earth

Pulling To Gather is a community-driven project aimed at restoring Nanaimo’s native ecology in an artful way, culminating in an Earth Day Celebration on April 25th, where we showcase the fruits of our effort. We begin another cycle of land stewardship  from there.

Check out our Pulling To Gather project website: www.PullingToGather.space for more info and opportunities to participate. You can also find our 2024 archive and online exhibition full of good stuff! Our celebration highlight video is a little love letter to everyone who was part of this exciting project.

In 2026, we aim to revive the spirit of the project in a new way to broaden the creative conservation, deepen sustainable understanding of the local ecology, and strive for long-term change: We bring creative awareness and action to local salmon habitats and vegetation in symbiotic relationships.

South End Ecological Development (SEED) in support of Snuneymuxw Nation is initiating a new Food Forest in an ecologically sensitive Cat Stream area. We are bringing artists, Elders, and biologists to collaborate in establishing the community garden that is honouring the Coast Salish food forest tradition, nurturing Native food plants while integrating non-invasive non-indigenous food plants that can grow in harmony with the local ecology and amplify food security in our culturally diverse community.

While we are working on the foundations of this growing initiative, we are continuing our efforts, removing invasive plants in two neighborhoods, the Cat stream area and Bowen Park/ Millstone River area. Our 2026 Earth Day celebration will take place in the Bowen Park Amphitheatre and surrounding area, bringing artists and community members together to collaborate. This year, newcomers will also be an important and strong part of the larger net we are weaving as a collective. The wisdom of the land and Elders teach us that this work takes time, and we learn that we need more people to join in, and of course, the more diverse the hands are the better.