Secret Salon Series


We are delighted to announce our Secret Salon Series, offering immersive cultural experiences that merge art, education, science, music, and nature in unexpected ways. Events are held at Secret Headquarters, our beautiful studio in East Vancouver, home to hundreds of enchanting lanterns as seen at our Annual Winter Solstice Festival.

Secret Life of Crows

Saturday, october 5TH

5:30 PM - 8:00 PM PST

Have you ever wondered what the crows flying above you are thinking? Do you want to learn more about crow folklore and facts? Nature educator and bird expert Celina Starnes hosts an evening of corvid inquiry and intrigue in our own Secret Headquarters. Celina will decode the mysteries of crow behaviour, reveal secrets of their intelligence, and explore their relationship with humans. Her presentation will include crow artifacts, stories, slides, and a short neighbourhood walk to observe and interpret the calls and activities of our local murder.

Featuring live music by accordionist Susan Gerofsky, hot tea and treats, and secret surprises along the way, this event is sure to tickle your feathers!

Event Notes / Be Prepared:

  • Please be prepared for a 45-minute outdoor walk

  • Tickets are available by sliding scale ($30-$50). Suggested admission: $35

  • Doors open at 5:00 PM

  • Space is limited to 25 participants

Your donation contributes directly to supporting our programming of cultural learning and artistic sharing. If you have financial barriers preventing you from purchasing a ticket, please email admin@secretlantern.org and we will do our best to accommodate you. We are sincerely grateful for all support.

Artist Bio

Celina Starnes’ day job is the Outreach Director at the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance, a national conservation organization. There, she is driving forward solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises by fostering meaningful collaboration across diverse stakeholders, accelerating conservation on a national scale. She grew up in Montreal, fully enjoying the city’s rich culture, as she started a career in visual arts. After completing schooling at the McGill School of Environment, she headed west to BC to start contributing to nature protection in creative ways. After the workday is done, she enjoys dreaming up novel ideas for nature-centred events that introduce people to ecology in fun and sometimes weird ways! These events are a throwback to her many years in environmental education as a tour guide at Ducks Unlimited, an events coordinator Metro Vancouver Parks, and as the public education manager at Stanley Park.

Susan Gerofsky is a UBC professor in math education, working with embodied ways to learn mathematics through the arts and outdoors. She is active as a poet, playwright, musician and filmmaker, and works with dance and fibre arts. She is the Squire of Tiddley Cove Morris Dancers and a member of Sospiro Misterioso, playing acoustic traditional music from Canada and Europe. You'll often find her cycling around town with a baritone horn or an accordion.

Getting Here: Secret Headquarters is located at 1398 East 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC. Bus # 22 is within walking distance; VCC Clark and Commercial Skytrain Stations are within 10 minutes' walk. Free parking on the street and in the large parking lot in the alley between 3rd and 4th.

Accessibility: Secret Headquarters is wheelchair and walker accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please get in touch with us at (778) 323-9489 or admin@secretlantern.org.

Omi, our lovely resident feline, loves to attend our gatherings. Please let us know if you have allergies and we will gently explain to him why he needs to stay home that night.