Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s October general meeting. where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker:
Title: Birdbrains – Smarter than you think Speaker: Sandra Milligan Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m. PT Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
Red Crossbill gathering water. (Photo: Bruce Moffat)
Once dismissed as “birdbrains,” birds are now recognized for their remarkable intelligence. Sandra explores the evolution of our understanding of avian neuroanatomy, focusing on local species. Through engaging stories and videos, Sandra explores how birds solve problems, use tools, express empathy, and communicate with rich vocabulary – inviting you to see these creatures with newfound respect and wonder.
About the speaker
Sandra Milligan has been teaching university level biology at North Island College for over twenty years. With graduate degrees in neuroscience, she’s now a generalist, naturalist, and lifelong learner. In Campbell River, she’s a recognized environmental advocate and public educator. Her passion for birding has evolved into a deep interest in avian behaviour and intelligence. Drawing on her neuroanatomy background, Sandra has followed the growing research on bird cognition, confirming what many intuitively felt – birds display an extraordinary range of intelligent behaviours.
More about the meeting
This will be an in-person only meeting. We will make a recording of the keynote presentation available later on this website.
As always, there will be a break after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available (by donation).
A brief meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do.
Starting in 2025 (see this post), Comox Valley Nature’s Wetlands Restoration group, with the participation of community members, has been working on the Courtenay Rotary Trail removing invasive plants. After a hiatus during bird-nesting season, the project resumes this month.
Join us in liberating native plants from invasive thugs such as English ivy.
Big piles, big smiles: Conquering ivy at the Rotary Trail (Photo: Karen Cummins)
Removing invasive plants ensures that native plants can thrive. A vigorous native plant population provides food for insects and birds.
Where and when
We meet at the end of 21st street in Courtenay, where it meets the Courtenay Rotary Trail near Dogwood Park. You’ll find us there every Sunday starting October 18 until mid-December, and mid-January to March 14, from 1:00 to 3:30.
Bring gloves and water, dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
Autumn is fast upon us, and the trees in the Comox Valley are beginning their transition into the winter season. CVN’s Comox Valley Trees team (formerly Trees of the Year) is inviting you to share how your favourite trees are changing with the season and preparing for the winter ahead.
It could be a brilliant display of autumn foliage, a production of fruit, nuts or berries, or as a winter haven for wildlife. As the leaves fall, do they reveal an interesting or unique tree architecture, shape or silhouette? Perhaps you have discovered trees of interest in forgotten spaces or unusual or unexpected places, or trees with fungi or lichen.
Send us the story of why you selected your tree of note. Include a brief description of the tree, a photograph, and the geographical location of the best viewing spot. Ideally the tree is in a public location to facilitate viewing.
Please send your story to
We will share your stories on this website and on CVN’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Also, be sure to check CVN’s Events calendar regularly for other Comox Valley Trees events such as knowledge walks.
Posted inComox Valley Trees, Events|Comments Off on Celebrating autumn: Overstory, understory, your stories
Restoring native plant species to streamside areas.
Comox Valley Nature hosted the following presentation at our September 2026 general meeting:
Title: The Challenges in Maintaining an Urban Salmon Population – the Brooklyn Creek Story Speaker: Dr. John Neilson (Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society) Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
If you missed this event or would like to see it again, a recording is available here (MP4, duration 0:30, 108 MB).
For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.
Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s September general meeting. where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker:
Title: The Challenges in Maintaining an Urban Salmon Population – the Brooklyn Creek Story Speaker: John Neilson Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m. PT Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
Restoring native plant species to streamside areas.
Streams in urban environments that support healthy Pacific salmon populations are uncommon, as natural watercourses are often degraded or even buried during the course of development of roads and other urban infrastructure. Of the various Pacific salmon species, coho salmon show special abilities to survive and even thrive in close proximity to human settlements. In this talk, John Neilson reviews the status of coho salmon in the region, and explores the characteristics of this species that promote their resilience. He will also speak of the work of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society as they work to conserve the watershed in Comox.
About the speaker
Dr. John Neilson has had a 30-year long career as a research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, including leading research on the population status and ecology of bluefin tuna and swordfish in Canadian waters. He was also a member of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), and most recently, led the preparation of the status report on chinook salmon in southern British Columbia. He is the President of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society.
More about the meeting
This will be an in-person only meeting. We will make a recording of the keynote presentation available later on this website.
