Let’s Gather….

Explore the forests and tidal edges of Cortes Island through your senses.

Gather with Cheryl Chang, professional chef, and Candace Campo, Indigenous knowledge keeper and Talasay Tours founder, for a sensory experience that will weave together learning, foraging, and cooking. Together, we’ll explore the intertidal zone and the forest floor — reading the landscape for seasonal mushrooms, coastal plants, and wild edibles that have sustained these shores for generations.

This is not a foraging checklist. It’s an invitation to slow down, tune in, and let your senses lead. Chef Cheryl and Candace will guide you to pause and breathe and settle into the environment — because it’s only when we truly slow down that our senses come alive to their fullest potential. We’ll learn to observe before we harvest, to explore with all of our senses before we season, and to trust the intelligence our bodies already carry.

What You’ll Gain

• Knowledge of Indigenous Coast Salish cultures and history

• Plant identification and how different Indigenous cultures steward and utilize nature for food, medicine and technology

• Methods to connect with nature in a more meaningful perspective

• Tricks and tips on how to be creative with local ingredients with global flavours

• How to cook & preserve food with minimal to zero waste

What You’ll Experience

• Guided foraging walks in the forest

• Guided artistic exploration with elements from nature

• Making food medicine

• Forest wellness practices

• Hands on outdoor cooking with foraged ingredients

• Intertidal exploration and harvesting

• Optional crabbing (weather dependent)