Pirates' Cove

Outdoor Education trip
Thanks to a recent spell of good weather, the Outdoors Education group were able to enjoy their postponed trip to Pirates' Cove Marine Provincial Park on May 26-27. This trip also marked English/Outdoor Pursuits teacher Jenny Ferris’s final paddling trip before retirement at the end of this school year. Ms. Ferris has been running the ocean kayaking program at Shawnigan for 10 years.

Decked out in pirate hats and bandanas, the group enjoyed their paddle from Cedar, just south of Nanaimo, to Pirates' Cove on De Courcy Island. The area is known for its long settlement history with First Nations use dating back more than 3,000 years. The group made camp and worked together to produce a delicious supper of stir-fried Thai curry. They then enjoyed a leisurely walk to the pirate's treasure chest where visitors are encouraged to “take a treasure and leave a treasure” and where the group exchanged some of their own trinkets in turn.

“Unfortunately,” shares Ms. Ferris, “we were ten minutes late to witness the orca whales that apparently had just passed the island! Other critters, the raccoons, were around, albeit somewhat furtively. After dinner, the group separated to enjoy silent, alone time, away from phones and other technology, to contemplate the beauty of the beach and environs, which was followed by a game of rock skipping on the calm ocean surface. After a peaceful night's rest, we enjoyed another scrumptious meal before embarking on the paddle back to the boat ramp at Cedar and a sleepy ride back to Shawnigan.”

Outdoors Education students and E-Club students also combined forces on June 2 to remove invasive scotch broom from the beach on Sidney Spit. Their work was part of an ongoing Parks Canada effort to restore the natural coastal sand ecosystem in the area.
Back
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.