Virtually Natural – The Raincoast Speaker Series Goes Online

While the opportunity to travel to Tofino is presently on hold, the possibilities to gain some solid, trivia-worthy coastal knowledge from experts around the globe are open!

The long-running *and free of charge* Raincoast Speaker Series is back, presented by the beloved Tofino-based Raincoast Education Society.  This year’s theme is a deep dive into the world of Magnificent Mollusks –

Scroll down and meet the lineup of speakers for these sessions:

Tuesday, January 26:  Nicole Smith,  Sea Gardens of the BC Coast

Nicole is a professional archaeologist based in Victoria, B.C. She has been involved in archaeological research on the B.C. coast since 2000, collaborating most closely with First Nations communities, the Hakai Institute, Parks Canada, and colleagues at various universities.

Tuesday, February 9:  Chef Ian Riddick, Cooking with Shellfish

Chef Ian spent six years as Executive Chef at Long Beach Lodge Resort in Tofino, then opened Heartwood Kitchen in 2018, in neighbouring Ucluelet.  He brings a wealth of culinary experience from his pre-West Coast days in Canada’s top kitchens, along with an excellent sense of humour and a passion for everything coastal.

Tuesday, February 23:  Dr. Mei Lin NEO, Giant Clams

Dr. Mei Lin is also an avid science communicator of marine conservation issues in Singapore. She believes that science needs to be accessible to the public for it to generate societal awareness and impacts. Mei Lin’s work has also appeared in the highly popular TED Talks – “The fascinating secret lives of the giant clams” has received over 1.2 million views!

Tuesday, March 9:  JP Hastey,  Shellfish Aquaculture

Fresh out of graduate school, JP Hastey III founded an aquaculture company and built his very first hatchery. Nova Harvest, located in the coastal village of Bamfield on Vancouver Island, aims to be the top supplier of high-quality seed for Canada’s shellfish industry.

Tuesday, March 23: Melanie Bishop,  Oyster Reefs

Based at Australia’s Macquarie University Marine Research Centre, Melanie is a coastal ecologist with over 15 years of experience researching temperate ecosystems of Australia and the USA.  Her team’s research addresses how these ecosystems operate and respond to change. Oysters are critically important in fisheries production, maintenance of clean water and shoreline stabilization and the successful restoration of Australia’s oyster reefs has the potential to greatly enhance the ecological and economic value of our coasts.

Register for these sessions here.