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Field Course description
In partnership with the Nanwakolas Council*, SFU’s Faculty of Environment is pleased to offer this new three-week field course.
For the first two weeks, students will live on Quadra Island, close to C̓əkʷalutən (Cape Mudge) and across the water from ƛ̓əmataxʷ (the town of Campbell River) located on Vancouver Island. Students will explore various social, environmental, cultural, and governance issues that are important to the five member Nations of the Nanwakolas Council, the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum, K’omoks, Mamalilikulla, and Tlowitsis, whose unceded traditional territories the field school will be held on. Participants in the class may include First Nation Guardians, members of the Nanwakolas Council member Nations, as well as SFU students.
Field school activities include active field-based learning, indoor presentations, and engagement with community Knowledge Holders, local experts, and guest speakers from the Nanwakolas Council and SFU.
Topics covered include cultural heritage and awareness, Indigenous forest stewardship, forest ecology and ethnobotany, wildlife, land and marine conservation, and governance.
Students will develop individual or partner projects that explore a topic of their interest and which are grounded in topics and/or issues of importance to the member Nations of the Nanwakolas Council. Students will be given the opportunity to interact with Knowledge Holders and other community members to develop their projects.
Graduate students and students in an accelerated master's program may apply. Undergraduate students pursuing fourth year undergraduate studies may also apply (priority will be given to students with a minimum of 90 units).
*The Nanwakolas Council is comprised of six member First Nations whose whose traditional territories are located on north eastern Vancouver Island and the adjacent South Central Coast region of British Columbia. The Council provides a wide range of services to its member First Nations including coordination of land and marine stewardship, research planning, technical support and much more.
Nanwakolas means "a place we go to find agreement" in the Kwak'wala language and is a name that honurs traditional ways of making decisions together that will benefit all member Nations."
Course dates
May 11–29, 2026
- May 11-23 or 24: Quadra Island
- May 25-29: SFU
Instructor
Jordan Benner, School of Resource and Environmental Management and Nanwakolas forestry and research advisor.
Nanwakolas Lead
Julie Nielsen, Forest Stewardship Advisor
Credits
REM 661 - 5 Special Topics in Resource Management (5 credits)
Or
REM 485-4 Field Studies (4 credits)
Check with your undergraduate advisor or graduate supervisor to learn how this course may be applied to your program requirements.
Course Fees
$750 to be confirmed in 2026
Application Deadline
January 30, 2026
Questions?
Contact May Fan: Rem_advisor@sfu.ca
