Give Something Back: Introducing Project Ukee, Our First Volunteer Travel Day

Ucluelet gives visitors a lot — wild coastline, old-growth forest, storm watching, some of the best surf on the continent. This October, we’re inviting a small group of travelers to give something back.

Project Ukee is Tourism Ucluelet’s first volunteer travel day: a chance to spend a few hours working alongside local environmental collaborators, then spend the rest of your visit exploring the place you just helped take care of. It isn’t a free trip or a gimmick — it’s an invitation to build a real relationship with this coastline, the way our most loyal visitors already do.

How It Works

Register for our program. Your spot will be held for 72 hour.
Book your stay in Ucluelet. A confirmed direct accommodation booking is required to hold your volunteer spot. We send a follow up confirmation form after you register.
Show up Saturday, October 3. Spend the morning giving back alongside our collaborators.
Explore Ucluelet. The rest of your stay is yours — beaches, trails, and everything else the coast has to offer.
Get $400 back toward your accommodation. Funds will be sent by EFT or Cheque after the volunteer shift is completed.

Pick Your Project

On October 3, volunteers will work with two local collaborators on hands-on coastal stewardship:

ReSurf — Wetsuits, Surfboards & Circular Economy: Help sort and process retired wetsuits, soft top surfboards, and learn how ReSurf is building a circular economy for ocean gear that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Parks Canada — Dune Restoration: Join a hands-on restoration project in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, helping protect the fragile dune ecosystems that hold this coastline together.

The Details

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Schedule: 8:30 AM welcome, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM volunteer shift (lunch provided), free time from 3:00 PM
Location: Ucluelet, BC — meeting point details sent after registration
Spots: Limited to 20–25 volunteers
Cost to you: Nothing beyond your stay — and we’ll put $400 toward it

Accommodation

We encourage all Project Ukee volunteers to book directly with one of Ucluelet’s local hotels, inns, or motels. Booking directly helps save on fees paid to third parties and ensures the $400 accommodation credit is easy to confirm.

A few options to consider: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Canadian Princess Lodge & Marina, Pacific Rim Motel, Ucluelet Wildwood Inn, Little Beach Resort, West Coast Motel on the Harbour, The Cabins at Terrace Beach, Terrace Beach Resort, Bayshore Waterfront Inn, Water’s Edge Shoreside Suites, and Wya Point Resort.

Please note: to qualify for the $400 credit, your booking must be made directly with the hotel or motel. We’re not able to accept bookings made through Airbnb, VRBO, or any other third-party booking platform.

Why This Kind of Travel Matters

This model isn’t new — it’s proven. Tourism Revelstoke has run a similar program for four years, engaging more than 200 volunteer travelers across two dozen non-profit projects, while seeing those visitors extend their stays and come back year after year. We’re building Project Ukee on that same foundation: travel that leaves a place better, not just visited.

For us, it’s also a simple answer to a question we get asked a lot: what does responsible tourism actually look like here? Starting this October, it looks like this.

Ready to Join Us?

Spots are limited to 20–25 volunteers, and a confirmed accommodation booking is required to hold your place. Register here and book your stay.

Questions? Reach out anytime at nick@4vigroup.com