As always, there will be an intermission after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available (by donation).
A brief business meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do.
Comox Valley Nature, in collaboration with Save Our Forests Team (SOFT), invites members and the public to a special presentation:
Title: Alone in the Great Unknown: One Woman’s Remarkable Adventures in the Northwestern Wilderness Speaker: Caroll Simpson Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026 Time: 3:00 p.m. PT (doors open 2:30) Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox Admission: By donation (proceeds to SOFT)
Simpson tells stories of living in the remote wilderness and managing the lodge, becoming an accidental environmental activist, fending off wild animals, working as an angling guide and finally, fighting off a proposed mining operation and participating in the development of a government land management plan as a spokesperson for the wilderness tourism industry.
While Simpson welcomed paying guests at Ookpik Lodge, unwanted house guests included a woodchuck, a pack rat, and martens. Simpson constantly had to watch out for grizzlies, moose, and cougars. Storms and extreme weather also provided fodder for hair-raising tales. All this makes for wonderful storytelling.
Caroll’s story is essentially a love story. In an essay for Sierra Club, Simpson wrote: “I developed an immense passion for flora and fauna. Just walking back and forth on the 300’ dock several times a day, I was exposed to the unbelievable beauty of the northern spectrum of water life: the golden eagle soaring above, the osprey and kingfisher diving and coming up with fish for their hatchlings, the muskrats and otters looking for an easy meal, the tireless beaver working into the late evening sunsets. All of these creatures and more expressed their generational ownership of this small piece of the world. In return each was given my utmost respect and admiration…As I listened to the loons at the end of each day and the owl and the wolf in the night, I felt blessed to be witnessing such beauty. “
On September 20, join Comox Valley Nature and Save Our Forests Team for an afternoon of storytelling about this remarkable time spent living on a remote British Columbia lake. There will be time for Q&A after the presentation, as well as books available for purchase. Tea/coffee and cookies – including forest-themed cupcakes – will be available for a donation.
Join us, and prepare to fall in love.
Posted inEvents, Guest Speakers|Comments Off on Enjoy an afternoon of storytelling with author Caroll Simpson
“Strawberries and cream” fungus (Hydnellum peckii) (Photo: James Holkko)
Strathcona Wilderness Institute is hosting a one-day Mycology Workshop on Saturday, September 19, 8:30 a.m. till 5:00 p.m., in the Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre located at the Paradise Meadows trailhead in Strathcona Park. The SPWC is adjacent to the Raven Lodge on Mt. Washington.
For interested participants, the workshop is complemented with an optional one-day hike into the spectacular old–growth Divers Lake area on Sunday, September 20 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
The workshop consists of basic and advanced presentations on mushroom ecology, morphology and identification by some of Vancouver Island’s best-known mycologists, followed by in-class hands-on ID sessions and short field trips into Paradise Meadows and beyond.
For registration details and more about the expert team of presenters, download SWI’s information sheet.
Véronique M., former co-leader of the Botany Group, sends this note, complete with a set of slides, for your viewing pleasure.
I made a very short PowerPoint from the Mount Washington outing we did July 7 under Martin Dollenkamp’s leadership. He is a first class entomologist and regaled us with all sorts of tidbits on butterfly habits.
The highlight was the mating hydaspe fritillaria couple with a third one trying repeatedly to force himself on the mating couple.
The many flowering sub-alpine flowers were a bonus.
Nice views and weather helped make the day a great success. All our thanks to Martin for donating his time to share something close to his heart with us.
Pacific fritillary on white bog orchidAnna’s blueYellow velvet beetleStretch spiderNarrow-leaved cottongrassTiger lilyLeatherleaf saxifrageMenzies’ burnetWhite bog orchid
This notice from iNaturalist invites you to attend their upcoming webinar on this subject. You will need a free iNaturalist account to register.
Smartphone cameras are great for taking photos of your friends, your food, and yourself, but what about the insects, plants, spiders, and fungi you want to post to iNaturalist? How do you get it to focus on that small piece of grass, or a flighty moth?
Join us on Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00 am PDT for Smartphone Photography for iNaturalist, a free webinar with Tony Iwane (Director of Community Support) and Arya Natarajan (Sr. Communications Manager). We’ll share tips and tricks for getting the best nature photos you can out of your smartphone, and then posting them to iNat.
