CVN Facebook Posts
Join the Comox Valley Conservation Community for a day long celebration of the watersheds and waterways that connect us all in the Comox Valley!Learn about restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries – and so much more. Art projects, kids activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, hands on learning and guided walks – all looking out over the beautiful Puntledge River.Comox Valley Nature will be there with our new outreach tent. Come by and say hello, and try our bird identification game. We can also show you why native plants are best for your garden, and how to spot invasive species.Pack a picnic and stay for the day! Saturday Sept 19th from 9 am – 3 pmin Puntledge Park 1111 1st , Courtenay
In her memoir, Pacific Northwest author Caroll Simpson recounts the highs and lows of running a remote fishing lodge on her own following the untimely death of her husband, and of falling in love with the natural world. 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 20th, 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.The event is being held at the Comox United Church Hall. (250 Beach Drive, Comox) Admission is by donation. Doors open at 2:30; the event begins at 3:00 p.m. 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.
🎟️ Get your tickets to the Project Watershed 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/Every ticket holder makes a difference. 💙 🎟️ Get your tickets to our 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/When community and local businesses invest in conservation, our entire ecosystem benefits. Ticket sales directly support habitat restoration, scientific research, and environmental education, while the generosity of our sponsors helps offset event costs, ensuring that more of the funds raised can go directly toward this important work. Thank you to our incredible sponsors and dinner attendees for believing in the power of community-led conservation. Odlum Brown Community and Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, 40 Knots Winery, CNB Together, we're keeping our watersheds living. 🌿 Hope to see you September 12, 5 - 8 pm at 40 KNOTS Winery #KeepingItLiving #ProjectWatershed #CommunitySupport #Conservation #ComoxValley
The City of Courtenay is developing a long-term vision for Bill Moore Park and Dogwood Park to guide future improvements. To help guide these decisions, three initial concepts have been developed, and there is an opportunity for you to offer your input.The latest survey on the City website engagecomoxvalley.ca/bill-moore-and-dogwood-park asks for feedback on three concept plans and specifically which concept you prefer. The three concepts present a range of recreation possibilities and there is room on the survey for your comments.Dogwood Park is a 2.32‑hectare nature park featuring mature forested areas, natural habitat and a small wetland. Only Concept A will maintain the intact forest areas in Dogwood Park. Concepts B and C propose increased recreation in the park including an off leash dog park, disc golf course, pump track (a purpose built track for children’s cycling) and nature play areas. While the planners may say that no trees or few trees will be taken down to accommodate this, the under-story will not survive this level of trampling and fragmentation. The trees as well as all the wildlife who now call that area home will disappear over time. For those of us who value this forest, Concept A is the only option that makes sense.Dogwood Park is one of the few islands of green for many, many blocks. It provides habitat for wildlife, shade, retains water and acts as a carbon sink. On the architect's base plan of current conditions it is now characterized as an "underutilized space". The City has heard from sports enthusiasts but not nature lovers. Let them know why you value an intact forest and your connection to it. The survey is open until Sept 15.
The Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) wants the federal government to establish a regulatory body for the horticultural industry and create a national database identifying invasive plants and their risks in different regions. "Even if we don't prohibit them, we need to let the public know when there is potential harm," said CCIPR co-founder Cathy Kavassalis. "We do this on other products, and we should do it on plants too. It's just common sense."In July, Nanaimo council passed a motion to pursue a bylaw amendment restricting the sale of plants on a list maintained by the Invasive Species Council of B.C. A week later, Surrey moved to ban sales by businesses including nurseries, large retail chains and florists. Kavassalis said a problem that could be addressed at higher levels of government is being pushed down to municipalities."These are all patchwork solutions that, in some ways, just waste a lot of resources," she said. The CCIPR says a national database could give provinces, territories, retailers and gardeners a shared source of information about which plants pose risks in different regions. Kavassalis also wants invasive plants removed from shelves or clearly labelled.For more on this story visit www.cbc.ca/news/science/invasive-plants-sale-federal-regulation-9.7312362 or see our link in bio
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Learn about coho and Brooklyn Creek stewardship at our September general meeting
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 StorySpeaker: … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Fish, General Meetings, Guest Speakers
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Enjoy an afternoon of storytelling with author Caroll Simpson
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 WildernessSpeaker: Caroll SimpsonDate: Sunday, September 20, 2026Time: … Continue reading
Posted in Events, Guest Speakers
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SWI workshop: Subalpine mycology 2026
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Events, Plants and fungi
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Entomology and botany at Mt. Washington, July 2026
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. … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Insects and arachnids, Plants and fungi
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Smartphone photography for iNaturalist
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Events, Photography
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Learn about the proposed New Forest Act, June 15
The New Forest Act Roadshow, initiated by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWSS), is a series of public presentations across British Columbia explaining why BC’s current forestry system is failing, and what a workable legislative solution looks like. That … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Events, Public policy
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SWI plant diversity workshop, June 28
The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is holding a workshop in its “Discovering Our Biodiversity” Series” on June 28: Title: From the Salish Sea to Paradise Meadows: exploring flora, habitats, and communitiesLeaders: Mary Sanseverino and Loys MaingonWhen: Sunday, June 28, 9:00 a.m. … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Events, Plants and fungi
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Sophia Priestman, CVN Bursary recipient, 2026
Sophia Priestman, a graduate of Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School, is the 2026 recipient of the CVN Bursary. Our $1000 bursary was presented to her at the school’s awards ceremony on May 28. Sophia graduates with straight A grades. She … Continue reading
Bruce Moffat’s nature photography talk materials
Comox Valley Nature hosted the following presentation at our May 2026 general meeting: Title: Island vignettes from a nature photographer’s lifeSpeaker: Bruce Moffat (moffatphotography.zenfolio.com)Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026 If you missed this event or would like to see some of … Continue reading
Posted in General Meetings, Guest Speakers, Photography
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