About Tofino Community & Stewardship
With a population of approximately 3,000 people in the greater region surrounding Tofino and 600,000 visitors annually, our community relies on organizations to manage tourism responsibly.
For thousands of years, the lands surrounding Tofino were cared for by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. With the arrival of settlers and industrial resource extraction practices, the landscape began to change. In the early 1980s, the Tla-o-qui-aht people took a stand with supportive, like-minded residents to protect their traditional territory.
This type of activist mentality lives on in Tofino today and has sparked the creation of more than 30 not-for-profit organizations focused on bolstering community resources, improving habitat, celebrating arts and culture, and promoting inclusion and education. We invite you to join in the activities or donate to these incredible organizations so they can keep doing their great work.
Get involved
Looking for opportunities to help with local habitat restoration projects, beach clean-ups, or by participating in workshops held in the community or virtually? There are a few events that are easy to join, like sap planting with the West Coast Triple Plank and the Backroads Cleanup, both put on by Redd Fish Restoration. Multiple beach cleanups happen throughout the year. Educational opportunities are available with the Raincoast Education Society. Follow these organizations on social media to find out about upcoming events.
(pictured: beach cleanup participant at a Surfrider Pacific Rim event; a tree planter with Redd Fish Restoration Society)
Events calendarGive back to the beaches and host your own clean-up. The Tofino Visitor Centre has a marine debris recycling station for hard plastics, ropes, nets, and styrofoam. You can also join local beach clean-up events throughout the summer.
