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Recent Posts
- Sophia Priestman, CVN Bursary recipient, 2026
- Bruce Moffat’s nature photography talk materials
- 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!
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CVN Facebook Posts
1 week ago
The New Forest Act Roadshow is a series of public presentations across British Columbia explaining what the New Forest Act is, why BC’s current forestry system is failing, and what a workable legislative solution looks like. Dave Weaver and Jennifer Houghton will be speaking at Stan Hagen Theatre on June 15th. for more information visit boundaryforest.org/courtenay🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT: The New Forest Act Roadshow - June 2–22, 2026This will be a series of in-person presentations across British Columbia focused on the New Forest Act - a legislative proposal to replace the current forestry framework.
Tour stops include:
Golden • Nelson • Trail • 100 Mile House
Campbell River • Quadra Island • Courtenay
Port Alberni • Honeymoon Bay • Powell River • Victoria
Full details and event pages: boundaryforest.org/new-forest-act-roadshow-2026-info/
About the New Forest Act
The New Forest Act is a proposed legislative framework that restructures forest management around ecological limits and long-term economic stability.
It is built on a Protect–Restore–Harvest (PRH) model:
• Protect primary forests and critical watershed areas
• Restore degraded landscapes
• Harvest only on previously disturbed land using selection-based systems, within ecological thresholds
The framework shifts management from volume-based targets to outcomes-based management, with a focus on watershed function, ecosystem integrity, and stable regional economies.
Format
Each event will be a presentation followed by a focused Q&A.
Presenter
Jennifer Houghton, New Forest Act Campaign Director, draws on years of research, public education, and direct engagement with communities and decision-makers across BC.
Co-presenter
Dave Weaver (retired forestry professional) will co-present in Campbell River, and likely in Courtenay and Port Alberni as well.
If you’ve been watching this issue for years...
If you’ve felt like nothing ever actually changes...
Come to a presentation.
See it for yourself.
Bring someone with you.
June 2–22. Across British Columbia.
Let’s go.
2 weeks ago
Drought in the summer is hard on plants in our environment. The trees in your yard may have begun to respond to this stress. Our next knowledge walk will help you to learn how to keep your trees healthy and thriving.Join Verna Mumby as we look at the effects of drought and climate change on trees.
This knowledge walk will be at the Airpark. Taking the trees there as a sample, we will look for signs of drought stress, and indications of healthy growth. We will examine factors such as hydrology, disease vectors and soil compaction.
We will discuss watering and other methods of mitigating stress.
Meeting location will be sent before the walk.
Bring binoculars to examine higher branches. Wear sturdy footwear and dress for the weather. We will be walking on the airpark paths.
REGISTRATION required using RSVP link at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/event/trees-and-drought/ An easy 1 km walk on a wheelchair accessible paved path. Sorry, no dogs. This event is free, but donations are welcome. ... See MoreSee Less
3 weeks 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. ... See MoreSee Less
3 weeks 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
4 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
Category Archives: Plants and fungi
Winter chanterelles and blue-turning coral
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 21. Photo 1 shows a harvest of winter chanterelles or yellow foot (Craterellus tubaeformis) from Kate. This is a smaller, more delicate species of chanterelle that often has a dimple … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Late bloomers, etc.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 18. Here’s a note from Sharon that will be of interest, along with a lovely photo of gumweed, a “late bloomer” [click the photo to enlarge it]: The Kamloops … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Colourful Cortinarius
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 14. Cortinarius is the biggest genus of gilled mushrooms in the world, with thousands of species. The Pacific coast is a hotspot for “corts,” with a rich abundance and diversity. A … Continue reading
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Fly agarics and more!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 10. [Click a photo to enlarge it.] Here are some fly agarics (Amanita muscaria) growing in an unusual spot! (More down the hole, but I didn’t look too closely.) You never … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi
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Plums-and-custard and the decorated mop
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 8. The “shroom season” is winding down, and we will move on to other topics soon, but not quite yet! Here are a few fungi in the genus Tricholomopsis. As … Continue reading
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Death caps in Comox Valley
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on November 7. Many of you have likely heard about the discovery of the death cap mushroom in the Comox Valley. Here is some more information from Alison M.: Re: the … Continue reading
Posted in News, Plants and fungi
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Social distancing?
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 31. During these days of social distancing it’s heartening to see troops of gregarious fungi gathering in the woods…quite heedless of human disasters. Here are some groups and clusterings I’ve … Continue reading
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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
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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
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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
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