Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

Forage Fish Sampling
2024-04-24 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Vancouver) | Trail Bay Beach
Join Dianne Sanford of Sunshine Coast Friends of Forage Fish for forage fish sampling this month!
What are forage fish? Forage fish are super-abundant schooling fishes that are the building blocks of the food chain for 100’s of species of birds, marine mammals, and fishes.
Why do we sample them? The Friends of Forage Fish group on the Sunshine Coast collects spawning data (i.e. finding eggs) on the beaches of the Sunshine Coast, to assess the population status in hopes to see positive signs of spawning.

Forage Fish Sampling
2024-04-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Armours Beach

Ocean Week CAN Virtual Event: Thalassophile Project: Empowering Wavemakers Through Senses & Science
2024-05-20 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Attend Ocean Week Canada’s virtual event featuring Rada, a passionate thalassophile (a lover and friend of the Ocean), Young Ocean Advocate, wavemaker, and explorer from Bulgaria. She is a Marine Science student at the University of Exeter in the UK, focusing her research on ocean bioacoustics, as well as emotional, ecological and ocean literacy. Rada is committed to ensuring universal access to knowledge and resources for ocean conservation, as she believes it strengthens the human-Ocean connection. This ethos inspired her to create the Thalassophile Project — an initiative dedicated to making marine science and ocean literacy accessible, especially to deaf and visually impaired people, through multisensory Blue Education.

Fish Migration Day
2024-05-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Did you know, May 24 is Fish Migration Day?
Don’t miss a unique opportunity to connect with nature and learn about the extraordinary journeys of migratory fish species, all from the comfort of your home in this educational program from Ocean Wise Education.
This program features species of fish, water, humans and our connections as well as actions we can take to protect fish!
Join Ocean Wise in safeguarding these vital aquatic populations for the benefit of ecosystems and communities alike.
Suggested age: Grades 2-5.

SC Streamkeepers Invasive Plant Removal
2024-05-26 11:00 - 12:30 | Roberts Creek Pier, 999 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek, BC, V0N 2W4, Canada
SC Streamkeepers will be removing ivy from the ground and trees in the riparian area of Roberts Creek.
Meeting location is Roberts Creek Pier/Mandala parking lot, near the Roberts Creek bridge. Look for The SC Streamkeepers table and banner!
Please wear gloves, safety glasses and sturdy waterproof boots. Also it would be great if you could bring clippers (large and small) a good shovel and a watering can.
If you have any questions, please email scstreamkeepers@gmail.com.

Herring Happenings of 2024
2024-05-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Brackendale Art Gallery, 41950 Government Road, Squamish, BC, V0N1H0, Canada
During this event, the MSI and program partners will be sharing results from the 2024 Search for Slhawt’/Herring survey program, featuring:

Stories about herring in Átl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound
Results from the 2024 Search for Slhawt’ Program
Several short films about herring

Doors open at 6pm and the event will begin at 6:30 pm.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the BAG.
Tickets are free, but required to secure your seat!
The event is open to everyone. A donation is suggested for those attending who were not directly involved in the program this year.

Orca Month 2024: From Orcas to Humans
2024-05-29 17:30 - 18:30 | Online
Join the Orca Salmon Alliance for Orca Month’s opening webinar on Wednesday, May 29th!
This June marks the 18th annual celebration of Orca Month in Washington state and the eighth annual celebration in Oregon and British Columbia. Members of the Orca Salmon Alliance (OSA) are hosting events throughout the month to educate the public about the Southern Resident orca population and the challenges they face, including reduced Chinook salmon numbers, pollutants in the water, higher risk for oil spills, and noise and disturbance.
Register here to learn more https://bit.ly/OR_OrcaMonth_Webinar

Wild Salmon Day
2024-06-01 | Online
Today is Wild Salmon Day! Get ready to celebrate, raise awareness, and act for Pacific salmon. Post about why salmon matter to you and use #WildSalmonDay to join the conversation.
🎉 Together, we can help restore and recover wild Pacific salmon and their habitats. Wild salmon need all our voices, today and every day!
Learn more about Wild Salmon Day and how you can participate at psf.ca/wildsalmonday.
#WildSalmon #TakeAction

Ocean Week at the Vancouver Aquarium
2024-06-01 - 2024-06-09 | Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC, V6G 3E2, Canada
Immerse yourself in a week-long celebration of the ocean from June 1st to June 9th in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Discover a captivating 4D film about sea turtles, indulge in the engaging ocean interpretive program daily at 10:30am, and navigate the Ocean Week Canada Giant Floor Map.
Don’t miss out on this enriching experience. For more info, visit oceanweekcan.ca/events.

Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival
2024-06-02 - 2024-06-08 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
Join us for our 5th annual Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival!
This year’s festival is produced in collaboration with RhizomeUP!Media and Rogue Fest.
We have a full week of activities FREE to the public including:
🐟 LIVE film events
🐟 Our famous online NEMO talks running through-out the week
🐟 Citizen science events such as Forage Fish sampling
🐟 Shoreline clean-ups
🐟 And our main event on WORLD OCEANS DAY where we will have booths, music, activities, prizes, and a BBQ followed by a screening of the documentary Deep Rising
More details coming soon!
This program is supported by the District of Sechelt, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Sunshine Coast Credit Union, BC Festivals Fairs and Events, The Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition and many local groups and businesses!

Watch Patrick and the Whale
2024-06-02 19:00 - 22:00 | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
Using stunning underwater footage, Patrick explores the fascinating nature of the sperm whale, attempting to shine a light on its intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind.

An inspiring and engaging tale of Patrick Dykstra and a sperm whale “Dolores.”

For years, Patrick Dykstra has dedicated his life to traveling the globe, following and diving with whales. Over the years, Patrick has learned how whales see and hear, how they perceive other creatures in the water and how they behave at close quarters. He has a finely tuned sense and knows how to act when within touching distance of a whale – what to do, what not to do and when. This allows him to consistently get closer than anyone else alive – a truly unique skill.

Patrick recently experienced a life-changing event. In Dominica, he had a close encounter with a female sperm whale. She seemed to be curious about him, coming within touching distance, pulsing him with her sonar. She studied him as he studied her. Patrick felt an overwhelming sense that she was genuinely trying to communicate.

We follow Patrick as he travels to Dominica again to find this special whale he named “Dolores” so she can help him show us the hidden world of her species. Using stunning underwater footage, Patrick explores the fascinating nature of the sperm whale, attempting to shine a light on its intelligence and complexity, as well as highlighting its current and past relationship with humankind. The film follows his personal journey and explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything in his single-minded quest to connect with and understand one of the the biggest creatures in the ocean.

Details
📍 Sunshine Coast Arts Centre
🗓 Sunday June 2, 2024
⏰️ 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
📽 Admission by donation

Marine Impacts of Private Moorage in kalpilin (Pender Harbour)
2024-06-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
What are the impacts of private moorage in kalpilin (Pender Harbour)?
Join our NEMO talk on June 3rd to hear from Sacha O’Regan, lead scientist on the M.C. Wright Report. Sacha is a professional biologist who has worked in the realm of freshwater and marine aquatic ecology in BC since 2010.
Docks and other overwater structures are common features along urbanized shorelines. Though these structures can provide commercial and recreational opportunities, they may also have adverse impacts on the marine environment and other coastal land uses. In March 2018, the environmental consulting firm M.C. Wright and Associates Ltd. concluded a two-phase study of dock impacts on the marine environment in Pender Harbour.
Photo Credit: Sacha O’Regan
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Green Crab Monitoring along the Pacific Coast
2024-06-04 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
What’s happening along the Pacific Coast with monitoring of the invasive European Green Crab?
Join our NEMO talk on June 4th to hear from Tyranna Souque, a data manager/early detection lead with the Coastal Restoration Society, an environmental non-profit based out of Vancouver Island, BC. Tyranna works alongside Indigenous governments and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on two projects on the coast of Vancouver Island and the mainland that aim to control and mitigate the spread of invasive European green crab within British Columbia and collect integral information that will guide future management efforts.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Image credit: Ben Grayzel
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Citizen Science in Action!
2024-06-05 10:30 - 12:00 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
Come down on Wednesday June 5 and participate in our Citizen Science in Action event!
Dianne Sanford from Friends of Forage Fish will be hosting a hands-on sampling session at Friendship park in Sechelt. Come down to learn about what we do when we sample the beach for surf smelt and pacific sand lance eggs.
Dianne has been coordinating forage fish sampling on the lower Sunshine Coast for several decades. She works with volunteer citizen scientists to determine sand lance and surf smelt spawning presence at local beaches, information which was previously undocumented. This information is then submitted to a central database for public information.
We will also discuss the importance of these fishes to all of us, and their connection to eelgrass and orcas.
Wear your gumboots. Citizen science in action!
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Photo Credit: Dianne Sanford

