The vitality of local knowledge is key to the work of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. Through their food security hub, Eat West Coast, 2019 has seen the launch of a region-wide program to help support the increasing local interest and activity in revival of local food knowledge and food preservation techniques (storing, canning, smoking, pickling, drying, etc.) so that families can learn more about each season’s abundance and access a variety of healthy traditional foods year-round.
In 2018, a Nuu-chah-nulth language gathering was attended by over 400 youth, community members and elders from all 8 communities in the biosphere region. The gathering focused on not just practicing the language, but celebrating the work done so far to hold and regrow the language, as well as planning for continued revitalization. The gathering was an initiative of the Coastal Family Resources Coalition, a regional network of community health providers, administered and coordinated by the CBT.