Hakai Beach Institute
Education
We are hoping to be able to offer the following education programs at the Hakai Beach Institute.
- Certification and Basic Skills Training
- Career Development
- Field schools and intensive courses
- Post-graduate training and research support
- Outdoor recreation
Certification and Skills Training
Everyone working in the field on the Central Coast requires a battery of courses to ensure they can work safely and effectively. We hope to be able to offer, via partnerships with Northwest Community College, North Island Colleges and other organizations to be able to offer short courses such as Wilderness Safety & Survival, Marine Emergency Duties, Bear Awareness, Restricted Radio Operator, Marine Basic First Aid, Small Vessel Operator, etc.; as well as introductory courses in stewardship, ecology, instrumentation, data entry, etc., that prepare students for employment in research and resource management programs. These courses are specifically designed to support the aspirations of the Coastal First Nations to develop capacity to manage EBM programs on traditional lands, through programs such as the Coastal Guardiam Watchmen; however, all courses are open to all qualified applicants.
We hope to announce details shortly.
Career Development
Effective capacity building for EBM requires more than introductory courses. It requires work experience, mentoring and leadership training. Accordingly the Hakai Beach Institute will help sponsor a limited number of short projects in partnership with the neighboring First Nations, BC Parks and research teams that are designed to fill the gap between training and the emergence of experienced and effective local EBM capacity.
We have several projects planned and in progress in partnership with the Wuikinuxv First Nation, as part of the Tula Foundation's C'islayacki program, which has now been made part of the Hakai Beach Institute.
Conferences
We have scheduled a full slate of conferences and meetings this summer.
Intensive Courses
We are currently in discussion with faculty at several BC universities and colleges about offering for-credit field schools and intensive summer courses in a wide range of disciplines that would specifically take advantage of the ecological and cultural resources at Hakai and in the nearby conservancies.
We are pleased to announce that a senior undergraduate course in Coastal Biodiversity and Conservation will be offered by the University of Victoria in the June. That course is fully subscribed.
Post Graduate Education and Research Support
The Tula Foundation has for many years supported scientific research at Rivers Inlet on the Central Coast. A key element of that activity has been the support for training graduate students and postdoctoral fellows--the next generation of scientists we will need to lead innovation in EBM in future. We will continue those activities under the Hakai Beach Institute, while expanding the focus to include more of the Central Coast.
Outdoor Recreation
We are evaluating the practicality of offering training and guided activities that would take advantage of the wealth of recreational resources available at or near Hakai Beach.