Thormanby Island Beach Clean-up
2024-06-05 11:00 - 17:30 | Brooks Cove, Halfmoon Bay, BC, Canada
Come join our Beach Clean-up on Thormanby Island with Halfmoon Sea Kayaks!
This will be an easy day of paddling to the South Thormanby Beaches to check on their conditions after a winter of accumulated storm debris.
➡️ Gloves and collection supplies provided for all volunteers.
➡️ We will launch from Brooks Cove in Halfmoon Bay at 11am.
If you don’t have your own boat but would love to participate, Halfmoon Sea Kayaks can set you up with a tandem kayak (bring a friend) and all associated equipment free of cost!
Please RSVP for this event by emailing halfmoonseakayaks@gmail.com

Coastlines, community, and climate activism: lessons from the ocean
2024-06-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Fiona Beaty’s talk will provide a whirlwind tour of some of the Sunshine Coast’s charismatic coastal species, from snails to eelgrass, and inspire audience members to connect with the sea as a form of climate and conservation activism.
Fiona is a settler marine ecologist, climate and conservation activist, and community leader. She is passionate about protecting people and nature from climate change using approaches grounded in collaboration, science, and creativity. She holds a doctorate in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, works as the Science Coordinator for the Indigenous-led MPA Network initiative in the Great Bear Sea, and advises myriad non-profit marine conservation initiatives in Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound and the Salish Sea. Fiona lives in Gibsons/Ch’kw’elhp and when not supporting coastal marine stewardship, can be found adventuring outdoors.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

'Future Jobs on the Coast' - Sunshine Coast Labour Council
2024-06-05 17:30 - 20:00 | Elphinstone Secondary
The Sunshine Coast Labour Council is hosting a roundtable discussion on ‘Future Jobs on the Coast’. This follows the news that the BCFED will be postponing the tour – ‘Climate Justice and Job’ Townhall until next spring
The SCLC is interested in getting the conversation started! There will be light dinner (Sushi and Ice Cream) for those who attend (Please RSVP to sclabourcouncil@gmail.com)

AGENDA:
June 5th, 2024
Future Jobs on the Sunshine Coast hosted by Sunshine Coast Labour Council
@ Elphinstone Secondary Library
5:30-6:30pm – Light dinner & Social
6:30pm- 8pm – Speakers / Small Group Discussions / Sharing

Clam Garden Restorations
2024-06-06 12:00 - 13:00 | BC
Learn about Indigenous Sea Gardens in the Salish Sea!
Join our NEMO talk on June 6th to hear from Carl Olsen, an Indigenous knowledge holder from the W̱SÁNEĆ (wh-say-nech) nation on Vancouver Island, BC. Carl’s talk will outline the historical significance of clam gardens as a food source and how they are cultivated. He will also discuss past and present clam garden restoration projects, and where these projects are occurring.

Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seafloor garbage in the Salish Sea: Taking out the Trash
2024-06-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Join our final NEMO talk in the series where Susan Anthony will talk about the unseen underwater trash that fills up nearshore environments.
Human-made debris enters the water and disappears below the surface. There it stays, smothering the sediment and its organisms, leeching pollutants, and breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, but never going away. SeaChange and its partners have spent the last decade restoring and conserving nearshore habitats, which includes underwater debris removal.
“I am a passionate and curious scientist, natural historian, and conservationist. I have a BSc from the University of Victoria in Biology with a minor in Ocean Sciences”, Susan Anthony.
Read more about this event on our Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival website.
Zoom link for all NEMO talks here.
Meeting ID: 818 3759 1199
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Photo Credit: Susan Anthony

