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Recent Posts
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- Learn about the proposed New Forest Act, June 15
- SWI plant diversity workshop, June 28
- 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
- Hear about a nature photographer’s experiences at our May general meeting
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CVN Facebook Posts
1 week ago
Help a Toad to cross the road!2 weeks ago
Dont miss these upcoming presentations, giving insight into wildlife rehabilitation, bird intelligence and the lives of coastal wolves: ... See MoreSee Less2 weeks ago
Reporting wildfire sightings is easier with the BC Wildfire Service App:With the BC Wildfire Service app, you can quickly report wildfires electronically - even in areas with limited cell coverage. Click on the report button, prepare your report offline and your report will automatically go to the Provincial Wildfire Reporting Centre when you’re back in service.Our mobile app is free to download on both Apple and Android devices.
iOS: apps.apple.com/us/app/bc-wildfire-service/id1477675008
Google play: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.bc.gov.WildfireInformation&pcampaignid=web_share ... See MoreSee Less
3 weeks ago
Interesting and helpful advice from John Neilson and the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Stewards :Recently, BCWS has been made aware of two incidents of soapy water at the Brooklyn Creek fish ladder (see picture taken July 2nd). This has likely resulted from a release of a detergent into the stream, possibly from car washing or moss removal on roofs.As readers know, Pacific salmon are found in Brooklyn Creek every day of the year, and there certainly is no “safe” time to release detergents or other pollutants into the storm water system that connects with the Creek. Release of any deleterious substance into salmon bearing streams is contrary to the Fisheries Act, and subject to fines. Soapy water can impact young salmon by damaging their gills or skin.
In addition to posing a threat to our salmon populations, soapy water may also indicate that some people are still washing cars, which as of June 23, is not permitted under Stage 3 water restrictions. Once car washing is again allowed, consider washing on a lawn, rather than a hard surface. This simple method can greatly reduce the amount of soapy water entering the storm water system.
Thank you for considering the health of the Brooklyn Creek Watershed.
Dr. John Neilson, President BCWS ... See MoreSee Less
1 month ago
Sophia Priestman, a graduate of Mark R. Isfeld Secondary School, is the 2026 recipient of the CVN Bursary. Our $1000 bursary was presented to her at the school’s awards ceremony on May 28.Sophia graduates with straight A grades. She made extensive contributions to the Environment Club throughout her career at Isfeld, taking on the president’s role in grades 11 and 12. She was also very involved in the Model UN Program, and participated in other school clubs and sports.
Outside school, Sophia has volunteered with Anderton Therapeutic Garden and with Lush Valley for several years. At 12 years old she was offered a job by five vendors at the Farmer’s Market and chose Alderlane Bakery where she is in her sixth year of employment. She also has helped out at Pendleton Farm.
Sophia has been accepted at the University of Victoria where she will pursue a dual major in Environmental Studies and Economics with a minor in Applied Ethics. Of this somewhat unusual combination of disciplines, Sophia says:
This variety of disciplines will allow me to see complex political and environmental issues from multiple perspectives and find innovative solutions that both foster sustainability and ensure welfare for all (human and non-human alike).
Congratulations, Sophia! ... See MoreSee Less
Category Archives: Field Trips
Botany Outing Report: May 2019
On May 6th at Kin Beach Park, six of us including Helen, spent a couple of hours uprooting more of the invasive Lamium galeobdolon (yellow archangel) as well as equally aggressive Aegopodium podagraria (goutweed) under the watchful eye of the … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips
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Shoreline Outing Report: Denman Island, April 24th 2019
Hey Everyone, Yesterday’s trip to Denman intersected with ideal spring weather. We visited two bedrock shorelines– one on the east side of the island and another on the west. Some notes to follow up on things we saw. (1) Geology … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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Botany Group Report – April 1st Outing to the Comox Lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve
15 of us had a glorious day in the shade of the forested areas, and out in the sun on the old road that skirts around behind the open bluffs (which we avoided because of the extreme aridity). The hot … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi
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Botany Outing Report: April 1 2019
Greetings all, Spring is suddenly upon us. Luise reported that there were goldstars (crocidium multicaule) blooming on Hornby on Sunday 17th; check out Point Holmes, usually one of the earliest spots here on the mainland. The coltsfoot (Petasites palmatus) that … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi
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Shoreline Outing Summary: Mission Road Pleistocene Deposits, Mar 13th, 2019
Roughly twenty shoreline members made it out on Wednesday to investigate 12,500 year old sand deposits laid down 10m below sea level back when the the waves would have been lapping at the spot where today you find the front … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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Outing: Shoreline and Botany, Miracle Beach, 4th March 2019
Between the Botany group and the Shoreline group, we had a big turnout on a lovely late winter day. Conditions were so great, in fact, that we were hardly bothered by the lack of seaweeds that were supposed to be … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi, Shoreline and Marine
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Shoreline Outing Summary: Miracle Beach, Night outing, Jan 19th, 2019
Hi Everyone,Here is my take on last night’s wonderful outing at Miracle Beach Thirteen naturalists caught a break in the weather to survey the sand flats of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. Under the light of a full moon, the group … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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Shoreline Outing Summary: Williams Beach, High Tide, November 28th, 2018
We had a good turnout on a mild and bright Wednesday morning at Williams Beach for the second highest tide of the year. While confined to a narrow strip of shore between the gentle waves and the slippery, imbricate logs, … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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Botany Outing Report: Fungi and Soup, Nov 19th, 2018
Botany Group Report : November 19th Outing Tsolum River Road The range of fungi for later November was still large. Of note we identified many large Russula brevipes – short- footed russula- that heaves up moss, turf, branches etc. ( … Continue reading
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Botany Outing Report: Paradise Meadows, Oct 15th, 2018
Report on October 15th walk For those who missed the report at our last general CVN meeting, for the October 15th gathering we had a glorious day to meander around the Paradise Meadows loops, collecting the SWI plant signs to store … Continue reading
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