2026 sold out, 2027 wait list only
Ocean Field School
Ocean Field School is a four-day immersive field school for curious people who love wild places, exceptional food, and learning by doing.
Based from our coastal camp near Ucluelet, we’ll explore ancient rainforest, volcanic shorelines, and the intertidal zone, learning to recognize, harvest, and prepare the incredible diversity of foods found along the Pacific Northwest coast.
But Ocean Field School is about more than learning individual skills. It is about building a relationship with place.
Each day, what we discover becomes part of the experience. Wild ingredients become shared meals, creative wild mixology, and conversations around the fire. Guests participate in preparing food, sharing discoveries, and contributing to the rhythm of camp. The result is not a demonstration — it is a shared expedition where everyone becomes part of the story.
“Ocean Field School was amazing! It felt like medicine for the soul that has opened new worlds of possibility for me, creating a deeper connection with the Earth.” — N. Dancey
A highlight of the program is a full day on the Pacific Ocean. Travelling by sea kayak, we’ll fish, set crab traps, explore remote shorelines when conditions allow, and experience the coast from the perspective of the water. No previous sea kayaking experience is required.
Designed for six participants, Ocean Field School is an intimate front-country camping experience combining coastal exploration, wild food skills, field cookery, and a deeper understanding of the landscapes that feed us.
Daily experiences include:
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Guided food-focused foraging walks through rainforest, shoreline, and intertidal ecosystems
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Hands-on workshops in ocean fishing and kayak crabbing
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Daily wild mixology sessions featuring foraged ingredients
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A guided sea kayak expedition
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Shared field-to-table meals prepared together
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Exploration of the local food landscape and regional producers
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Optional evening sauna and hot tub
Who this is for
Ocean Field School is for people who want to participate, not simply observe.
You do not need previous experience with foraging, kayaking, or wild food. You simply need curiosity, a willingness to learn, and an interest in becoming part of a small expedition community.
You’ll leave with practical skills, new culinary inspiration, and the confidence to continue exploring, harvesting, and cooking from the landscapes around you.
More than anything, you’ll leave with a deeper connection to the Pacific Northwest and a new way of seeing the places that sustain us.
Pricing: $1,495 per participant (all-inclusive)
This covers accommodations, all meals, guided instruction, daily wild mixology sessions, a full-day sea kayak/fishing excursion, and on-site relaxation amenities. Transportation to the base camp is not included.
Once selected from the waitlist, you’ll receive an email with a link to secure your spot with a 50% deposit.
"Ocean Field School was four days of living communally with a small group in the forest by the ocean, learning sea kayaking and crabbing, and also foraging forest and intertidal. It was a sharing of experiences with small work teams to cook and create cocktails with wild ingredients, really connecting over what each day had to offer. I was able to go on a true adventure with this program, testing my limits, learning my boundaries and giving myself space to fail and learn. I wasn’t a passive recipient - I lived it." - TL. Burgess
Additional Info.
Participant Expectations:
This is a hands-on, team-based, immersive field school. Participants are expected to:
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Contribute to cooking, cleaning, and preparing drinks
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Engage fully with all activities
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Work as part of a respectful, positive, collaborative group
Prerequisites:
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No prior paddling experience required
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Some camping experience
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Moderately fit and able to manage moderate activity on rocky shorelines, slippery seaweed, and a day on the water.
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Comfortable eating seafood
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Comfortable on the water (not petrified of the ocean)
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Curious, adventurous, and enthusiastic about both food and the outdoors
Location & Logistics
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Location: Front-country group campsite between Ucluelet and Tofino, Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island
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Duration: Four days, three nights
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Group size: Maximum six participants
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Included: Guided field school, campsite accommodations, communal meals, foraged cocktail sessions daily, sauna & hot tub, foraging walks, and sea kayak excursion
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Required: Personal camping gear suitable for wet/cool summer conditions, sleep system, and transportation to the site
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival & Orientation
The first day begins at 1 pm at our front-country camp between Ucluelet and Tofino. After setting up your own tent and sleep gear, we gather as a team to orient ourselves to basecamp, plans for the coming days, and the principles that guide our work together. The afternoon is for introductions, an overview of the Pacific Northwest ecosystem, some skills training for the days to come, and a wild mixology session featuring bubbles - while shucking oysters. We’ll make dinner as a team with local seafood. Optional post-dinner hot tub and sauna (daily) provides a chance to decompress and settle.
Day 2 – Foraging & Ground School
We begin the morning with a relaxed briefing, outlining the plan for the day. The group heads into the old-growth forest, exploring the towering hemlocks, cedar, sword ferns, and understory plants. Participants learn key edible species, with a specific focus on how to turn them into savoury dishes, desserts, and beverages. We then transition to a stretch of exposed volcanic shore of the Pacific to study the intertidal zone. We’ll explore seaweeds, shore plants, and other marine life, then expand that learning at the Ucluelet Aquarium. As always: evening foraged cocktails followed by facilitated team dinner.
Day 3 – Sea Kayak Excursion, Applied Fishing and Crabbing
You’ll be up earlier to meet a local guide and fleet of kayaks that will get us face to face with the ocean. In the harbour we’ll drop crab traps and get a fishing line in the water. We’ll have shore lunch on a sandy shore. On our way back, we’ll fish some more before paddling back to our take out point. It’ll be a long day on the water and ideally we have fish to butcher, crab to clean, cocktails to make, and stories to share over dinner.
Day 4 – Integration, Cookery & Closing the Loop
A slower morning follows the previous day’s adventure on the water. The focus is on making use of our harvests and putting everything we’ve learned into practice. This is a soft landing: a hands-on, collaborative space to consolidate skills, enjoy local flavors, and celebrate the abundance and diversity of the Pacific Northwest. By early afternoon, the program concludes with a final group reflection and farewell.
Skills & Knowledge Gained
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Foraging skills: Gain a practical understanding of key species across forest, shoreline, and ocean ecosystems, and learn how to incorporate them into culinary preparations.
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Fishing & crabbing skills: Bottom fishing and crabbing techniques and how to apply them in local waters.
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Cooking skills: Transform foraged ingredients and fresh catches into memorable, flavorful meals
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Wild mixology skills: How to craft cocktails with foraged flavours of the Pacific Northwest.
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Paddling confidence: Gain introductory skills and hands-on experience in protected sea kayaking, building comfort and competence on the water.
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Expanded ecological awareness: understanding the biodiversity of forests, shorelines, and intertidal zones
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Teamwork & self-sufficiency: Improved camp skills, comfort, and experience in a team environment—the foundation for future food-centric adventures and expeditions.
