale Centre's Whale Watching on an open Boston Whaler (2.5 hrs, $67, uncovered 30' (10m) Boston Whaler). Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
  
For all options: 

  • Life jackets provided
  • If you have back, shoulder or neck problems these trips are not recommended
  • Option B is suitable for the elderly & pregnant women
  • Bring snack and water bottle
  • You will need to sign a waiver

  
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6-7 Hour Excursion to Hot Springs Cove and Hooksum (Hesquiaht First Nations Territory) ($218, lunch included, 12 people required for this trip to run)
 
Hooksum is an outdoor school based at Ayyi'saqh, Hesquiat Harbour, and the home of Hesquiat First Nation members Steve and Karen Charleson (who own and run the school). This field trip includes 1.5 hr boat trip (each way) through Clayoquot Sound to Hooksum, and a visit and lunch with Steve and Karen. Hooksum is located within a significant wilderness area, including heritage sites, old-growth forest stands of Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine, white pine and yellow cedar, and a fresh-water lake, a variety of coastal ecosystems and extensive off-shore reefs, boulder, cobble and sand beaches, sea caves, sheltered bays, kelp beds and mudflats. Guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience.

  • Life jackets provided
  • If you have back, shoulder or neck problems this trip is not recommended
  • Bring snack and water bottle
  • You will need to sign a waiver

 
Please click here to register for the Hooksum Trip
 
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Hot Springs Soak and Whale Watching (5 hrs, $92)
 
Hot springs soak and whales all in one! The Whale Centre’s signature tour is on a 30ft covered boat, the “Hootla - Kootla.” The thermal springs are located 1.5 hours north of Tofino in Hot Springs Cove. Disembark at the dock and make a 20-minute trek on a cedar boardwalk through old growth rainforest to the mineral rich pools and cascading waterfall. Bring a bathing suit and you too can soak in these magical springs.
 

  • Life jackets provided
  • If you have back, shoulder or neck problems this trip is not recommended
  • Bring snack and water bottle (water very important!)
  • Bring bathing suit and towel
  • You will need to sign a waiver

 
Please click here to register and pay for this trip.
 
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