Celebrating the success of the first annual EcoFair
Trees to Seas EcoFair provided opportunities for education and building community connections and in the process raised $15,000 toward the protection of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest.
After a record-breaking 100-day drought in the Salish Sea region, the morning of October 22nd dawned to the welcome sound of a light rain, the perfect beginning to the first annual Trees to Seas EcoFair. Hosted by Raincoast, the Pender Islands Conservancy, and PenderPOD on S,DÁYES, EcoFair provided opportunities for land based education via such events as a Native Plant walk led by ethnobotanist, J.B. Willams, fungi forays led by Dr. Hugues Massicotte, and a meadow making restoration event at S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest. It also featured an EcoExpo, a chance to interact with conservation leaders from across the Salish Sea Region; an EcoGala, featuring music and storytelling, and many more events!
While the intention of EcoFair was to provide hands-on opportunities to participate in conservation action, it was also a fundraiser to bring Raincoast and the Pender Islands Conservancy closer to our goal of permanently protecting KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest. We are thrilled to announce that together we were able to raise over $15,000! This brings our fundraising total to $1,461,965. Though we still have $638,034 to raise by the end of the year, we are hopeful that with such a supportive community behind us we will be able to meet our ambitious fundraising target.
We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to all of the people who made the Trees to Seas EcoFair not only possible, but such a great success. This includes an incredible group of intrepid volunteers who helped with everything from initial planning, to weaving environmentally friendly wristbands, to hosting the silent auction, to preparing food for the EcoGala. It also includes all of the artists, businesses, and individuals who donated items to the silent auction.
The auction alone accounts for over $5,000 in donations raised! We are also so grateful to those who provided venues for EcoFair, including Sea Star Winery, the Pender Islands Community Hall, and the Studio at Hope Bay. A thank you is also due to all of the organizations and experts who made the EcoExpo such a success. It is so empowering to know that we have such a dedicated and knowledgeable conservation community in this region.
Finally, to all who attended EcoFair: a sincere and hearty thank you!
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Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
