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Drawing on the Salish Sea: A Zoom course in support of the Mitlenatch Island Stewardship Team (MIST)Have you wished that you could keep a nature journal or paint the life around you? During three Zoom sessions you can explore how to quickly capture wildflowers, inter-tidal life and birds You’ll learn how to draw quickly and accurately, starting with simple shapes, then using some refining techniques, which will help you draw with less frustration!You’ll look at materials: papers, pens, and coloured mediums like pencil crayons. Then you’ll jump into watercolours with a simple palette and mixes as well as quick watercolour techniques you can use in the field or at home. All the lessons will be accompanied with downloadable notes.You will finish the course ready to start your own Nature Journal.Zoom recordings will allow you watch the sessions at your convenience during the course and for a month after we wrap up. About Mitlenatch Island:Mitlenatch Island is a small rocky island that sits between Campbell River and Powell River, in the Salish Sea. Cast in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, its flanks are clad in golden grasses and its meadows host an explosion of spring wildflowers. Anchored where tides rush in from the north and south, rich waters encircling the island teem with fish; intertidal life flourishes and thousands of seabirds nest on cliffs, in rocks, and on open ground. It’s shores provide refuge for mother seals with their pups, and haul out for sea lions in the winter. In recent years Humpbacks have returned to nearby waters, to feed on krill and schooling fish. With so much life, much of it on exposed nesting areas, the island has a special vulnerability. The Mist volunteer wardens are in place for the summer months to welcome people to the island (which is accessible by boat only) and to relate to visitors the natural and human history of the island. For 25 years Alison Watt has spent a week on the island in the summer, as a volunteer warden. Her journals are full of Mitlenatch sketches. She finds it a delight and a privilege to return each year to this jewel of the Salish Sea. MIST is a special organisation which works closely with BC Provincial Parks to ensure that Mitlenatch Island remains a haven for the plants and animals of the Salish Sea.Sign up and donate through www.alisonwatt.ca/drawing-on-the-salish-seaFor more information on Mitlenatch Island visit www.mitlenatch.ca/mitlenatch-island
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: Birdbrains – Smarter than you think- with Sandra Milligan 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.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. Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3 pm in the main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox. Members of the public welcome.This will be an in-person only meeting. We will not record the presentation on this occasion [this is a correction to previous information].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.
It's that time of year! A couple of off leash dogs have been seen romping at the confluence of Morrison Creek and the Puntledge River. Dogs get quite excited to see those big chum. The chum do spawn right at the mouth of the creek, salmon eggs are very sensitive to disturbance so paws, or feet, in the creek kill eggs. Keep your dog on a leash, especially if you do not want a smelly dog! Dogs like to roll in dead fish. Salmon spook, be a quiet calm wildlife paparazzi.
Fish Walk!!! ( Well, not really...but don't miss this chance to follow their journey!)Join the Morrison Creek Streamkeepers for a walk along Morrison Creek, starting at its confluence with the Puntledge River in Puntledge Park, to watch salmon spawning after their remarkable journey back from the ocean. Register here: form.jotform.com/262924316992264
Thanks to community support, a property in Deep Bay is now protected, safeguarding its mature forests, salmon streams and diverse shoreline.Now, we’re helping restore this land so it can regenerate into a healthy forest.Join the Comox Valley land Trust and WolfTree for a hands-on day to rehabilitate the former homestead by planting trees and shrubsIf you'd like to volunteer your time, the work party is Sunday, October 25th, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.Meet at Rosewall creek Provincial Park parking lot at 9:50 to carpool to the deep bay restoration site.See this link or link in bio to register and for more information: www.jotform.com/form/262826298698277
Category Archives: Plants and fungi
K’omoks estuary in bloom
From an email by Jocie Brooks to members of the Botany Group on May 26. This week, I’d like to draw attention to our amazing estuary, which is full of fascinating plants, many of which are now in bloom. Experience the … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi, Shoreline and Marine
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Featured plant: Tiny veronicas (speedwells)
From an email by Jocie Brooks to members of the Botany Group on May 18. Backyard micro-botany Staying closer to home this spring, I am noticing just how many plants, wanted and unwanted, are in my backyard. This year, I … Continue reading
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Featured plant: Horsetail and scouring rush
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, adapted from her email to members of the group on May 12. General notes Horsetail and scouring rush are distinctive plants, with bamboo-like jointed stems and a strange rough-to-touch … Continue reading
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Odd trilliums: An explanation
Loys Maingon provided the following explanation for the trilliums with double and triple flowers reported in the previous post Strange Trilliums! The answer to the question about the trillium is one that I have often given to questions on my … Continue reading
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Featured plant: Stinging nettle
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, adapted from her email to members of the group on May 4. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) General notes Many people first learn about stinging nettle the hard … Continue reading
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Strange trilliums!
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 26. Dawn Moore recently sent me some photos of unusual trilliums, some with double flowers and some even stranger … Continue reading
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Invasive plant: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 27. I was out walking along the Puntledge River recently (downstream from the Condensory Bridge on the Courtenay side), … Continue reading
Posted in Plants and fungi, Wetland Restoration
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Featured plant: Gnome plant
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 20. Joy recently sent in a photo of a gnome plant from the Maple Lake area near Cumberland. This unusual … Continue reading
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Featured plant: Coltsfoot
This post is by Jocie Brooks, leader of the Botany Group, from an email to members of the group on April 15. I recently came across a nice patch of coltsfoot at the entrance to the Nile Creek trail (inland … Continue reading
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Botany Outing Report: Seal Bay Sept 9th 2019
At our last gathering at Seal Bay on September 9th we were not disappointed in the array of botanical forms : flowers in still bloom, including the musk-flower- Erythranthre moschata ( yellow monkey flower with slimy leaves) and the abhorred … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi
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