Gulf Islands Center for Ecological Learning
We’re pleased to share our 2025 Spring Newsletter with you, reflecting on last year’s programming and looking to the future.
We would also like to announce our 2025 Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2025.
You’re invited to attend GICEL’s annual general meeting via ZOOM
from wherever you are, at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9th, 2025.
If you would like to attend, please contact us at mayne@gicel.ca and we’ll send you the
link!
The GICEL 2021 Newsletter has been posted to the Newsletters page and can be downloaded by clicking on the link here.
The 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning (GICEL) will be held on Friday, June 18, 2021, starting at 1:00 pm. The AGM will be a “virtual” meeting, using the Zoom teleconference platform. If you are interested in attending our AGM, please email gicel@gicel.ca for the event link. We hope you will be able to join us for the 2021 AGM.
Included with this AGM invitation is the annual GICEL spring newsletter. Usually the newsletter contains reports about the previous summer’s in-person children’s programs, but in 2020 these programs had to be suspended due to the Covid pandemic. Instead, this year’s newsletter includes several thoughtful essays from GICEL leaders, reflecting on the principles that form the foundation for GICEL programs, and drawing on the twenty years of GICEL program delivery experience, to assess the impact of GICEL’s unique place-based, experiential learning model.
GICEL very much hopes to be able to offer in-person children’s learning programs on the islands this summer, following appropriate Covid-related protocols. Details are being finalized, and will be posted on the GICEL website.
We hope that you and yours are well during these unprecedented times. It is hard to believe that it has already been almost a year since the start of this global pandemic.
As the season starts to change from winter to spring, our island coordinators and advisors have begun the planning for GICEL 2021. Last year was the first time in our 20 year history that we were unable to run in-person programs during the summer. Our team of wonderful leaders did an incredible job adapting to the challenges and were able to offer online programming for participants around the globe. We hope that you will take a look at these 2020 programs.
We have the intent and are committed to offering programs this coming summer. However, the current restrictions on in-person gatherings and the uncertainty for what this means for the summer does not allow us to be specific about what shape these programs will take. It is our hope that we will be able to offer in-person programming in some form in compliance with any new health and safety protocols that may be in place.
If you are at all interested in having your child(ren) participate in our programs this summer, please fill out one of the following forms so that we can have a better sense of interest and demand as we look at our programming options.
EDIT: As of June 11, all our Mayne and Saturna programs are full. Please visit gicel.ca/programs for registration and waitlist information.
Let’s hope that this summer we will be able to gather together again to explore the beautiful forest and marine spaces around the Southern Gulf Islands!
Yours,
The Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning Team
The Gulf Island Center for Ecological Learning (GICEL) is now offering a free online summer mini-camp experience for 2020. Connect with nature by engaging in fun, ecology-themed activities and connect on-line with friends & leaders with the new GICEL Connections program!
Check out our new GICEL Connections webpage for open content created by GICEL leaders, coordinators and community members. Ecology themed activities, video explorations & tutorials, and more will be posted weekly – check back regularly to see what has been added!
Explore the activities on the webpage and post any of your experiences and creations to our Facebook page.
Join the weekly GICEL Connection Sessions via Zoom on Tuesday and Friday at 10:00 am PDT throughout August!
During the 30 minute session on Tuesday, participants will have a chance to connect with each other & GICEL leaders, enjoy some fun camp experiences, and learn about the week’s themed challenge to get outside and explore your local green spaces.
On Friday, we will gather again to share what you’ve discovered!
Interested in joining in? Complete and submit this google form and we’ll email you with the Zoom details!
Ages: 6 – 12 years old
Questions? Be sure to check the FAQ below or contact the Program Coordinator Kelly Nordin (kelly@gicel.ca).
Q: How much screen time can we expect?
A: A maximum of 45 minutes on Tuesday and Friday of each week; we will be aiming for 30 minutes each day.
Q: What will participants do during the week?
A: Participants can choose from a variety of activities that are designed to get outdoors discovering and exploring! Participants are encouraged to post to the GICEL Facebook page what they wish to share.
