We are officially spoiled. We are day 8 into our stay in Bella Bella and have had 5 days of glorious (and deliciously warm) sunshine. Please try not to be too jealous.
We have spent the majority of our time during the last few days meeting with people and prepping for upcoming fieldwork. Today we fashioned 36 vexar envelopes for 36 pieces of slippery, slimy flat kelp (Macrocystis to us phyco nerds). Tomorrow Margot and Britt will test out our creations in the open water (they are very excited) as we begin data collection for the first phase of the experimental fieldwork. Keep your fingers crossed that our experiments survive the currents, weather and our backyard engineering.
On Monday we attended day one of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council Annual General Meeting, where our SFU team was formally introduced to the community. In the evening we dined with fellow attendees and helped honour 3 distinguished community members. We were touched by the speeches given by those honoured and by their family members. There is a true sense of community here in Bella Bella that we all feel very fortunate to be a part of.
AG
Hakai Network for Coastal People, Ecosystems and Management 
It sounds like an amazing experience, and I am really enjoying reading these postings! I’m a little curious about what you’re doing with those vexar envelopes? Hope the weather stays nice for your experiments! Take care, Steph.