Nature House Week 8 Events: August 21 - 24

As the season begins to shift, we invite you to join us in this final week of the Nature House program - a celebration of art, ecology, and community woven across the island. Over the past months, we’ve explored coastlines, pressed flowers, visited local gardens, and asked big questions about water, land, and the life all around us.

This week continues that spirit, with opportunities to create alongside nature, dive into ocean ecosystems, and learn from scientists, artists, and one another.

Reveal the hidden beauty of tree rings at this week’s Wild Creatives event

Thursday, August 21

10:00 AM Wild Creatives: The Soul of Trees with Marcia Aftimus (all ages)

Location: Telegraph Harbour Marina (Pavilion) 

An invitation to create with nature. Let’s connect with the silent energy of the trees and awaken our imagination.

In this outdoor workshop, each participant will receive a section of deeply grained trunk taken from a standing dead tree - a unique gift from nature - to print, paint, and reveal the hidden soul within its textures, shapes, and curves.

A sensory and intuitive experience, where we will: observe, touch, and listen to nature, and bring colour, life, and feeling to the trees.

About the artist: Born in São Paulo and now based on Thetis Island, Marcia’s richly detailed, spiritually infused mixed-media paintings draw inspiration from her travels across Asia and Europe - each a meditative invitation to reconnect with our deeper selves.

Website: https://www.marciaaftimus.com/en

Friday, August 22

10:00 AM Junior Biologists: Intertidal Walk and Snorkel (youth)

Location: The Portal, 254 North Cove Road (meet at the Nature House)

Join us for our final Junior Biologists' program at the Nature House this summer! We will be observing the intertidal ecosystem and watching our favourite critters in their natural habitat. Snorkel gear and flippers are welcome but not needed, as we will be tide pooling as well. Swimmers should be accompanied by a responsible adult. Be sure to bring sandals to protect your feet from the sharp shells around; we will have a limited number of life jackets available.

Saturday, August 23

1:00 - 3:00 PM Drop-in at the Sea Life Centre (all ages)

Location: Telegraph Harbour Marina

This week, we will be investigating algae in all its fascinating forms, colours, and shapes. Did you know that seaweed is a type of macroalgae? These photosynthetic organisms are crucial for all other aquatic life in the seaquarium and produce nearly half of the world's oxygen! We will explore why some algae are bioluminescent and how some have existed for nearly 2 billion years. Come and join us to uncover the mysteries of this long-overlooked phototroph.

Sunday, August 24

9:30 - 11:30 AM PAG Drop-in & Harvest Hours (all ages)

Location: The People’s Apothecary Garden, 62 North Cove Road

Don’t let summer get away from you. Come down this last week of PAG drop-in to save seeds for next year, collect the final summer blooms and hang out with your favourite ThINC employees. 

2:00 PM Sensational Sunday Speaker Series: The Microbial Friends of Amphibians (youth, adults)

Location: Forbes Hall 

Join us this Sunday for a fascinating exploration into the hidden world of microbes and their impact on wildlife health. This talk will focus on amphibian disease and conservation, highlighting how microbial communities - particularly the microbiome - play a crucial role in resilience against disease. We'll also dive into the head-start program for western painted turtles, showcasing how science and conservation efforts intersect to protect vulnerable species.

About the Speaker

Andrew is a professor at Vancouver Island University, and is a microbiome biologist, specializing in microbial ecology. Specifically, he is interested in how bacterial communities assemble and function. Studying how good microbes can be used to make frogs and oysters more resistant to deadly pathogens.

Things to keep in mind for this summer's Nature House program:

• Supervision: Children under 8 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all events.

• Events at The Portal (254 North Cove Road):

  • Parking: Please park at Heneage House - the first red building you'll see on the driveway. From there, follow the signs down to the Nature House.

  • Sheep Neighbours: We share the area with some friendly sheep! Please don’t feed them, and do not touch the electric fence - it delivers a painful shock. For everyone’s safety (including the sheep's), please leave dogs at home.

  • Washrooms are available on-site.