Trees to Seas EcoFair, October 22nd-23rd
Join Pender Islands Conservancy, Raincoast, PenderPOD, and Pender Earth for a weekend of restoration, education, and environmental action from October 22-23.
This fall, Pender Islands Conservancy and Raincoast, alongside PenderPOD, are hosting a weekend full of conservation, education, restoration, and fun on S,DÁYES. EcoFair will span two days from October 22-23, 2022 featuring events across North and South Pender Islands. This event is open to Pender Island residents and visitors of all ages.
EcoFair Tickets
Attendance at EcoFair requires a wristband reservation. Wristbands are by donation (pay-what-you can). Some EcoFair events require pre-registration and/or additional payment.
All proceeds raised through event registration and other activities will support the permanent protection of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest.
Wristbands are available for purchase on EventBrite and can be picked up at the Pender Islands Conservancy Nature Centre at Hope Bay or or at the EcoExpo at The Pender Community Hall (upper level) between 10AM and 2PM on October 22.
Members of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations are invited to attend all events free of charge.
EcoFair events
Below is the final agenda of events planned throughout the weekend. Paper handbills will be available at locations across Pender Island as of October 15, 2022, including the Pender Conservancy Nature Centre at Hope Bay and the weekend market at the Community Hall. They will also be available at EcoExpo on October 22. Visit the accompanying Eventbrite page to register for select events.
Saturday October 22, 2022
| Time | Event | Location | Registration required? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10AM – 2PM | EcoExpo and Q&A An educational event featuring booths from organizations including Parks Canada, Raincoast, The Land Conservancy, and others. We will also be hosting conversational Q&A’s with conservation and sustainability experts throughout the afternoon. A new talk will begin at half past the hour, each hour of EcoExpo with the first commencing at 10:30AM. Learn more >> | Pender Islands Community Hall (4418 Bedwell Harbour Rd, Pender Island) | No | Free |
| 10AM – 3PM | Silent auction A chance to support the purchase of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest and win some amazing products and experiences from local businesses. Learn more >> | Hope Bay Studio(4301 Bedwell Harbour Rd, Pender Island) | No | Free |
| 11AM – 3PM | Native tree pick-up for independent planting The Pender Islands Conservancy will have a stock of native tree species available for affordable purchase at the Nature Centre at Hope Bay throughout EcoFair weekend. Those with an EcoFair wristband will receive one free tree while supplies last! We encourage all residents of S,DÁYES to plant a tree (or several) for the future! | Pender Islands Conservancy Nature Centre (4301 Bedwell Harbour Road) | No | Purchase required |
| 11AM – 12:30PM | Hike & big tree measuring tutorial with Shauna Doll of Raincoast Conservation Foundation An opportunity to learn how to identify characteristic tree species in BC’s coastal forests, measure the biggest trees you find, and nominate them to your local big tree registry. | Mount Menzies Trailhead(End of Hooson Road) | No | Free |
| 12:00pm-1:30pm | Native plant walk with J.B. Williams A guided native plant walk led by ethnobotanist and Knowledge Keeper, J.B. Williams. | Roseland, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (meet in front of Pender Islands Museum, 2408 South Otter Bay Road) | Yes (limit of 15 people) | Free |
| 11AM – 1:30PM | Fungi Foray with Hugues Massicotte A chance to walk about KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest and learn more about local mycology. Learn more >> | KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest(6621 Harbour Hill Drive) | Yes (limit of 15 people) | $15.00 per person |
| 1PM – 4PM | Restoration at QENENIW̱ (Hay Point) with PEPAḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation provides participatory education opportunities to contribute to the restoration and revitalization of native ecosystems in the W̱SÁNEĆ homelands. The QENENIW̱ Restoration Project seeks to heal the land through invasive species removal. Learn more >> | QENENIW̱ (Hay Point, South Pender Island) Parking available in back parking lot at Poet’s Cove. | No | Free |
| 7PM-9:30PM | Evening Gala Fundraiser Sample local wine, snacks, and mingle with conservation experts and fellow sustainably-minded folks. Featuring music by Lester Quitzau and storytelling by Faye Mogensen. Learn more >> | Sea Star Winery (6621 Harbour Hill Dr.) | Yes (limit of 40 people) | $50.00 |
Sunday October 23, 2022
| Time | Event | Location | Registration required? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-9AM | Rise and shine forest bath with Shoshana Scott Leave your phone behind and take an early morning meditative forest walk, inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku. | Roe Lake Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Meet on Shingle Bay Road) | Yes (limit of 15 people) | Free |
| 9AM- 11:30 | Fungi Foray with Hugues Massicotte A chance to walk about KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest and learn more about local mycology. | KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest(6621 Harbour Hill Drive) | Yes (limit of 15 people) | $15.00 per person |
| 10AM – 3PM | Silent auction A chance to support the purchase of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest and win some amazing products and experiences from local businesses. Learn more >> | Hope Bay Studio(4301 Bedwell Harbour Rd, Pender Island) | No | Free |
| 11AM – 3PM | Native tree pick-up for independent planting The Pender Islands Conservancy will have a stock of native tree species available for affordable purchase at the Nature Centre at Hope Bay throughout EcoFair weekend. Those with an EcoFair wristband will receive one free tree while supplies last! We encourage all residents of S,DÁYES to plant a tree (or several) for the future! | Pender Islands Conservancy Nature Centre | No | Purchase required |
| 1-4PM | Meadow Making with Shauna Doll Participate in creating a native plant meadow in S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest and learn more about the ecological benefits of restoring these special ecosystems. Plants generously provided by Pollinator Partnership Canada and Satinflower Nurseries. | S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest (3600 Sailor Road) | Yes (limit of 20 people) | Free |
EcoExpo
On Saturday, October 22, there will be an EcoExpo at the Pender Islands Community Hall from 9AM to 2PM. Entrance to the Eco-Expo is free and will not require a wristband. Attendees can visit informational tables hosted by representatives from a variety of organizations doing environmental work across S,DÁYES including Raincoast, the Pender Islands Conservancy, PenderPod, Pender Earth, Parks Canada, and others. A full list of participating organizations can be seen on the schedule.
