CHI EVENTS
CHI members get early access to events.
March 7— 11th
Join us for Conservancy Hornby Island's 8th Annual HerringFest! Enjoy SEA LIFE BOAT TRIPS, the Hornby Arts ART SHOW, HERRING SCHOOL and the HERRING BALL DANCE!
See herds of sea lions, seabirds, spawning herring and potentially whales from the True North Tug Tours’ restored tug, La Fille, or Hornby Island Marine Transport’s Island Transporter.
Check out Hornby Arts’ famous community-inclusive Art Show, which showcases marine-themed works of varied mediums and disciplines, with proceeds going to artists and CHI.
Herring School will showcase indigenous leaders, acclaimed artists, change-makers, scientific researchers, and more! Finish off the weekend by dancing the night away at the Herring Ball featuring J.N and the Funky Fish Band and DJ Jean-Mescaline!
Member-exclusive registration begins Monday, January 29th.
Public registration begins February 6th.
October 27th—29th
Thank you for attending Conservancy Hornby Island's (CHI) second annual ForestFest: 'Hornby Forests: Today and Tomorrow.’
ForestFest 2024 blazed a trail of inspiration, awareness, and a call to action, leaving attendees informed, enlightened, and motivated.
The festival started on Friday night with CHI's 2023 AGM followed by a captivating keynote speech from best-selling author John Vaillant.
Saturday was a day filled with knowledge-sharing and thought-provoking talks at Forest School.
As the concluding feature of CHI’s ForestFest 2023, Sunday showcased immersive guided forest walks, creating an intimate connection with Hornby Island's stunning forest ecosystems.
June 3rd, 8th, and 10th
CHI, Hornby Island Diving, and the Natural History Centre commemorated World Ocean Week by inviting the public to explore Hornby Island’s resident light trap!
Sentinels of Change is a new initiative on Hornby run by the Hakai Institute as part of a decade-long community-centered initiative investigating patterns of invertebrate biodiversity, change, and resilience across the Salish Sea.
April 21st - 23rd
This year, in lieu of an organized beach clean-up, we encouraged our community members to get out there and clean the beach of their choosing!
Participants were encouraged to grab a bag, some gloves, and a friend, and dedicate some time to cleaning the Hornby Island beach of their choosing!
March 2nd - 4th
Thank you for joining us for Conservancy Hornby Island's 7th Annual HerringFest!
Hundreds of people gathered on Hornby to participate in CHI’s SEA LIFE BOAT TRIPS, the Hornby Arts ART SHOW, FRIDAY FILM NIGHT, HERRING SCHOOL, and the HERRING BALL FUNDRAISER DANCE!
Film night showcased environmental films with filmmakers present for Q&A. Saturday allowed for great discussions and presentations at Herring School which celebrated indigenous leaders, award-winning authors, change-makers, scientific researchers, and more!
The Herring Ball was a fantastic celebration that featured Jody Candlish-Rutherford & Friends and DJ Jeff Rabena!
October 16th, 2022
Thank you for joining us at our 2022 AGM and our first annual ForestFest event.
We gathered to celebrate Hornby’s natural ecosystems and discussed CHI’s upcoming restoration initiatives.
Attendees spent the day with local experts Loys Maingon and Grant Scott as they led a series of hands-on workshops on Garry oak restoration and forest ecology.
MARCH 3-6, 2022
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the incredible natural wonder of the herring spawn!
ART SHOW AND SALE: live + online hybrid this year
BOAT TOURS: Our famous SEA LIFE BOAT TRIPS were back!
FILM NIGHT: Herring defence through storytelling
HERRING SCHOOL: Let the Herring Live
Thank you to everyone who attended our annual general meeting. We discussed our Marine Conservation Plan for 2022 and how we can fight for the survival of our waters. We heard our guest speaker Judith Carder of the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society speak about our role in protecting Bc’s endangered ecosystems and how Garry oaks are the trees of the future.
We want to thank all of you who were able to participate or support 2021’s virtual events. Thanks to all 400 people that tuned in live to Herring School and our wonderful speakers, the event was a success! If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit the talks, you can do this now HERE. We were so inspired by these talks from authoritative scientists, activists, and First Nations leaders.
In Spring 2020 we joined Denman Conservancy in a fun, safe, family-friendly competition: Salish Sea Birdathon 2020, a 24-hour event where we could self-isolate without being socially isolated.
This event had photography and art components that everyone was invited to participate in. Artists and photographers of all skills were encouraged to have fun with this. The contest was not be judged on technical skill, but rather qualities like energy, heart and humour.
Hundreds of people including leading scientists and First Nations members from the Salish Sea and neighbouring territories gathered during the 4th Annual HerringFest in honour of herring March 5 - 9, 2020. We had films, educational talks, an art show, performances, readings, and our famous Herring Ball Dance, followed by a peaceful protest on the water.
Learn more about the event: see PHOTOS, FILMS, and the PRESENTERS
A GROUP OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS AND PROJECT WATERSHED SAMPLED 5 HORNBY BEACHES FOR THE PRESENCE OF EGGS FROM PACIFIC SAND LANCE AND SURF SMELT.
These forage fish are important to the recovery of marine species at risk (from Humpback and Killer whales to Marbled Murrelets); salmon (such as Chinook and Coho); and coastal cutthroat trout.
ON NOV 7TH, CONSERVANCY HORNBY ISLAND CO-HOSTED A HERRING FORUM WITH W̱SÁNEĆ LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, PACIFIC WILD, AND SEA SHEPHERD.
This historic event brought together representatives from First Nations, environmental and community organizations, scientists, and local government, united in their vision to protect and restore Pacific herring in the Straight of Georgia.
Read the story, see photos, and watch a video about the event.
CHI BOARD MEMBER KRISTIN SONSTEBO ATTENDED THE EVENT.
Approximately 1000 people turned out to march for climate action in Courtenay on Sept. 27th, inspired by Greta Thunberg's courageous journey to North America and led by the Youth Environmental Action Group(Y.E.A.G.)
CHI CHAIR, GRANT SCOTT, DISCUSSES THE BENEFITS OF THE BEULAH CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT.
Originally published in the First Edition, Oct 1, 2019