Q: How much do I need to be involved as a parent/guardian?
A: Parents, guardians, and families are encouraged to be as involved with the weekly challenge and activities as much as you would like. We expect some participants will need some assistance accessing and getting onto Zoom for the meetings. They might also need some assistance if they choose to upload some pictures and/or videos to Facebook.
Q: What will we need to use to participate in the program?
A: Access to the internet to view webpage and use Zoom to connect and meet together.
Q: How do I access Zoom?
A: By completing the google form, Zoom meeting details will be emailed to the participant or parents/guardians of the participant for each week. To learn more about Zoom, check out the:
Q: Will I have support if I have technical difficulties?
A: Yes! Coordinators are available to help; please email kelly@gicel.ca at any time.
Q: How is safety being addressed?
A: The virtual safety of our participants is important to us; we are taking care to ensure only those who have indicated their interest are able to access the Zoom Connection Sessions. All Zoom based sessions will be monitored for appropriateness by the coordinator.
The Gulf Island Center for Ecological Learning (GICEL) is offering an ONLINE summer camp experience for 2020. Over the past years, we have gathered in-person to explore some of our special places on the Gulf Islands; this year we are gathering virtually to explore and share our own special places. Engaging in fun, ecology-themed outdoor activities while connecting on-line with friends & leaders – and making new friends – is, of course, paramount in our GICEL: At home and on the air summer program.
To register, and for more information, please go to gicel.ca/programs
Following our familiar daily routine, all campers will begin every day by gathering virtually in an Opening Circle. Each camper will then join a smaller group in a virtual Clan Fort to connect and start the daily challenge and activities. Throughout the day, campers will be able to share the results of their home place adventures and activities, as well as view those of their clanmates, on a Slack, a shared platform. A Clan Fort Gathering to share stories and a Closing Circle will wrap up each day.
Our enthusiastic leaders’ team will guide and support campers throughout the day, provide drop-in tutorials, such as arts and crafts, as well as share their own explorations and discoveries through videos, photos, stories and more. Michael Dunn, our naturalist extraordinaire, will be sharing videos – and live-streams – of his special places on Mayne Island, including our beloved beaches and forests. Other local experts will be sharing expertise in camping skills, marine explorations and more!
The GICEL 2020 Newsletter has been posted to the Newsletters page.
Dear GICEL Families
We’re writing to let you know that due to the restrictions (closed park spaces) and guidance (social distancing and no gatherings) provided by our health authorities in response to the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors for the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning—GICEL—has come to the inevitable and very difficult conclusion that we must cancel ALL our summer programs for 2020. This is unprecedented and very disappointing for us, as we expect it will be for you and your children too. For the first time in 20 years not being able to gather again to play and learn together in the fields, forests and on the shorelines of these beautiful islands we love so much, will be greatly missed. We will miss being in your company, too! But in this extraordinary time of isolation, we know we need to hold the line, and keep on flattening the curve—on everyone’s behalf.
On a positive note, our talented and committed GICEL leaders’ team is exploring the possibility of developing some online resources, activities and other creative ways to take you and your children out into nature this summer. It’s a good place for all of us to be, especially nowadays! This will be a huge new undertaking for GICEL but our team is energized to take it on. So, let us know if you’re interested in being informed of the digital GICEL community by filling in this online form:
https://forms.gle/Rcrbv7v7zRdwd5LM6.
Please be aware that the GICEL Board also approved the full refund of registration fees for the Seedlings and Summer Earth Education (SEEP) programs. For more information about this, please contact your camp coordinator.
We look forward to gathering again in 2021!
The GICEL Board of Directors
The 2019 Newsletter has been posted to the Newsletters page.
Registration is still ongoing for our summer programs, with some filling up fast, please visit gicel.ca/programs for more information.
The 2018 Newsletter has been posted to the Newsletters page.
Additionally, registration is still ongoing for our summer programs, please visit gicel.ca/programs for more information.
