Join local wildlife biologist Sofi Hindmarch to learn about the nocturnal owls that live in Terra Nova Park! The evening will conclude with observation in the park where if we are lucky we may just hear or see some!

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Sofi is a graduate of Simon Fraser University.  She has been researching Barn Owls in BC since 2006.  Since then, her work has focused on land use and it's effects on Barn Owls, recovery strategies, nest/roost site identification as well as diet and radio telemetry studies as well as current research into the effects of rodenticides on Barn Owls.

Join us to weave a Coast Salish basket with Rita Kompst. Cedar is medicine for Indigenous people. It is calming and allows us to weave in the moment! We will weave a small basket in 3 and a half hours. Hear stories on our harvesting protocols and my weave 2 heal story! This workshop is open to everyone, and registration fees are waived for indigenous attendees.

Rita was born and raised in Musqueam. Her late Father, Joe Becker, a former Musqueam Chief, was mainly a carver and a fisherman. Rita started cedar weaving once her Father passed as per her Cultural teachings. She experienced several personal losses over the next 7 years and continued weaving on her healing journey. Her Mentor Todd Devries encouraged her to begin teaching cedar weaving several years ago. Now she teaches cedar weaving full-time. Rita met and collaborated with Zoe McDonell teaching natural dyeing with mushrooms, plants and lichens for several years. In November 2023, Rita and her daughter Zoe began cedar weaving and natural dyeing together full-time.

Dried beans and peas can have as much protein per 100g serving as meat, and it's a lot easier (and cheaper) to grow beans and peas in your garden than it is to grow a cow! Not only that, but growing pulses (certain types of beans, peas and other legumes) in your garden is a simple way to boost your soil health, attract pollinators, and increase local food security. 

In this workshop, we'll dig into:

• what is and isn't a pulse

• different types of pulses that can be grown in our area

• the health benefits of adding pulses to your diet

• how growing pulses and companion plants benefits your garden's ecosystem

• the bigger picture: how pulses play an important role for food and climate security

• how, when and where to grow pulses with minimal infrastructure and maximum output

Loki Wallace is a local regenerative farmer who grows seeds, with a focus on staple crops, including pulses and their beneficial companions. Their farm, Sowing Kits Seeds & Pulses, is located on unceded Musqueam land, along the banks of the Fraser River in what is commonly known as Richmond. They have been growing in a variety of capacities for most of a decade, building guerilla gardens, converting lawns into food gardens, operating a seed library and fresh harvest pantry, joining participatory breeding projects, and for the past three years, farming at the KPU Farm School site near Steveston. They are also a grower-member of the BC Eco Seed Co-op.  

This workshop will support allies and co-conspirators in developing their understanding of Indigenous food systems and builds capacity for community-led change. We will come together to create a shared account of the impact of colonization and the Indian Residential School system on First Nations food systems and work to develop an understanding of how we can act as change agents to rebuild Indigenous food sovereignty.Participants will walk away with reconciliation commitments and a deeper understanding of their role in reconciliation.

T ickets are by donation and the funds raised will be donated to the Squamish Nation Youth Centre

Discover the magic of Natural Indigo with textile artist Darcy Smith. We start with a brief discussion on the history + chemistry of natural indigo, then explore different techniques (tie, clamp, wrap, etc) to create shaped resists on organic cotton before dipping our pieces into community indigo vats. You’ll leave with your own personalized textile art + a new love for indigo handcraft.

About Indigo: Within the indigo plant waits a secret world of colour. Indigo is prized as the only clear, colourfast source of natural blue, producing breathtaking shades from the palest sky blue to deep navy. Natural indigo dye and the resist techniques we will explore in this workshop originate from many traditional cultures around the world, and it is with gratitude and honour that we invite you to share in the craft.

Dyeing with indigo is a process like no other. The indigo plant is harvested then fermented and oxidized to extract the blue pigment. The dye vat is prepared through a process that activates the indigo. When the fibre is dipped in the dye vat it comes out a bright yellow-green. Slowly the air changes it to the beautiful deep and rich blue of indigo - a truly wonderful moment to witness.

Come to the Sharing Farm for a morning of laughing and learning all about pollinators! This workshop will be a blast for any child who is interested in insects or plants or helping pollinators. We will be learning about how to identify different pollinators and their habitats. The morning ends with an activity that the kids will take home with them!