WildWings Nature & Arts Festival

The WildWings Nature & Arts Festival (WNAF)  is an annual series of community events that coincide with the Cowichan Valley’s late fall arrival of the iconic Trumpeter Swans, North America’s largest waterfowl. Established in 2009 by the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society, the purpose of the festival is to bring attention to the important natural ecosystems of the Cowichan Valley by using nature as a background to celebrate the interconnectedness of nature, art, culture, and community.

This festival begins with the WildWings Nature Artists Exhibition opening followed by art, nature, and cultural events that take place throughout the month. Outdoor activities are held in the earlier part of the month when the weather is friendly, with indoor events occurring mostly in the second half of the month. Events will be held at several locations in and around the Cowichan Valley and include birdsongs to music, Pik’wun (traditional salmon BBQ), Fish Tales, whiskey tasting and fish talk, and the Koksilah Ancient Forest hike. The festival ends with the ‘It Ain’t Easy Being Green Gala” (aka, the Green Gala). Cowichan Tribes, one of our WildWings partners, provide cultural guidance and leadership for all our  indigenous events.