General News · 3rd April 2024
Sabina Leader Mense/ CCWP
FINAL schedule April 5,6,7
EXCITING schedule of activities & talks for our Wildlife Coexistence Gathering; join us anywhere/ anytime this weekend; the more the merrier!
The Cortes Community Wolf Project extends an invitation to all Cortesians, to join us at
our upcoming Wildlife Coexistence Gathering April 5, 6, and 7th. EVERYONE is welcome!
We will be taking a wildlife coexistence lens to the landscape of Cortes Island, listening & dialoguing with experts in their field to learn how to live with wolves, bear and cougar on Cortes Island.
We have an AWESOME line-up of presenters joining us for the weekend!
• Grace SoftDeer - Chickasaw First Nation Woman and Storyteller
• Dennis Hetu - Cultural Technician Toquaht Nations Lands and Resource Department
• Bob Hansen - WildSafeBC PacRim Coordinator and Human-wildlife Conflict Specialist
• Todd Windle - Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Wild About Wolves Project Lead
Friday, April 05
7:00 pm
With much gratitude, the opening evening will be at Klahoose, with singers from the nation welcoming everyone and especially presenters, Grace SoftDeer and Dennis Hetu, who will be sharing some stories, knowledge and indigenous perspective that evening.
There will be space for participants to also share stories.
Saturday, April 06
Please join us at Linnaea Education Centre’s Lakeview Room for a full day of presentations!
9:00 am Bob Hansen: Growing and Linking Communities of Support for Coexistence
- one west coast story of people striving to co-exist with bears, wolves and cougar
1030 am. Todd Windle: Wild About Wolves Project - case study with a lens towards some potential ideas for coexistence on Cortes
12:00 pm We will break for LUNCH and have tables & chairs for you to enjoy your packed lunches (BYO) on the outside deck overlooking Gunflint Lake, after which, presentations will recommence in the Lakeview Room with tea breaks throughout!
1:00 pm Grace SoftDeer: TBA
2:30 pm Dennis Hetu: A First Nations View on Coexistence
4:00 pm Bob Hansen: Bear, Wolf, Cougar Awareness & Safety - ecology & conflict avoidance
5:30 pm COMMUNITY POTLUCK dinner with a lakeview sunset; the more the merrier!
7:00 pm Grace SoftDeer, Dennis Hetu, Bob Hansen, Todd Windle: Evening Storytelling Circle - who we are, how we got here and coexistence myths!
Sunday, April 07
This morning we invite you to join our guests... in the field!
9:30 am Hank’s Beach Forest Conservation Park; meet in the parking lot.
We will be walking this important wildlife travel corridor and discussing the value of travel corridors for wildlife.
The intentions of this wildlife coexistence gathering are threefold:
1. the opportunity to meet the folks who form part of our extended community of wildlife coexistence advisors; some of whom have been by our side since 2009, when we first started the Cortes Community Wolf Project,
2. an introduction to other communities, like ours, who embrace wildlife coexistence; to learn of their struggles, successes, failures and take inspiration from them,
3. to come to know more about the carnivores we strive so hard to coexist with; to gain cultural and ecological contexts for these top predators.
We are going to pack all that into one weekend; join us where you feel inspired to!!!