World Oceans Day Celebration
2024-06-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Friendship Park, Trail Bay, Sechelt, 5665 Teredo Street, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A0, Canada
This year we are bringing back our in-person World Oceans Day Celebration!
We’ll have live music from DJ Sam Pulpo, lots of fun activities, a free BBQ and a raffle with the chance to win some incredible prizes.
On Saturday June 8, from 12-4pm, we will host booths from organisations including the SCCA, shíshálh youth Cedar Weaving, DFO, Oceanwise, Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers, Sunshine Coast Tourism and more.
We are very grateful to our prize donors, Vancouver Aquarium, Halfmoon Sea Kayaks, Pastime Games, Bitter End Marine Traders, Sechelt Fish Market, Coast Gravity Park, and Ocean Club Cafe!
Following our celebration we will be hosting a live screening of the documentary Deep Rising at the Sechelt Arts Centre from 7-10pm.
Head to our website to watch some online films and check out our other events:
https://sunshinecoastoceanfestival.ca/

Film Screening: Deep Rising
2024-06-08 19:00 - 22:00 | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
Join us on Saturday June 8th after our World Oceans Day celebration BBQ for a film screening of the documentary “Deep Rising” at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre.
Narrated and executive produced by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising takes viewers on an epic journey from the deepest depths of our ocean – the most uncharted and inaccessible place on our planet – to the future of green energy, and shows us how the two are inextricably linked.
Interwoven with awe-inspiring footage of the deep’s most dazzling creatures, Deep Rising illuminates the vital relationship between our ocean’s fragile and mysterious ecosystems, and sustaining all life on Earth.
Head to our website to read more and watch the trailer!
https://sunshinecoastoceanfestival.ca/deep-rising/
📍 Sunshine Coast Arts Centre
🗓 Saturday June 8, 2024
⏰️ 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Please consider making a donation to our “Love our Oceans” campaign at the door
Photo Credit: Deep Rising official photo

Friends of the Ocean - qathet community bbq
2024-06-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Okeover Park, Powell River
Join the Friends of the Ocean – qathet community event at low-tide on June 8th! This event will be held in the Powell River area, at Okeover Park.
For more information please email oceans@thescca.ca

Annual General Meeting 2024
2024-06-20 18:30 - 21:30 | Sechelt Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A3, Canada
You’re invited to join the SCCA at our Annual General Meeting 2024!
This is an in-person event, there will be snacks, and socializing!
We hope to see you there!

syiyaya Days Parade
2024-07-01 10:30 - 15:00 | Hackett Park, 5765 Dolphin St, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A0, Canada
In 2022, the shíshálh Nation and the syíyaya Reconciliation Movement partnered with the District of Sechelt, to build on their ongoing Reconciliation work by hosting an 11-day celebration, known as syiyaya Days.
The celebration ends on Canada Day (July 1st) with a parade, celebrating Canada while also recognizing our colonial history and celebrating the cultures of the First Peoples of this land.
The SCCA will be walking in the parade on July 1st and hosting a booth at the event. We would love our members to join us!
Please email us at volunteer@thescca.ca if you would like to walk in the parade with us.

Public Information Meeting regarding Riparian Area Bylaw Amendments
2024-07-04 18:30 - 20:00 | SCRD Administrative Office, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A1, Canada
Support Riparian Area & Shoreline Protections in the SCRD
The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has more kilometres of shoreline and more steep flashy creeks than many local government regions in BC.
Managing and mitigating impacts caused by land clearing, development and climate change in the SCRD, is a huge and expensive job.
Growing impacts of drought, flooding, land slides, washouts, rising sea level and erosion on private and public, natural and engineered infrastructure are mounting. Downstream communities, habitats, species, local governments and taxpayers carry the heavy burden of dealing with these impacts.
The cheapest, most effective and fairest way to mitigate impacts and costs is to take every possible step to protect and restore natural assets. Especially for lands that surround, store and protect water!
That is why, the SCRD has initiated the process to amend its Zoning Bylaws to strengthen protection of riparian areas.
On July 4th the SCRD will host a Public Information Meeting about why these bylaw updates are crucially needed. On July 16th, there will be a Public Hearing on the Bylaw update. Between now and the end of the Public Hearing, the SCRD needs our feedback to support these important updates.
We encourage all of our members and supporters to engage in this public hearing process and support the bylaw amendments.
Bylaw Updates
This Riparian Areas bylaw update includes three key changes:
Setbacks: Property setback requirements will be amended to meet Provincial Best Practices.
Buffer Zones: Buffer zones will be added to the riparian areas to prevent building too close to sensitive areas. (Gardens would still be allowed within the buffer zone.)
Lot Area: New lots created through subdivision will be required to meet minimum lot size requirements that exclude riparian and buffer areas. This will ensure all new lots are developable, protect private property and public assets from flooding and erosion, and help maintain healthy watercourses.

