Events

Upcoming Events

The Maplewood Flats Conservation Area hosts a variety of walks and tours throughout the year.

Past Events

recordings of our livestreamed events

YouTube Video VVVXOEVwclh1RV9DMFhSM2VPYXdaWC1nLkQ3OC1pdVhScDdV

Angelina Hopkins Rose is a Researcher in Residence with the Wild Bird Trust of BC. She addresses threats to traditional plant gathering practices of Interior Salish and Coastal Salish First Nations People, due to BC Timber Sales pursuing a Glyphosate-based Pest Management Plan. Her research and advocacy have contributed to the resurgence of awareness about the importance of traditional foods and medicines, as well as confronting the lack of self-determination local First Nations have in their own lands. Angelina and her partner Ronnie Dean Harris will be highlighting the importance of access to traditional plants.

Angelina is a mother, language learner, and berry picker. She is St'at'imc and Finnish.

Opening comments from Irwin Oostindie, President, Wild Bird Trust of BC on the organisation's efforts towards decolonizing conservation.

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The Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia (WBT) is a non-profit society that manages the Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver. Our mission is to provide wild birds with sanctuary through ecological protection and restoration, and support communities with education, culture, and reconciliation programs.

We acknowledge that The Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats is situated within the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN).

https://wildbirdtrust.org
#maplewoodflats #decolonizingconservation

Join us as we deep dive into the world of decolonization. Through public education, we are uplifting the knowledge of the ecosystem and insight into Coast Salish connection to the land.

In the Coast Salish Plant Exhibition, you are able to see beautiful items on display made with native and invasive plant materials created by Tsawaysia Spakwus Alice Guss, Nicole Preissl and Erica Mulder. In this conversation hosted by Senaqwila Wyss, you will hear about the methods used to identify, source, remove, handle and create items from these plant materials - and the broader context of access, and the cultural and ecological value of these plants. There will be a discussion not only on ethical foraging or sourcing but also on the importance of community gardening spaces, to lessen our impact on the ecosystem.

The speakers will provide short demos of their process, of handling and using these materials.

Following the presentations, we will go for a short walk and look at some of the different plants that also appear in the displays on site.

Our guest speakers include:

Tsawaysia Spakwus Alice Guss

Alice specializes in Language and Culture and provided innovative learning opportunities for students. Her English name is known as Alice Guss, she is a Squamish First Nation member that is strong, committed and active in the preservation of their language/culture and heritage. Her father, Pekultn was a Hereditary Chief from Vancouver, BC, Canada. Alice has over 20 years in Education; including Director Of Education, five years as an Employment Coordinator and 15 years delivering Sacred Drum-making workshops. Alice is masterful at bringing innovative learning opportunities to all people through workshops, drumming, singing, dancing and storytelling.

Nicole Preissl

Nicole was born and raised in Burnaby, and is Sto:lo from Leq’a:mel first nation. Her great-grandmother was Squamish from X̱wemelch’stn and great-grandfather from Katzie. Nicole began experimenting with the implementation of culture into design when she began at Emily Carr University and has looked at ways of indigenizing design creation and teaching. She began introducing traditional artistic customs into her practice as a means of connecting to her culture. In her art practice, she uses natural fibres and materials to create textile-based designs. Nicole is Indigenous Education Programmer at Burnaby Village Museum.

Erica Mulder

Erica is a European settler who grew up in Burnaby. Since the beginning of the pandemic, she's been exploring her relationship and responsibility with invasive plants. As a settler, she is continuously working to understand the ways invasive plants can perpetuate and exacerbate the threats to native plants. As well as the ways these plants are vilified to obscure the larger and underlying issues of resource extraction, settler colonialism and climate chaos. In tangent with invasive plant removal work, she's been exploring uses for these plants including basketry, cordage, natural dyeing and more.

Event Host Senaqwila Wyss

Senaqwila Wyss is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Tsimshian, Sto:lo, Hawaiian and Swiss. She holds a Bachelors of the Arts Degree in the faculty of Communications, Arts and Technology, minor in First Nations Studies. She also holds a First Nations Languages Proficiency Certificate and Diploma in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim. Senaqwila is the Coast Salish Programs Coordinator at Maplewood Flats.

This unique seed blend was created by the Wild Bird Trust's Coast Salish Plant Nursery in collaboration with Surrey Parks. The purpose of the blend is to increase biodiversity, attract pollinators and raise awareness of the important cultural uses of these wildflowers that are native to British Columbia.

Skelkelosen means dream – or vision – in Xwlemi Chosen, a language shared among North Straits Nations on both sides of the border. This language, along with SENĆOŦEN, is being revitalized by the Semiahmoo people of Surrey. Surrey is situated on the unceded and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo).

Indigenous Ethnobotanist, Cease Wyss T’uyt’tanat is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Tsimshian, Sto:lo, Swiss and Hawaiian is an Indigenous ethnobotanist, educator, and multi-disciplinary artist, and she explains the importance of this blend.

We are honoured to be able to work with Surrey Parks and appreciate their support in reconciliation through conservation as they continue to share this with their community and grow their City’s pollinator conservation actions.

Thank you to Semiahmoo artists Roxanne Charles, Easton and Feather Arnouse for language and artwork, Cease and Senaqwila Wyss for plant selection and language, and Kristen Miskelly of Satinflower Nursery for seed blend support.

Watch this virtual presentation to learn about opportunities to get involved in decolonizing conservation. Whether your thing is field work, restoration or research or planning committees. we have something for you.

We are an organization delivering impactful work with place-based reconciliation & redress, conservation, education and culture. There are many ways for you to engage and assist our teams with the work. You can choose how frequently and where you enjoy being of service and learning—outdoors on the trails or in the Nursery, assisting with delivering events and educational displays in the Nature House, or adding your voice and skills on working committees—there is a place for you.

At the orientation we share background information about the WBT and Maplewood Flats and provide details about the roles, responsibilities and what you can get out of these experiences.

Reach out to volunteer@wildbirdtrust.org if you are inspired and want to take the next step.

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The Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia (WBT) is a non-profit society that manages the Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver. Our mission is to provide wild birds with sanctuary through ecological protection and restoration, and support communities with education, culture, and reconciliation programs.

We acknowledge that the Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats is situated within the traditional and unceded territory of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN).

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