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Recent Posts
- BC Nature scholarships available
- Brandt Research Grant 2026 awarded
- CVN celebrates 60 years of stewardship and community
- Botany at Bear Creek Park, March 2026
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- Hear about a nature photographer’s experiences at our May general meeting
- Botany at Nymph Falls, February 2026
- Come to our 60th Anniversary Celebration!
- Recording for talk on polar adventures and citizen science
- Learn about polar adventures and citizen science at our March general meeting
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CVN Facebook Posts
1 week ago
Bruce Moffat, our very own CVN Nature Photography group coordinator will be presenting at this month’s general meeting. He has prepared a handful of wildlife vignettes collected over the past 7 years on Vancouver Island. Each of these shorts will be played with Bruce pausing to describe the experiences and challenges for each of the diverse subjects covered.This presentation includes images first shown as entries in the Comox Valley Photographic Society’s annual Imagefest show at the Sid Williams Theatre. There will be time to ask questions after each short film and following the wrap up. Bruce will bring some of the equipment used to capture his images.
Bruce has been an avid photographer since his teen years and has focused on nature photography for the past 20 years. He has been published regularly in the local CV Land Trust
calendars and 4 of the last five CV Collective magazines here in the valley. His latest published shot is featured on this month’s cover of Scout Life magazine.
1 week ago
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to announce that Sophie Johnston has been awarded the Brandt Research Grant. This is a $5,000 grant in support of her field research on coastal areas of north Vancouver Island. Sophie is currently a PhD Student at the University of British Columbia.The intertidal zone ecosystem is critically threatened by ongoing climate change. Sophie’s PhD research is documenting the effects of ocean acidification on intertidal marine communities in the Johnstone Strait, British Columbia.
The goal of her research is to investigate how a dominant ecosystem engineer shapes marine community structure along a gradient of ocean acidification.
Ocean acidification not only alters the morphology of limpet species by increasing shell erosion, but can also increase their thermal sensitivity, limiting limpet grazing efficiency and survival in the intertidal zone. Thus, the effects of ocean acidification on such ecosystem engineers could result in large-scale, rippling impacts on marine communities, from microscopic algae to top predators.
The results of this research will be of particular interest to residents who inhabit areas near or along the Johnstone Strait and those interested in the trophic level effects of ocean acidification i.e., the reduced growth of herbivores, barnacles, mussels, and oysters can affect the population sizes of predators like sea stars and otters.
For more information on this grant and CV Nature in general, visit our website at cvnature.ca ... See MoreSee Less
2 weeks ago
CVRD News: Watershed Awareness Days: Discover Where Your Water Comes From 🫗The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) invites the public to explore the Comox Lake Watershed during Watershed Awareness Days, taking place from May 26 to 30, 2026. This week-long event features guided walks, lakeside talks, presentations, and family-friendly activities. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the watershed firsthand and learn how it sustains the health and wellbeing of the entire Comox Valley community.
Read the full story here 👉 comoxvalleyrd.ca/connect/news/watershed-awareness-days-discover-where-your-water-comes
View all the FREE* events here:
www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/connectedbywater
*Some events require registration
#ComoxValleyRD ... See MoreSee Less
3 weeks ago
Photos from Tsolum River Restoration Society's post ... See MoreSee Less3 weeks ago
Author Archives: web_admin
Big laughing gym at Seal Bay
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 24. There are some spectacular displays of “big laughing gym”, also known as “western jumbo gym” (Gymnopilus ventricosus) at Seal Bay Park. You can find it about 3/4 of … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Lobsters and corals
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 23. Lobsters & corals bring to mind sea creatures, but these are actually just strange, exotic-looking fungi! My Mom, Betty, and I were having a great time looking at … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Greens, blues and purples (Alison’s fungi notes, part 3)
Note by Alison M. to the Botany Group, distributed by Jocie on October 20. Notes on shades of green, blue and purple in gilled mushrooms Still in the category of gilled shrooms, shades of greens and blues are not commonly found … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Coral fungi
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 17. There are many coral fungi fruiting just now…this is a strangely beautiful group of fungi, often arising mysteriously from the forest duff. Amazing! Corals, often in the genera Ramaria or Clavulina, are characterized … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Cowichan native flora presentation and walk
Members of Comox Valley Nature (and others) may be interested in a native flora presentation and walk to be held in the Duncan area on October 29. This event will be led by Genevieve Singleton who is a friend of … Continue reading
Posted in News, Plants and fungi
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More notes on fungi and slime moulds
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 14. A few things: Here is a link from Mandy for an article in the Guardian that explains the importance of fungi. Alison has provided us with an excellent handout which … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Apricot jelly, anyone?
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 10. Here are some photos and notes from Alison M. about the lovely apricot jelly fungus. Alison’s notes I’d like to add these photos of Tremiscus helvelloides, which would I … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Weird random fungi (and a slime)
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 9. The fun of fungi is never knowing what will turn up from one year to the next…every year I seem to find fungi that are new to me. … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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More lichens!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 2. Sharon N. sent in these lovely lichen pics from Miracle Beach Park. [Click photo to enlarge.] I think this is one of the beard lichens (in the genus … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Rare lichen
Note by Alison M. to the Botany Group, distributed by Jocie on October 2. Sticta limbata This is a lichen Loys found on the aging fibreglass “window” on our garage, about 100 feet from the house. Amazing what is right … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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