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Recent Posts
- NatureKidsBC needs a CV leader
- Help preserve Hamilton Marsh near Qualicum Beach
- MARS benefit concert
- Recording for talk on slime moulds of Strathcona Park
- Learn about bioblitzes, rare plants, and BC plant diversity at our October general meeting
- Recording for talk on a birding “big year”
- Learn about slime moulds of Strathcona Park
- Learn about the medicinal plants of Cumberland
- Rotary Trail English ivy pull
- Hear about a birding “Big Year” at our next general meeting
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CVN Facebook Posts
2 weeks ago
Many people fear trees, especially big trees. Join us in this guided walk and overcome those fears. You will learn about tree bio-mechanics; how trees dance and move, and the importance of tree roots. Understand how trees help each other during storms and how they communicate. We will look at trees in Filberg Park in Comox on November 8th from 11 a.m. to 12:00.This is another in our series of workshops being held as part of the Trees of the Year 2025.
Location: Filberg Park, 61 Filberg Road, Comox
Prior registration is required on our events page.
comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/ Maximum number of participants is 15. (donations are gratefully accepted)
The walk will take place on flat ground, on grass and well maintained paths. Check the weather and choose appropriate outerwear. The workshop will be cancelled in the event of strong winds and heavy rain.
For additional information about the Trees of the Year 2025, and future workshops scheduled for 2026 visit our webpage
comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/
2 weeks ago
Support the Hamilton Marsh Forest and Land Acquisition campaign: ... See MoreSee Less2 weeks ago
Comox Valley Nature is looking for a NatureKids BC Volunteer Club Leader! Join an amazing volunteer team of over 65 passionate nature leaders from across British Columbia!Working alone or with co-leaders, Nature Club Leaders organize and create Explorer Days for children and their families across the province and go out of their way to educate and inspire our youth members about nature.
As a club leader, your primary responsibility is to organize outdoor field trips called Explorer Days in your community(1 to 2 hour activities in nature). If you share our passion for connecting kids with nature, enjoy organizing activities, and can help plan about 8 Explorer Days a year, this is perfect for you! We provide training, support and liability insurance.
Our volunteer club leaders receive many exciting perks including professional development training, networking opportunities, access to outdoor education resources and much more!
To volunteer contact Katelyn Bissat at
#naturekids #comoxvalley ... See MoreSee Less
3 weeks ago
An afternoon of music to celebrate wildlife and support MARS ... See MoreSee Less3 weeks ago
At our upcoming general meeting we will host Dr Gerry Allen who will speak to us about plant diversity in BC and BioblitzesBC has the highest plant diversity in Canada due to the high diversity of ecosystems. The BC Conservation Data Centre maintains a complete and regularly revised list of all plant species in the province (whether common or rare, native or not). However, we want to know more than just the list. Where are species found? In what habitats? Are they becoming more common or less? Bioblitzes (concentrated searches for species in a particular time and place) provide new information, especially for less well-known groups like mosses and lichens. Dr. Allen will describe some plant biodiversity results from recent bioblitzes on Calvert and Quadra islands. She will also discuss rare species, which typically require more targeted searches. An example is the discovery of many new populations of the currently threatened Hibberson’s trillium (Trillium hibbersonii). Continuing field observations by knowledgeable observers are an essential part of these discoveries and are critical to keeping diversity assessments current.
Dr. Gerry Allen is a retired professor of biology but continues working on a number of ongoing projects. Her research is broadly focused on the evolution, ecology and conservation biology of plants. Current and recent projects in her lab include the ecology of arctic-alpine plants, especially migration in response to post-glacial climate change, and the reproductive ecology of rare plants. She was also the curator of the University of Victoria Herbarium for many years.
This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and video conference). We encourage members and the public to attend the in-person meeting. Members (only) who cannot attend can participate via videoconference. The link to join the Zoom meeting will be sent to members by email before the meeting.
After the keynote presentation there will be a break with coffee/tea, goodies and socializing, followed by the business part of the meeting. This consists mainly of brief reports from our interest groups and projects, an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do. ... See MoreSee Less
Category Archives: Field Trips
Botany at Paradise Meadows, August 2025
On August 9, a small contingent (two leaders and one member) from the Botany Group enjoyed a mid- to late-summer field trip to Paradise Meadows. This subalpine environment (elevation 1200 m) offers many plants different from those at lower levels. … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Thames Creek, June 2025
On their first trip (at least in recent years) to Thames Creek near Bowser on June 3, repeated with public participation on June 14, the Botany Group enjoyed exploring the variety of habitats in the area. The presence of old-growth … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at the Airpark, May 2025
Botany Group members enjoyed a field trip to the Courtenay Airpark on May 6 (repeated with public participation on May 10). With the (perhaps surprising) diversity of plants at this urban location, there was much to see, ranging from algae … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Ruth Masters Greenway, April 2025
The Botany Group’s early-spring field trip to Ruth Masters Greenway on April 1 (repeated on April 12) was a followup to the winter outing in January. Although plenty of spring growth was visible, including some flowers, observing bark, branches and … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Lazo Marsh, March 2025
The Botany Group made a late-winter visit to Lazo Marsh on March 4 (repeated on March 15) to continue identifying plants without the aids of leaves, flowers or fruits. This was the first trip that repeated the usual first Tuesday … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Ruth Masters Greenway, January 2025
The Botany Group enjoyed a field trip to Ruth Masters Greenway in Courtenay on January 7. Ruth Masters was a prominent local environmentalist and activist, and was a long-time member of CVN. In 2004, she donated this important property adjacent … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Seal Bay Park, December 2024
On December 3, a large contingent of Botany Group members enjoyed a walk in Seal Bay Nature Park, following the Coupland Loop trail. The main themes of this late-autumn outing were mosses and fungi, and many interesting and beautiful specimens … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Puntledge forest, November 2024
The Botany Group delved into the plentiful and diverse world of fungi in the Puntledge forest on their November field trip. Although walking only a short distance, it seemed the group saw specimens to examine every metre along the side … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Botany at Paradise Meadows, October 2024
Now that the flowering season is over, the Botany Group returned to Paradise Meadows on October 8 to learn to identify the plants there by their other characteristics—growth habit, leaves, seeds and other clues. And, of course, to enjoy the … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Learning material, Plants and fungi
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Exploring Willow Point reef, July 2024
The CVN Shoreline Group had a productive field trip to the Willow Point reef in Campbell River this year on July 5. As on trips to this location in previous years, the group enjoyed the excellent leadership of Campbell River’s … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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