Free Interpretive Events Wednesday to Sunday!

Read descriptions below for details. Scroll down for a colour coded map to locations.

Donations fund our free programs, contributions are welcome!

Pick the day of the week you can join us to learn what program is available.

Sunday WALKS: September 8, 15th. 10am-11am, Talking Trees Walk.
Meet at Whale Lot Trailhead, first lot on Coast Guard Road.
Why do the trees grow so large on the Pacific Rim? Investigate the windswept, rugged, Wild Pacific Trail, for clues on how this forest thrives in such an inhospitable environment. You’ll know all the trees and plants on the trail after this popular, free, guided walk with our trail naturalist!

Sunday Lighthouse TENT Events: September 8, 15. 11:30am-4pm, Talking Trees.
How DOES one learn to identify plants? Test your bark, twig, cone, and leaf identification skills at the lighthouse Discovery Tent. Share your best tree photo from the Wild Pacific Trail at the tent or on our social media at @wildpacifictrail and we’ll share your photo.

Wednesday WALKS: Aug 28, September 4, 11, 25th. 10am-11am, Walking Trees Walk. Meet at Lighthouse Discovery Tent.
Why did the cedar tree walk up the hill? Join this new free guided walk on the famous Wild Pacific Trail to find out the secrets of the Western Red Cedar tree.

Wednesday Lighthouse TENT Events: September 4, 11, 25th. 11:30am-4pm, Walking Trees.
Did you know the trees can walk here on the Wild Pacific Trail? They walk all over the place! See if you can spot how the cedars are walking uphill on your lighthouse loop walk and visit our Discovery Tent to learn about the secrets of the Western Red Cedar trees!

Thursday WALKS: September 5, 12, 19, 26th. 10am-11am, Bogs and Bears Walk.
Meet at Whale Lot Trailhead, first lot on Coast Guard Road.
Why are there more bears than wolves and cougars on the West Coast?
We’ll stroll the Wild Pacific Trail bog loop and learn about the lifestyle and habits of Black Bears while checking out the interesting bog habitat which hosts many plant and wildlife species, including Black Bear.

Thursday Lighthouse TENT Events: September 5, 12, 19, 26th. 11:30am-4pm, Slugs, Bugs, Bogs, Frogs.
The Wild Pacific Trail is home to a great variety of creatures and habitats. Find out about our special bog loop, the mudflats at Spring Cove, tidepools at Big Beach, and the coastal area. The soil here is very poor-the help of the slugs, bugs, and other decomposers is important to help recycle nutrients and create more soil. Visit the tent for a look at some creepy crawlies on the Wild Pacific Trail.


Friday WALKS: September 6, 13, 20, 27th. 10am-11am, Sea Arch Lookout Walk.
Meet at the lighthouse Discovery Tent.
Join our trail naturalist on a roving walk to several postcard perfect ocean lookouts, learning about the ecology of the Wild Pacific Trail along the way. We’ll talk about Sea Arches, Sea Stacks, and Sea Caves, which are testament to the forces of nature that created this impressive, but lesser-known trail feature. This walk ends at the lookout beside the Sea Arch.

Friday WALKS: September 6, 13, 20, 27th. 7pm-8pm, Photo Fridays at Big Beach.
It’s no fun when you get a fabulous photo but you don’t know the name or any special facts about the creature, tree, or plant species you have discovered! Spend sunset at Big Beach with our trail naturalist Josh, who is also an experienced photography instructor. No special gear necessary. Wear sturdy shoes. Bring any type of camera, from cell phone to DSLR. All skill levels are welcome. We’ll spend some time exploring the high-tide line for interesting subjects to learn about and photograph, discover a lookout over the beach and other secret spots, photograph a mystery shipwreck, possibly view some wildlife and a spectacular September sunset! Park at the Frog Lot at Marine Dr. and Matterson.

Friday Lighthouse TENT Events: September 6, 13, 20, 27th. 11:30am-4pm, Skulls by the Sea.
Who has the strongest bite: Bear, Cougar, or Wolf? Who is smarter, Wolf or Sea Otter? What strategies does each carnivore use to survive the wet and stormy West Coast Winter? See the otterly cool, kid-friendly carnivore skull collection at the lighthouse Discovery Tent.