Even if you can’t join us live, please register to receive the recording!
How to photograph the different features of a plant
Getting the underside of a mushroom
How to quickly post your batch of photos to iNaturalist
Whether you joined iNaturalist last week or have thousands of observations already, you may find this webinar helpful. Clearer photos mean faster identifications, more observations reaching Research Grade, and better data for the researchers who use it.
Hope to see you there, The iNaturalist Team
Posted inEvents, Photography|Comments Off on Smartphone photography for iNaturalist
Comox Valley Nature’s Wetlands restoration group has been working on the Courtenay Rotary Trail removing invasive plants.Removing invasive plants ensures that native plants can thrive. A vigorous native plant population also provides food for insects and birds.Join us in liberating native plants from invasive thugs such as ivy.We meet at the end of 21st street in Courtenay, where it meets the Courtenay Rotary Trail near Dogwood Park. You’ll find us there every Sunday starting Oct 18 to mid-Dec, mid-Jan to March 14, from 1:00 to 3:30 Bring gloves and water, dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.For more information contact ...
Many people fear trees, especially big trees, and old trees. Join us on this guided walk and overcome those fears. Verna Mumby (ISA certified arborist), will take us through the basics of tree bio-mechanics; how trees dance and move, how they withstand wind loads, and the importance of tree roots. Understand how trees help each other during storms and how they communicate. This walk will take place in Filberg Park, Comox, on October 17th, from 11 a.m. to 12:30.This walk is on flat ground, on grass and well maintained paths. Check the weather and choose appropriate outerwear. The workshop will be cancelled in the event of strongwinds and heavy rain.REGISTRATION required using the link in our bio, or visit cvnature.ca/events/This event is free. Donations welcome.For more information, to add your name to a waitlist or to cancel your reservation, mail: . Details re meeting place will be sent to registrants. ...
Autumn is fast upon us, and the trees in the Comox Valley are beginning their transition into the winter season. CVN’s Comox Valley Trees team (formerly Trees of the Year) is inviting you to share how your favourite trees are changing with the season and preparing for the winter ahead. It could be a brilliant display of autumn foliage, a production of fruit, nuts or berries, or as a winter haven for wildlife. As the leaves fall, do they reveal an interesting or unique tree architecture, shape or silhouette? Perhaps you have discovered trees of interest in forgotten spaces or unusual or unexpected places, or trees with fungi or lichen.Send us the story of why you selected your tree of note. Include a brief description of the tree, a photograph, and the geographical location of the best viewing spot. Ideally the tree is in a public location to facilitate viewing.Please send your story to We will share your stories on our website and on CVN’s Facebook and Instagram pages.Also, be sure to check CVN’s Events calendar regularly for other Comox Valley Trees events such as knowledge walks.#treestories #comoxvalley#comoxvalleytrees #autumn...
Join Comox Valley Nature for a walk to celebrate Comox trees on Saturday, October 3, 2026. We will meet in the parking lot of the Comox Tennis Courts at 1:00 p.m. This 1.5 to 2 hour walk will be led by tree lovers Alora Griffin and Barbara Neilson. The number of participants is limited, and registration is required. RSVP on our events page at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/We will walk beneath the graceful boughs of some of Comox’s glorious trees, while enjoying their surroundings and the ambience they create for us. The trees selected will include examples of all the native trees now protected by the Town of Comox, as well as some exotic trees.We will discuss their biological features and historical significance as we amble along Brooklyn Creek and through Filberg Park and other parts of Comox. The path through Brooklyn Creek is uneven and there are stairs to climb. Bring your curiosity and questions as well as a water bottle and sun or rain protection, if needed. Please wear comfortable walking shoes. Children are welcome but please leave your furry friends at home, except for service dogs.This event is free, but donations are welcome. ...
Comox Valley Nature’s Wetlands restoration group has been working on the Courtenay Rotary Trail removing invasive plants.Removing invasive plants ensures that native plants can thrive. A vigorous native plant population also provides food for insects and birds.Join us in liberating native plants from invasive thugs such as ivy.We meet at the end of 21st street in Courtenay, where it meets the Courtenay Rotary Trail near Dogwood Park. You’ll find us there every Sunday starting Oct 18 to mid-Dec, mid-Jan to March 14, from 1:00 to 3:30 Bring gloves and water, dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.For more information contact