Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre - Cowichan Bay, British Columbia

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DO NOT RECOMMEND!

While waiting in the parking lot as my wife brought our son inside for school, I decided to fly my drone nearby, thinking it would be fun. The teacher, named Jenn saw the drone and reacted by throwing a dog bowl at it. I then parked the drone beside my truck and got out to explain it was me flying it. However, by the time I hopped out, Jenn had already picked up a large rock, with 2 hands (one that was painted by a child) aiming it @ the drone, that was across from my truck. But ultimately threw it to the ground, breaking it in two.

Jenn sternly told me to leave, or she will report me to DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), I left immediately. I returned later to pick up my son, and despite us smiling at each other, thinking the situation had calmed down, Jenn later became passive-aggressive, posting comments about drones on the Facebook page and stating she is giving away free stickers with a phone number to report drones to. When we reached out to express our feelings about what had happened (doing so in a non-agressive way) Jenn accused us of "coming at her" then belittled and dismissed my wife's concerns. She proceeded to grossly exaggerate the situation to the point of misrepresentation, claimed she did nothing wrong, labeled us as criminals, and stated she is reporting me.

Jenn's initial concern seemed to be for the mammals, as that's all she mentioned during our brief interaction, there were no children outside at the time, my son was inside. While I understand concerns around drones, I believe her reaction was unprofessional and aggressive. Instead of escalating the situation with physical actions like throwing objects, signaling the drone to leave and a calm conversation could have resolved everything.

Given the behavior we've witnessed, we’ve decided our son will no longer attend this school program and I will be advising friends and family to steer clear as well. Violence or the throwing of objects with intent to damage or destroy property has no place in our society, especially in schools or work places. There are far better ways to handle concerns and communicate after an incident like this.

"As a licensed drone pilot, I rely on my DJI Fly app to inform me of designated flight zones. The app indicated that the area in question was a 'fly with caution' zone and provided a Raven ID, but it was not marked as a restricted or red zone. During my brief flight of less than three minutes, I observed no wildlife, such as sea lions, and saw no signs prohibiting drone use. While I believe my flight was within legal bounds, I assured the teacher/Jenn that I would refrain from flying in that area in the future."

Jenn told us that they will not offer a refund, either pro-rated or otherwise. Only 14 days before program start. However, I believe she violated her part of the agreement through her actions.

Would you feel comfortable leaving your child in the care of someone with such aggressive behavior for four hours a week? And we're unable to get a pro-rated refund!

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND

Shael Zelunka

Really great that such places are still open to the public to encourage science and nature understanding for children. Lovely staff and lovely space.

N T

I had a very disappointing experience with the person currently running the Nature Centre. She was rude and unprofessional during our conversations. When I tried to address my concerns, she became defensive and exaggerated multiple details of our previous interactions to justify her behavior. Due to this, I decided to withdraw my child early from the program, resulting in a financial loss for me. I will not be returning and do not recommend.

Amie Armet

A great place to visit if you're in the area. It's a small space but they make the most of it. Lots of hands-on educational exhibits for all ages, and knowledgeable and passionate volunteer guides to chat with.

Michael Moriarity

The Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre is located at the west end of Cowichan Bay Village and from my friends reports is a very delightful experience for children and a welcome to all ages to learn about this special watershed area..the Centre was closed the day we visited…the walking trails offer a special opportunity to stroll along the inviting beaches…

Chris B

Great little resource! Explore life cycles and biomes with preserves animal artifacts and live creatures. Limited hours (I think it was 1-3pm).

South Sea

We didn’t go into the nature centre but we did enjoy the area very much. It was low tide as you can see but still so beautiful.

Lucille Hsu

We loved the wonderful volunteers who provided an educational and welcoming experience for us and our young kids. We saw live starfish, hermit crabs and interesting fish and salmon fry. The girls enjoyed the craft table for some quiet time.