Coastal Biodiversity Youth Forum at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

This Youth Forum combined biology, outdoor research techniques, hiking, beachcombing, with codesigning the Sweetspot, that perfect spot between Wilderness Chick and City Dude.  Bamfield is a world class Canadian research station on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island.  It's not unusual to see sea urchins the size of dinner plates here.   Kelp forests and Old-growth forests make this place a perfect place to study biodiversity and to reflect on urban impacts on the wilderness.  

We are very grateful for the leadership of Dr. Hana Kucera, Anne Stewart, Erica Simonson and Dr. David Riddel for an amazing youth forum.  We were happy to take part as co-design facilitators. Vanessa Lee, leader of Interpretation at Metro Vancouver Regional Parks also helped out at this Youth Forum.

Dr. Kucera leading a talk on gathering data

Keeha Beach hike, after which we examined the Personal Experience and Perception values of the Wilderness and the City.  

Keeha Beach, a desolate and gorgeous wilderness location

 

Co-designing the sweetspot

Ocean dredging

old-growth hemlock along a trail

camp songs

Exploring a Kelp Forest

I helped out at the Bamfield Marine Science Centre for the Kelp Forest Diversity Youth Forum.  Bamfield is a remote location on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island.  Ten youth participated, Together with our instructors, Hana and Ali, we dove into a kelp forest and explored the biodiversity within. The program was packed with activities such as an invertebrate lab, kelp lab, snorkeling, beachcombing, hiking, using an underwater camera.  We were honoured to listen to a lecture by Dr. Louis Druehl, an authority on kelp.  Within this packed program,  I facilitated some co-design activities such as a "city on the wall" activity and also a co-design dialogue.  The co-design drawing included many of the activities we participated in.  The dialogue encouraged youth to consider their future ecological web as they return to the urban environment.  This forum was organized and led by Dr. Hana Kucera and Ali Griffith, two very talented environmental educators and dedicated researchers in marine biology.

Bamfield is accessible by logging road, boat or float plane. I took my first exhilarating trip on a small plane to get here.

we explored a kelp forest;  sea anenome, crab, seastar, a school of herring, seals, sea lion.  This coast is overflowing with biodiversity.

the city on the wall