Rivers Day 2026
Saturday Sept 27th
Pulling to Gather Eco Art Project celebrates Rivers Day 2026 in the Catstream where local volunteers have been investing countless hours bringing back the salmon with ecological restoration. Come join the festivities, with music, dance, art performances, volunteer Work parties, Salish cedar weaving, and fall harvest celebration. For more information Visit pullingtogather.space or seedncoop.online
Events for the the day
10:00am Catstream tour - Michael Geselbracht, Les Malbon, Shelby Drope RSVP: https://luma.com/6vv5ylte
11:00 Snuneymuxw Welcome Protocol - Elder Gary Manson
11:15 Opening Performance -Art Action Earwig with Patrick Aleck Jr.- https://www.earwig.space/
12:00 Lunch & Harvest Celebration Food Offering - Anne Nguyen
Afternoon program:
Cedar Weaving Workshop- Adam Manson
12:30-2:00 https://luma.com/gfhibbfj
2:30-4:00 https://luma.com/drr1mf95
Talking Circle - Water Hearts and Tree Tales - Sharing stories about the bodies of water we love - Danielea Castell
Music Performance - Priyanka Chakrabarti - https://www.piumusic.live/
Bangra Dance and closing dance party - Sukhi Sangha - https://www.vibhangra.com/about
Restoration Workparty - SEED Neighborhood Cooperative
Pulling To Gather is co-produced by Art Action Earwig and Nanaimo Forest School.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, City of Nanaimo, SEED coop, Cinevolution Media Arts, Vancouver Island Regional Library, Protecting our Waters and Planet Project, Ocean Wise, and
thanks to Snuneymuxw First Nation on whose land we live and work
Pre event workshops in SEED Neighborhood:
Sept 24th Harvest Preserves Workshop 1 with Anne Nguyen
1pm-3:30pm https://luma.com/ylxv1h70
3:30-6:00pm https://luma.com/p3e816jd
Looking back: EARTH DAY & RAIL TRAIL Celebration 2026
On April 18th we inaugurated the new nature path along the railway between 5th & 7th Street. People from the community and all levels of government came to celebrate together.
The rail trail is planned to expand past Chase River and into Extension next!
Reclaiming the commons in the SEED Agrihood…
Check out this video of the View Street Park work party in February, 2026 – a collaboration with SECA South End Community Association and the City of Nanaimo. Shout out to all the neighbours and volunteers (VIU Kinesiology students) who came out and helped! Special shout out to all the organizers:
Naomi Woods (SECA), Michael Geselbracht, Grace Boutilier, Scott Black, Shelby Drope, and Les Meborn.
Thank you to Jenni Ottilie Keppler for capturing and documenting this important and inspiring work!
One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.
— Bell Hooks
This year we celebrated Earth Day together with Island Corridor Foundation and the City of Nanaimo in little (but mighty) SEED neighborhood. Highlight was the inauguration of the new nature path along the railway between 5th and 7th Street. We had speakers from all levels of government and a lot of fun, planting trees, mulching, live music, dancing, facepainting, singing, potluck. Among others we had Nanaimo Food Hub, PullingToGather, Seniors for Climate, Repair Café Nanaimo, Strong Towns Nanaimo, the Nanaimo Area Cycling Coalition and Nanaimo Climate Action Hub show up. A new focus was Community Resilience.