CVN Facebook Posts
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.
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
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
Photos from Tsolum River Restoration Society's post
Category Archives: Birds
Old growth forests and the Marbled Murrelet
We know many reasons why old-growth forests should be conserved. One reason that has been in the mainstream news in recent times (and earlier) is the Marbled Murrelet, particularly in the Fairy Creek watershed. (For example, see this story in … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Conservation and Restoration, Ecology
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Black Swift workshop at SWI
Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) is sponsoring a workshop on July 15 by Birds Canada on birding and the Black Swift. See the details in the poster below.
Birding schedule
A message from Kelly Kline, leader of the CVN Birders Group. The CVN Birders Group goes on bird-watching field trips every Thursday morning and on the first Sunday of each month. We skip the Thursday immediately following a Sunday outing. … Continue reading
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Pileated Woodpecker experience
Bruce Moffat sent these great shots to the Birding Group on April 7. “Shot these today at Rathtrevor Beach.” [Click a photo to enlarge it.]
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CVN birders and the MARS connection
This report was prepared by Royann Petrell and Kelly Kline. In 2020, the CVN Birders Group established a partnership with the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) to enhance the bird displays at their visitor centre. Last spring, Art Martell gave … Continue reading
Posted in Birds, Wetland Restoration
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Bird story: Something unexpected
This story from Bruce Moffat was distributed to the Birding Group on February 2. I followed 7 Red Crossbills around a Highway 19 rest area for almost an hour, watching their behaviour and following them from tree to tree. It … Continue reading
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The 2020 Bird Photo Challenge
From an email by Bruce Moffat distributed to the Birders Group on January 2. The CVN Photography Group took up the challenge started by Terry Thormin last year to photograph (web worthy vs. just ID shots) as many bird species as … Continue reading
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Christmas Bird Count – Wrap-up meetings December 15 and 20
Although Comox Valley Nature is not organizing the Christmas Bird Count this year given the recommendations of Public Health authorities, and given that our insurance does not cover any liability due to the pandemic, some birders in the Valley are … Continue reading
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eDNA sampling project completed
From an email by Kelly to the Birding Group on November 23. Today the last sample was taken from Courtenay Airpark Lagoon. All 17 weekly samples were shipped today to Guelph University for analysis. The sampling team consisted of myself, … Continue reading
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Bird sighting – Wilson’s Snipe
Mark and Pat W. recently contacted the Birding Group when a pair of unusual (at least to most of us) birds was spending time feeding in their back yard for about a week. From the mobile phone photos provided, several … Continue reading
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