IMPAC5 offered a number of opportunities for attendees to get out and see the sights. Field trips ranged from half-day adventures and day trips to multi-day excursions. These field trips immersed participants in the culture and beauty that surrounding Vancouver. They also introduced participants to local marine protected area management organizations.
Átl’ḵa7tesm/ Howe Sounds Biosphere Region Boat Tour: 2 February 2023
A day trip by boat and bus through Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region with speakers from the British Columbia Parks Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the multi-partner committee responsible for protecting and managing the biosphere reserve.
Learn about the recently established Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region, management of provincial marine parks, and about the famous glass sponge reef of Howe Sound.
The trip includes transportation, lunch and a quick stop on Bowen Island.
Birding Half Day: 2 February 2023
Spend four hours with a local birding expert at the ocean-side George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC.
The Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is less than an hour from Vancouver and is one of 92 federal Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in Canada. Catch a glimpse of the hundreds of Snow Geese, alongside many waterfowl species taking refuge during the winter. The sanctuary is also home to a high number of wintering songbirds, especially sparrows and towhees.
Trip includes all admission fees, guided tour and transportation.
Birding Full Day: 9 February 2023
Spend a full day with a local birding expert visiting several key sites in the Fraser River Estuary Key Biodiversity Area in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland. Locations to visit may include the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Boundary Bay, and Blackie Spit. Participants can expect to see a number of ocean-faring bird species such as loons, grebes, scoters, shorebirds, herons, cormorants and Bald Eagles.
Trip includes all admission fees, guided tour, bagged lunch and transportation.
Indigenous Paddling and Walking Tour: 3 February 2023
Experience a half-day interpretive paddle in a replica ocean-going canoe similar to those historically used by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Listen to ancient knowledge and wisdom of traditional methods used for identifying and harvesting indigenous flora and fauna, while guides from the Coast Salish Nation sing songs, share legends and point out ancient village sites as you walk through a temperate rainforest.
Included in the trip are all admission fees, paddling and walking tour, transportation and an Indigenous cuisine lunch from Mr. Bannock food truck. Takaya Tours and Mr. Bannock are Indigenous owned and operated businesses from Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
Age limit: 16+
