Heading into the second half of our summer program, we have a whole host of new exciting activities, speakers, and workshops!
Wednesday, August 2
10:00 am start
Five Important Medicinals with Carol Swann (all ages)
Location: The People’s Apothecary Garden, Lot 62
Want to learn more about dandelion, calendula, lemon balm, comfrey, and mullein? Or curious about what fruits and plants you may already have with unsuspected properties? Wondering when to harvest your herbs? Confused about the differences between infusions, teas, tinctures, poultices, and salves, as well as what form of herb to use in each?
Between 10 - 11 on Wednesday, Carol Swann will do a walk and talk, sharing her favourite herbs and their uses. Through her work with essential oils and soap making, as well as caring for animals, Carol is self taught and loves sharing what she knows with others.
Thursday, August 3
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm drop-in
Wild Creatives: Leaf Garlands / Buntings (all ages)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
We hope this message finds you in great spirits and filled with enthusiasm for nature's wonders! We are thrilled to extend our warmest invitation to an awesome leaf bunting craft day, where we'll come together to create no-sew leaf bunting with wax paper and pressed leaves to decorate our spaces.
6:30 pm start
ThINC Tank - Screening and Discussion: Our Daily Bread (2006) (youth, adults)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
Highly mechanized systems and tremendous scale, ‘Our Daily Bread’ provides a realistic view on the internal workings of modern food production. This unique documentary by German filmmaker Nikolaus Geyrhalter abstains from the use of voiceover narration and dramatic music, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about industrial agriculture. As objective as a film can get, ‘Our Daily Bread’ doesn’t tell you what to think, nor does it propose alternatives to the status-quo, but it does provide ample food for thought.
If you are interested in getting a glimpse of our modern industrialized food system, join us for a viewing and discussion this Thursday evening.
Friday, August 4
10:00 am start
Young Naturalists: Terrific Trees! (all ages)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
How well do you know your trees? We’ll be learning all about the trees that call Thetis Island home - from the free-spirited arbutus, to the knobby Garry oak and the noble Douglas fir! Come learn about how to identify common trees by their bark and leaves, and make a simple tree ID book for you to take home. We’ll also learn more about the variety of ecosystem services of trees and forests, providing homes for different critters and the very air we breathe!
2:00 pm start
Expert Excursions: Pruning and Grafting of Fruit Trees presented by John Errington (all ages)
Location: Lot 92 Hollyberry Lane (parking Hollyberry orchard (road only) or 98 Hollyberry Lane)
We will learn about the reasons for summer and winter pruning of fruit trees and the practices that should be followed. We will also learn about the various techniques of grafting both the use of summer T-bud grafts as well as dormant grafts. Participants will be provided with some hands-on practice. Come on down to learn about these useful techniques!
Saturday, August 5
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Seaquarium Drop-in
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
There’s always drama unfolding in the Seaquarium! Last week a decorator crab carried a sea anemone around on its back and a sunflower sea star tried to digest a giant red sea cucumber…Drop by anytime from 2-4 pm to witness the action from the front row!
Sunday, August 6
10:00 am - 12:00 am drop-in
Harvest Hours at The PAG (all ages)
Location: The People’s Apothecary Garden, Lot 62
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (2:00 - 2:45: family-friendly activity; 3:00 - 4:00 pm: presentation)
S4: Great Grizzlies with Fran Backhouse at the Nature House (all ages)
Location: The Nature House at The Portal, 254 North Cove Road
Grizzly bears, one of North America’s – and British Columbia’s – most iconic wildlife species, once roamed across half the continent. Today, their range and numbers are much diminished and they face many challenges. Join Frances Backhouse, author of Grizzly Bears: Guardians of the Wilderness, to learn about what makes grizzlies special and what they need to survive and thrive.
Frances Backhouse is an author and environmental journalist who lives in Victoria. She previously worked as a biologist, including an amazing five-month stint studying grizzly bears in the Khutzeymateen Valley – the inspiration for her latest book.
Visit www.backhouse.ca to learn more about Frances and her writing.
