Life Sciences – The Forests, Coastlines and Salish Sea as our Classroom

2024-2025 Semester

Students analyzed symbiotic, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships—recognizing how these connections, including those involving Homo sapiens, shape ecosystems. This interdisciplinary project encouraged critical thinking and creativity, helping students trace the evolutionary relationships that have influenced the natural world as we see it today. Through this exercise, students gained a deeper understanding of their role within the web of life.
Mapping More than Human Communities
In our Science for Citizens class, students explored the interconnections of ecosystems through the “mapping the web” assignment. This hands-on project brought our class into the forest to identify a central organism within the local ecosystems as their starting point. From there, they mapped the complex web of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors surrounding it.


2023-2024 Semester
Field Guides
Students created place-based field guides about ecological communities of their choosing. Throughout our backcountry trips and field work students had the opportunity to find, photograph, draw, and research the species for their field guides.
Check out the student made field guides below!
Crustaceans Of The Discovery Islands- Jasmine Harvey
My Biodiverse Home- Coralie
Ants of Cortes Island - Luis Dietz
Ocean Mammals of Cortes Island- Rowan Joiner
Medicinal Plants of the Discovery Islands- Salix Webb
Wild Teas of Cortes Island - Samara Gibbs-Reed
Birds of Prey of Cortes Island- Alora Levesque
Plants of Bogs and Wetlands of the Discovery Islands- Dylan Harvey
Medicinal Plants for the Outdoorsman- Ro Large
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Discovery Islands- Jack Large
Edible Berries of Cortes Island- Zella Aufochs
Mushrooms of Cortes Island- Sophie Hermann
Mosses and Lichens of Cortes - Sonia Schmidt
Birds of Cortes- Jonas Korber
Predators of Cortes- Niamh Levesque
Trees of Cortes- Lee Nagle
Ferns of Cortes Island- Fergus Walker
Trees of Cortes- Khalil Biela





Ayajuthem Plant signs
The Klahoose First Nation, Children’s Forest Trust, and Cortes Island Academy recently collaborated on an exciting Coast Salish language project. Klahoose elder and language teacher Jessie Louie met students in the Children’s Forest to share traditions and stories about forest plants, past and present, and teach Ayajuthem plant names. Using Ayajuthem ethnography, the students created interpretive signs for plants along the “School-to-Sea” trail by the Cortes School (School District 72).
The Cortes Island Academy extends deep gratitude to Jessie Louie for her generosity and knowledge-sharing. Emote!
“The language project was very valuable for the students as it was an opportunity for them to engage with indigenous ways of knowing and it brought a valuable lens to our science course.”– Tosh Harvey, Children’s Forest alumnus and co-facilitator of Life Science curriculum at CIA

Field Trip to the Hakai Institute
Annually, Cortes Island Academy spends a week at the Hakai Institute on Quadra Island. The Hakai institute conducts long term scientific research in the remote margins of British Columbia.
Group Projects & Research Symposium
Students worked in groups with the guidance of Hakai scientists to form research questions, hypothesize, analyze & visualize data and then present to their peers. Students were able to learn the scientific process in action through asking questions and analyzing data.
Stream Keepers & Hyacinth Creek
Our class was able to explore the platforms around a salmon bearing stream. A volunteer from Quadra Salmon came to discuss the life cycle of salmon, the restoration work that they are doing and the impacts of climate change and other anthropocentric variables on Salmon populations.



Science Communication Reels
While at the Hakai Institute, students engaged in small group research, employing the scientific process to enhance our understanding. Our exploration also included lessons on effectively communicating scientific concepts. These short reels provide us with an opportunity to witness the application of the scientific method and showcase the research undertaken by the students. Watch them below!
iNaturalist Biodiversity Project
Check out the student’s iNaturalist biodiversity project from their outdoor adventure leadership course. Students found and photographed hundreds of observations while in the field throughout the five week course. Once back in the classroom students worked together to identify and upload their observations. This process fostered a sense of community and curiosity for the ecosystems around us. Through familiarizing ourselves with the local flora and fauna, we cultivated deeper connections and understanding of place.

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