The Canada C3 Team, along with Nature Trust staff, scientists and 100 Wild Island campaign team members. Photo: Alexa Cude.
Last week on a beautiful summer day, we welcomed 30 Canada C3 Expedition staff, crew and participants to join us for a day exploring the 100 Wild Islands. Canada C3 spent the day learning about the campaign to protect this globally-significant coastal wilderness and enjoying its stunning natural beauty.
A Canada 150 Signature project, Canada C3 is a 150-day expedition from Toronto to Victoria via the Northwest Passage. Its intent is to inspire a deeper understanding of our land, our peoples and our country. Over the course of the journey, the Canada C3 team and participants provided a lens through which Canadians could experience our country’s coastline. They are sharing the stories of people they met and engaging the voices of all Canadians in national discussions covering Canada C3’s key themes: Diversity and Inclusion, Reconciliation, Youth Engagement and the Environment.
Members of the C3 team kayaking. Photo: Alexa Cude
We were thrilled to be part of this expedition, and to be able to share the experience of hike, swimming, paddling, and communing with nature in this incredibly 100 Wild Islands coastal wilderness.
The day was opened with a prayer and a blessing from Regional Chief Morley Googoo, who urged us to take the time to connect deeply with each other and with the land, after which participants learned about the significance and diversity of the 100 Wild Islands, and were treated to guided hikes and boat tours.
The Canada C3 expedition also has a scientific mandate. Scientists during every leg of the journey collected botanical samples, which will be part of a natural history collection showcasing the diversity of Canada’s coastal habitats, and which will be housed permanently at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Marine scientists also collecting samples all along Canada’s three coasts, from three oceans, in order to investigate the environmental DNA present in those waters and to document the incredible biodiversity present in our oceans. Samples from the terrestrial and marine environments of the 100 Wild Islands are now part of these biological collections.
The C3 ship in the 100 Wild Islands. Photo: Alexa Cude.
Check out the 100 Wild Islands at about 1:27 minutes in during Canada C3's stop on their journey.