Public Hearing to consider the Zoning Amendment Bylaw for Riparian Areas
2024-07-16 19:00 - 20:30 | SCRD Administrative Office, 1975 Field Road, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A1, Canada

An Evening With Land Defenders in Squamish
2024-09-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Eagle Eye Theatre, 38430 Buckley Avenue, Squamish, BC, V8B 0E4, Canada
This event is an opportunity for community members to learn about the potential social and environmental impacts of the FortisBC Eagle Mountain pipeline and Woodfibre LNG projects in our region.
Speakers for the event:
* Janelle Lapointe, Stellat’en First Nation and David Suzuki Foundation
* Chief Na’Moks, Wetʼsuwetʼen
* Gwii Lok’im Gibuu/Jesse Stoeppler, Gitxsan
* Tioutenaat/Roberta Jackie Williams, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
The speakers are Indigenous land defenders fighting against LNG projects and pipelines. Come hear their stories about impacts of LNG industry on communities.
A question-and-answer period will follow the presentation.

Cancel the Permits Rally
2024-09-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Junction Park, 37950 Cleveland Ave, Squamish, BC, V8B 0S8, Canada
Join My Sea to Sky on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 2pm in Squamish to send a flaming message to the BC government calling to cancel the permits for Woodfibre LNG and FortisBC’s fracked gas pipeline.

With the blazing theme of fire and flame, we’re rallying together to ignite change and safeguard our communities for future generations.

Wear fiery colours of red, orange, yellow, grey, or black to participate in a fun photo action. RSVP now for a free fire emoji sign!

Image Credit: My Sea to Sky

Stories of the Estuary
2024-09-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Mission Point Park, Davis Bay, 4595 Sunshine Coast Hwy, Sechelt, British Columbia, V0N 3A1, Canada
The Sechelt Arts Festival invites you to a celebration of the Salish Sea – its other-than-human inhabitants, its waterways and estuaries, its stories of travel and exchange, and its vitalness to Sechelt and its communities. Sechelt, as the land between two waters, has been shaped by the Salish Sea
Dress as your favourite sea creature! We will gather at 6pm on the Davis Bay pier for a procession guided by musicians, drummers, dancers and puppets – all celebrating the creatures of the sea. Weaving shíshálh drumming, song and storytelling, with the power of taiko and the beauty of the shakuhachi flute, the procession unfolds a story of the raven, the estuary, and the equinox.
Performers for Equinox Raven include: Andy Johnson, cultural ambassador shishalh nation; Cora Lee Joe-Louise, dancer; Maggie Guzzi, raven; Connor Dixon, dancer; Gerardo Avila, equinox character mask; Noriko Kobayashi, taiko and shamisen (Japanese banjo); Kage, taiko; Bushido: Alcvin Ryūzen Ramos, shakuhachi, shinobue player, and Nori Akagi, taiko; Flags: Hazel Bell-Koski
Following the procession, we will gather at Mission Point House for music, storytelling and hands on activities. We gather to celebrate the shifting cycles of light, the return of the salmon to Chapman Creek, and the rich connections that the Salish Sea has brought to our communities.

World Rivers Day
2024-09-22 11:00 - 13:00 | Roberts Creek Pier, 999 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek, BC, V0N 2W4, Canada
Celebrate World Rivers Day with the Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers!
There will be lots of fun activities such as planting native plants, children’s crafts, info tables, beach cleaning, and more.
Also, the pink salmon run has started, we hope that we will also be able to view salmon spawning!
