Speaker:  From a young age Genevieve Singleton had a keen interest in all areas of nature and a driving passion to share her enthusiasm with others.  A biologist with degrees in both science and education, she has over 50 years of experience as a nature interpreter, the last 30 in the Quw’utsun (Cowichan Valley), Vancouver Island.  Genevieve has worked with ethnobotanist Nancy Turner and Quw’utsun elders for many years, and walking the path of reconciliation is key in her work.  She wears many hats in the Cowichan Valley conservation community and is currently co-chair of the Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable, a monthly forum to bring together people doing environmental work.  See her Facebook blog (hashtag #QuwutsunNatureRambles)

Talk:  In this presentation Genevieve will share traditional and current uses of BC coastal plants with a focus on the beautiful and varied Quw’utsun watershed.  Through studying the Hul’q’umi’num’ language with Cowichan elders, she has learned the plants’ traditional names as well as their many uses.  She believes that the relatively simple act of renaming can shift the way we think about the plants we know and the places we live.  Many of the plants discussed will be familiar to us, but with Genevieve as a guide we can learn to approach and appreciate them in a new way.