CVN Facebook Posts
Be a tree tourist in your own hometown!The nomination period for CVN’s Trees of the Year 2024 event ended on March 31. Once again we’ve seen how passionate and observant you, our community members, are about the trees around us in both our urban and rural environments. This year, you nominated 27 trees to celebrate, including specimens of 11 different species.
Take this opportunity to join us on April 27th, from 12:30 to 2:30pm, for this 5km walk around some of the beautiful and interesting trees around Comox.
Tree experts, Karen Cummins and Verna Mumby are leading this 2 hour tour, visiting more than 20 trees nominated this year as well as others from past years!
Comox location. Details when you register. Limited numbers – register early
This is a FREE walk for the general public. Donations are welcome.
To join the waitlist or cancel your reservation email;
🌸 On Friday April 26th at 1.00pm join an experienced Naturalist for a walk around the Courtenay River Airpark. Learn about the history of the park, and how this once neglected space has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley.🌸You'll see native plants such as Red Flowering Currant and Garry Oak. The park is also a favoured spot for birding, with migrant and resident birds benefiting from the diverse plant life that now edges the estuary.
🌸All this is a result of the ongoing habitat restoration work, carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers, led by Frank Hovenden
🌸 Book early to reserve your spot, at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/
🌸For more information, to add your name to the waitlist or to cancel your reservation please email
Great news!!📣 The company taking apart derelict vessels in Union Bay, B.C., K’ómoks First Nation territory, has been hit with a pollution abatement order from the province!Kudos to the groups that championed the issue such as @K’ómoks First Nation, @NGOShipbreakingPlatform , Concerned Citizen of Baynes Sound and many individuals who worked hard organizing action.
Hopefully this will put an end to the containments from the ship-breaking site harming fish habitats and local communities!
As a recent CBC article explains, “Deep Water Recovery is illegally allowing toxic effluent to run off into Baynes Sound and the marine environment off Vancouver Island's east coast, B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has found.
Discharges from the ship-breaking operations are collected in sump pits, which occasionally overflow with untreated effluent, the province says. Testing of that runoff confirmed high concentrations of pollutants, including copper, iron, zinc and cadmium.
The ministers said provincial government is doing what it can to enforce regulations and respond to concerns in areas under its jurisdiction, but they said they "remain very concerned that Canada is not actively regulating and communicating your regulatory actions in the marine environment."
Hope you can look up the article and read more!
➡️ If you want to take more action to keep derelict vessels from polluting the water, head to our website and join us in asking your MP to support Bill C-344 to legislate solutions for abandoned vessels!��📸 Mitch Miller
🌎 On April 13th from 10 am to 2, join knowledgeable Geologist Bob Hauser on this longer walk to view a few of the glacial features of the Comox Area.🌎 This 7 km loop walk will be enjoyable for people with a good level of fitness and an interest in geology.
🌎It comprises trails, roads and cobble beach. Please wear sturdy footwear. Bring snacks and water. Trekking poles might be useful.
For more information or to join the waitlist visit comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events
🌳A recent article in the online magazine "the Discourse" highlighted CVN's Trees of the Year campaign for 2024:🌳"Since 2018, Comox Valley Nature has celebrated unique and spectacular trees in the region through its Trees of the Year event.
"In the first years, Cathy Storey and Fred Newhouse ran the Tree of the Year event. At that time, only members of Comox Valley Nature were invited to nominate their favourite trees in the surrounding area."
🌳“Cathy Storey was so passionate about it, so excited to do it as a way to increase awareness,” said Karen Cummins. (TOTY coordinator) “Just connection with nature, for one thing, which was big with her, and to increase the awareness of local trees here that are amazing. And to raise interest in the protection of trees, as well.”
🌳Now that the nomination period has closed, CVN will publish an illustrated list of the nominees on our website, along with maps of their locations. We encourage you to visit as many as you can, preferably by cycling or walking.
🌳To read more of the Discourse article visit thediscourse.ca/comox-valley/trees-of-the-year-celebrates-unbe-leaf-able-trees-in-the-comox-valley
Category Archives: Plants and fungi
Botany highlights from upper Puntledge trails
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 29. Click a photo to enlarge it. Last Saturday we walked along the east side of the upper Puntledge River trails. We took a look at the bog, and … Continue reading
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A few mushrooms
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 19. Click a photo to enlarge it. Though fungi are currently scarce, here are a few photos from Alison M. of what she’s seen this fall in the Buttle Lake … Continue reading
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Woodhus Slough botany photos
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on October 16. Photos by Veronique. Click a photo to enlarge it. Our last walk was a lovely morning at Woodhus Slough on October 3. Thanks to Veronique for the photos! … Continue reading
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Another day in paradise!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 29. Click a photo to enlarge it. Last weekend the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (SWI) wrapped up its season with a walk around Paradise Meadows, which several of you joined … Continue reading
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Albert Edward botany (part 2)
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 4. Click a photo to enlarge it. Here’s the second instalment of the Mount Albert Edward plants and views (see the first part here). If I’ve miss-identified any plants … Continue reading
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Albert Edward botany (part 1)
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 4. Click a photo to enlarge it. Reflecting back over the summer (as one does, come Labour Day), one of our highlights was a backpack up Mount Albert Edward on … Continue reading
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More summer botany highlights
Notes and photos by Kim D. distributed by Jocie to the Botany Group on September 3. Click a photo to enlarge it. and 2. Pacific goldenthread. A dodder, likely Cuscuta salina, which parasitizes plants in the Goosefoot family, especially pickleweed (in … Continue reading
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Summer botanizing!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on August 30. On July 22-23 I attended Botany BC (along with some of you) and we had a lot of fun looking at subalpine plants. Here are a few highlights from … Continue reading
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More fabulous plants!
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on May 25. Here are a few examples of our amazing local flora, courtesy of John B., with some habitat notes [click a photo to enlarge it]: Small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma … Continue reading
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Kin Beach botany walk
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on May 14. Last Monday (May 9) we enjoyed a rare sunny day at Kin Beach Provincial Park. There were lots of plants in bloom. Special thanks to Helen R. for … Continue reading
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