Saturday WALKS: September 7. 9:30am-10:30am, Ian’s Spring Cove Bird Walk. Meet at He-tin Kis park -- see map below.
Ian is a local professional naturalist interpreter with a fantastic ear for birds. Learn how to do birdwatching while looking for the many species of birds on the Wild Pacific Trail Spring Cove section. We’ll have two powerful scopes for you to try spotting birds such as the Belted Kingfisher or Great Blue Heron. Plan to do some walking, standing, listening, and observing, while being amazed at Ian’s birding skills. Parking is free, across the street from Spring Cove at the He-tin Kis Park (Terrace Beach parking Lot). Bring Binoculars if you have them. No gear is necessary.

Saturday Walks: September 14, 21, 28th. 9:30am-10:30am, Josh’s Big Beach Bird Walk. Meet at Big Beach Gazebo.
Big Beach is a great place to spot shorebirds on migration! Learn how to do birdwatching along the Wild Pacific Trail with our trail naturalist and bird expert Josh. Try out a powerful birding scope, observe the Black Oystercatchers, Surfbirds, and Black Turnstones out on the rocks from the safety of the beach. Rare birds can show up on Big Beach. We’ll cover some ground above the high-tide line, checking carefully for any lingering migrants after visiting a lookout over the beach to check the forest for birds like Chestnut-backed Chickadees or Pacific Wren. The beach may hold flocks of migrating Savannah Sparrows and shorebirds such as Greater Yellowlegs. Bring Binoculars if you have them. Wear sturdy footwear. No gear necessary. Parking is free at Big Beach (Frog Parking Lot), if the lot is full the Ucluelet Community Centre across the street has free parking.

Saturday Lighthouse TENT Events: September 7, 14, 21, 28th. 11:30-4pm, Shorebird Tent.
What makes the beaches and mudflats of the West Coast so important to migrating shorebirds? Visit the Discovery Tent beside Amphitrite Lighthouse to discover the secret world of shorebirds. Just what exactly are these birds slurping up on the mudflats which allows them to double their weight? We’ll have the birding scope at the tent for you to spot birds near the lighthouse!  

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Where to find us?

Calendar events are colour coded to the parking lots at the Whale Parking Lot (red), Lighthouse (teal), Big Beach aka Frog parking lot (blue) and He-Tin-Kis Park Otter parking lot ( brown).

We are grateful to program experts such the Ucluelet Aquarium the Raincoast Education Society, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Redd FIsh Restoration Society and Parks Canada for their partnership. The trail society sponsors these walks and networks with the District of Ucluelet. Special Guest speakers such as Silva Johansson, Ian Cruickshank, and WildSafe BC also enrich our programs.

Special Guests coming soon:

Ucluelet Aquarium Tidepools Walk
Join Naturalists with the Ucluelet Aquarium and Wild Pacific Trail Society.
Meet at the Big Beach Gazebo. Don’t miss the chance to go tidepool exploring with experts from Ucluelet Aquarium.
We’ll go looking for the amazing creatures that call Big Beach home. 
Please supervise children carefully, the rocks are not suitable for toddlers or people with balence problems. Sturdy shoes highly reccomended, please no pets. 

 

Parks Canada Coastal Stewards or PRNP Interpreters.
Visit the lighthouse Discovery tent and learn about staying safe on and near the water. Bring your questions to Parks Canada Interpretors and enjoy interactive activities with rotating topics to discover, learn, and have fun.

Birding Walk with special guest speaker Ian Cruickshank.
Meet at the lighthouse trailhead. One of the fastest growing hobbies in the world is birdwatching.
Ian is a Parks Canada Interpreter and expert birder who will help you see birds through his spotting scope.
His ability to identify birds is impressive, do not miss this rare chance. Bring binoculars if you can. 

Pass of Melfort Shipwreck Walk:
Silva Johansson leads this walk to the site of a tragic shipwreck that inspired the creation of Amphitrite Lighthouse at the turn of the century.
Learn why western Vancouver Island has earned the name "Graveyard of the Pacific".
Silva brings history to life on this walk along the Pacific coastline where countless ship and sailors have floundered.

 

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Video from our Naturalist:

The Wild Pacific Trail is a unique outdoor classroom that offers incredible opportunities to connect people to nature.  Trail signage and events offer revolving topics for all ages.

Donations and grants are our sole source of support, your contributions are welcome.