Upcoming Events
2026 Summer Programs
See Program and Event Details Below
The Art of Sea-ing
Saturday July 4, 7:00 pm
Hornby Community Hall
The Art of Sea-ing is a lyrical visual and auditory experience of the foreshore through storytelling, photographs, and a live sound bath.
Bios:
Rochelle Chinnery is an artist living on Hornby Island. Her studio practice includes ceramics, photography, textiles, and writing. Rochelle’s current work is a study of the foreshore and marine flora through mixed-media sculpture and ecological attunement.
Chelka has been creating supportive soundscapes for self-discovery and healing on Hornby Island for over ten years. In her private practice of Biofield Tuning she applies frequency to the body and energy field in direct and precise ways to stimulate our innate proclivity for health and harmony.
Seating is limited. Doors at 6:30, talk begins at 7pm.
Suggested donation: $15 cash at the door.
Island in the Stars - a Cosmic Adventure
Saturday July 11, 7:30 pm
Hornby Community Hall
Astronomy offers a perspective like no other discipline. From the islands of the Pacific, to the pristine skies of Chile, this multi-media entertaining science presentation takes you on a unique voyage through the cosmos.
Bio:
Astronomy became a passion for John when he moved to British Columbia, stargazing from mountaintops with his partner Carol. In 2012, on Hornby Island, BC, Island Stars Observatory saw its first light offering public star nights. “Isn’t everyone an astronomer?”
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door, or online (fees apply).
Drawing from the Well: Groundwater, Art and Connection on Hornby Island
Thursday July 16, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road
What does it mean to connect with the water beneath our feet? Groundwater quietly shapes life on Hornby Island, yet most of it remains unseen.
Join educator Tom Gleeson for an interactive session exploring groundwater on Hornby Island through both science and art. Part science conversation, part creative gathering, together we will experiment with simple drawing, poetry, reflection, and observation as ways of sensing and engaging with this often invisible but vital resource.
Bio:
Dr. Tom Gleeson, a hydrologist and engineer working at UVic. is focused on community engagement, groundwater science and art and groundwater systems and sustainability. He is interested in how artists and scientists can collaborate to bring greater awareness to vital water issues.
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door, or online (fees apply).
Hornby’s Water
Thursday July 23, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road
Get a clear concise and current understanding of this critical topic by a wonderful speaker and expert on the topic, Hornby’s own Darren Bond.
“Water is something that we don’t really think much about - until there isn’t any. Suddenly it jumps to number one on the priority list. Come and hear what the current status is of Hornby’s water: its quantity and its quality. We’ll describe what we’re working on to help with both.”
Bio:
Darren Bond is chair of Hornby Water Stewardship, a committee of the Hornby Island Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (HIRRA). He leads a team that focuses on awareness and education, water testing, water conservation, groundwater recharge, research, statistics, governance, and financial support. While not a water professional, he’s learned a ton over ten years, and helps bridge the gap between science and residents, always looking for implementable solutions.
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door, or online (fees apply).
Learning to Care for the Ocean through Community and Recreation
Thursday July 30, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road
Many people come to care about the ocean through the time they spend in, on, or near it. This presentation explores how those experiences can shape environmental awareness and care for coastal places. Drawing on local and global examples, Kyla Salter will reflect on what rural and coastal communities can teach us about sustainability, conservation, and community resilience. The talk invites audiences to think about ocean care not only as policy or science, but as something built through connection, participation, and everyday relationships with place.
Bio:
Kyla Salter is an Urban Studies student at the University of British Columbia with a focus on community planning, sustainability, and place-based approaches to environmental issues. With several years of experience in ocean recreation, including leading a youth sailing program, she has seen how time spent on the water can build confidence, community, and environmental awareness. As an avid freediver and sailor, Kyla is interested in how recreation, local knowledge, and connection to place can support ocean conservation and more sustainable coastal communities.
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door, or online (fees apply).
40 Years of Becoming: The Transformative Power of Place and Art Making
Thursday August 6, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road
An informal illustrated artist talk with Governor General’s Award recipient Jin-me Yoon, who will speak to her long standing relationship with Hornby Island and how it has affected her life and practice.
Bio:
Critically acclaimed artist Jin-me Yoon has used photography, video, installation, and performance to situate her personal experience of migration in relation to unfolding historical, political, and ecological conditions.
Jin-me Yoon’s work has been presented nationally and internationally in hundreds of exhibitions, and she has mentored many students over the years while teaching at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts.
In 2018, she was elected as a Fellow into the Royal Society of Canada in 2018; and in 2022, she won the prestigious Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA). In 2025, she received one of Canada’s highest artistic honours, the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, as well as the inaugural Kim Byung-Jong Art Award in South Korea. Recent monographs include Jin-me Yoon (SPA/Steidl), About Time (Vancouver Art Gallery/Hirmer) and Jin-me Yoon: Life & Work (Art Canada Institute).
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door, or online (fees apply).
Intertidal Biology Walk
Thursday August 13, 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Middle Bay Beach at Isabel Pl. off Anderson Dr.
Slip on your gumboots and step into the magic of the intertidal. Join local legend Steve MacDonald for a guided exploration of the intertidal shoreline. Wander the water’s edge and discover what thrives on, in, and under the coastal shallows.
Bio:
Steve is a passionate naturalist and marine biology specialist who will lead a guided exploration of the intertidal shoreline at Middle Bay Beach. With advanced training in marine biology and decades of ecological research experience, Steve combines scientific expertise with a deep reverence for the natural world. His engaging approach helps participants gain a greater appreciation for the intricate relationships that sustain the marine environment from intertidal habitats.
Tickets $15 in advance at the Natural History Centre, cash at the beach or online (fees apply).
Bound by Nature Revisited
Saturday August 21, 12:30 - 4:00 pm and
Sunday August 22, 12:30 - 3:30 pm
New Horizons, 1765 Sollans Road
This two day workshop will dive into creative exploration of eco-printing and handmade bookmaking using flower dye baths. We'll respectfully forage nearby plants and flowers to make prints on watercolour paper using a bundle and steam technique. The eco prints will be enhanced by immersing bundles in locally sourced flower dye baths leaving beautiful colour residues that will infuse edges of the pages. We’ll create our books binding them using a simple slip knot technique. Each book becomes a reflection of place, season, and your own creative expression.
Bio:
Instructor, Nora Ready, is a fibre artist living in Saanich. Her creative practice focuses on slow stitch, botanical printing and dyeing. She has a passion for community engagement, facilitation and sharing creative time and inspiration.
Tickets $70 in advance at the Natural History Centre, at the door or online (fees apply).
Limited to 12 participants. No experience necessary. All supplies are included.