Support the Region this Holiday Season!
2025 Holiday Giving Catalogue
West Coast NEST
West Coast NEST (Nature. Education. Sustainability. Transformation.) is a regional collaboration led by the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust that brings together communities, organizations, knowledge holders, and businesses from Hesquiaht to Ucluelet, working to strengthen education and learning opportunities, while supporting a resilient and diversified local economy.
We grow the region’s education tourism sector by connecting visitors and residents with meaningful learning experiences, guided by local experts, scientists, cultural knowledge holders, and artists. These include talks, workshops, field trips, guided tours, and hands-on programs focused on nature, science, culture, history, sustainability, language, and the arts. We also host capacity-building workshops for local residents, equipping community members with the skills and knowledge to lead their own educational programs or deepen their impact working in local organizations and businesses.
West Coast NEST also supports youth and teachers by coordinating high-school and university field trips that connect students with local experts and place-based science. We work with partners to co-create curriculum resources that braid Indigenous knowledge and Western science, and we host community events that celebrate biodiversity through workshops and restoration activities.
Rooted in the nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth) principles of iisaak, qwa'aak qin tiičmis, and hišukniš c̓awaak, our programs emphasize sustainability, stewardship, and deep connections to place. By offering more learning opportunities in off-peak seasons we help support a healthy ecosystem, strong relationships, and a thriving year-round economy.
