Part of Carihi Secondary School’s Grade 12 class came to Vargas Island from Campbell River the first weekend in June to explore and learn about Vargas Island’s ecology, history, as well as how our off-the-grid research station operates.

The students were greeted with a sunny, albeit windy, evening as they boated into Buckle Bay on May 31^st. After settling in for the night, one of the first major rains in weeks rolled in over Vargas Island. The hike to Ahous Bay the next morning was quite wet and chilly for the new arrivals to Vargas, but their spirits were high and they still had a great time exploring the sandy beach and looking out at the open ocean. After having lunch at the beach and making their way back, the students were happy to warm up and dry off at the station.

The next morning Brit, the Marine Debris Coordinator at the Ucluelet Aquarium, arrived at our station to teach our staff and Cari Highschool about the impact of microplastics on the coast of Clayoquot Sound. We learned about how these plastics get deposited on our beaches, and how  beach surveyors such as Brit gather and analyze the plastics to assess how our beaches are being affected. We also got the chance to try our hand at random-transect sampling with a transect tape, quadrats, and filter stacks. For more information about micro plastics, how you can get involved and/or the Ucluelet Aquarium, check out their website here.

After lunch, the sun came out and the students went out with Research Coordinator, Mack Bartlett to collect some plankton with a plankton tow net. Once their samples were collected, the rest of afternoon was spent looking at the small plants and animals under a microscope, and also experiencing how to do a “beach seine”  off the rocky shores in-front of the station. Schools of juvenile rockfish and the odd sand lance were placed in our photarium to get better looks!

 

On the last full day on Vargas Island, the students checked out a new building project next door with station staff Adam and Marta. Building on an island requires some serious thought, especially when you start thinking about the challenges of building off-grid and designing garden spaces, all while thinking about efficient energy use, waste treatment, and where to capture natural light. The nine students had so many creative ideas that we will definitely consider and perhaps incorporate into the new building plans!

In the afternoon, we headed to the beautiful sandy Keltsmaht beach to help our neighbours Lenny John and Marcie clear their property for planned developments on their traditional land. The students also did an invertebrate survey of the Keltsmaht creek and were able to learn about what stream qualities are important for a sustainable salmon run year after year.

 

To wrap up their last day, everyone gathered around a campfire on the beach, where the staff and teachers were able to share how they got to where they are personally and professionally. The night rounded out with some ogling at the bioluminescence in the water and plenty of laughter.

The Cedar Coast Research Station would like to thank Carihi Secondary School for a wonderful weekend. Everybody here was thrilled with how enthusiastic and engaged our first group of the season was. We are so excited to welcome our next guests to Vargas Island as the season progresses!

 

Written By: Dan Hunter, CCFS 2018 Summer Student