Throughout the EcoExpo there will be Q&A-style talks scheduled with local conservation and sustainability experts. A schedule of talks will be posted in the coming weeks.
Silent Auction
A silent auction will take place throughout the weekend at the Studio at Hope Bay. All items in the silent auction have been donated by local and/or ethical/sustainable businesses, brands, and local tour operators. The suite of items have been curated to equip bid winners with everything they need to have a unique experience in the Gulf Islands/Greater Victoria region. Bids can only be made in person during EcoFair. Please note, if you are interested in bidding on the Untitled painting by Kim Pollard, as described in our Art Supporting Science article, you must attend the EcoFair Gala on October 22.
Donors to the Silent Auction include
Arc’teryx, North Park Bike Shop, Munro’s Books, Fjällräven Victoria, Tree of Life Eco Tours, Palli Paddle, Phillips Brewing & Malting Co., Patagonia, EcoCruising Tours, Symphony Vineyard, 10 Acres Restaurants & Farm, Driftwood Brewing Co., Zambri’s, Pender Island Kayak Adventures, Jo’s Place, Twin Island Cider, BC Liquor Store, Dara Woodworks, Marina Wright Art, Sandy Shreve, Kim Pollard, Peter Pare & Lisa Baile, Bev Peden, Slow Coast, Raincoast Conservation, Pender Pender Islands Conservancy, SeaDoc Society, Kelly Irving, Nancy Silo, Pender Pharmacy, Monica Bennett, Corinne F. Parker, and The Farmer’s Daughter.
Business Sponsorship
In addition to gaining access to the many planned EcoFair activities, those who make a donation to secure a wristband will have exclusive access to discounts and deals at participating businesses across S,DÁYES! A great way to get to know the island in the moments between EcoFair activities.
- Sea Star winery – 50% discount on guided and self-guided wine tastings throughout the EcoFair weekend (Oct 21-23)
- Talisman Books – One free used book of your choice with the purchase of any new book
- Slowcoast Coffee – Purchase a special Kingfisher cookie and all proceeds will support the protection of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest
- Parks Canada – One free tree, native to the Coastal Douglas-fir zone, to every attendee of EcoFair. Pick up available at the Pender Conservancy Nature Centre at Hope Bay.
About KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest
The Pender Islands Conservancy and Raincoast are working together to raise $2.18 million to purchase 45 acres of intact Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) habitats near Razor Point on North Pender Island, a place we call KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest. The CDF biogeoclimatic zone, characteristic to the Gulf Islands and southeastern Vancouver Island, is the smallest and most biodiverse of 16 such zones in British Columbia, yet also the most threatened. So far we have raised $1.3 million, bringing us 65% of the way to our final goal. This fundraising campaign must be completed by December, 2022.
The idea for Eco Fair originally came from Andy MacKinnon, forest ecologist and retired professional forester, but it really came to life during a Pender Earth meeting early in the summer. Since then, many organizations have pulled together to make the idea a reality. The purpose of EcoFair is to give local organizations a platform to increase public awareness of the work they do, while also advancing the KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest land protection campaign.
Over the next two months we hope to receive donations in support of KELÁ_EKE Kingfisher Forest’s permanent protection. We are also accepting donations for our silent auction. We encourage local businesses, artists, and makers to connect with us if they are interested in supporting our conservation work.
Thank you to our event sponsors
