CVN Facebook Posts
Join the Comox Valley Conservation Community for a day long celebration of the watersheds and waterways that connect us all in the Comox Valley!Learn about restoration and habitat enhancement projects, salmon cycles, drinking water, forests, creeks, wetlands and estuaries – and so much more. Art projects, kids activities, volunteer engagement opportunities, hands on learning and guided walks – all looking out over the beautiful Puntledge River.Comox Valley Nature will be there with our new outreach tent. Come by and say hello, and try our bird identification game. We can also show you why native plants are best for your garden, and how to spot invasive species.Pack a picnic and stay for the day! Saturday Sept 19th from 9 am – 3 pmin Puntledge Park 1111 1st , Courtenay
In her memoir, Pacific Northwest author Caroll Simpson recounts the highs and lows of running a remote fishing lodge on her own following the untimely death of her husband, and of falling in love with the natural world. Simpson tells stories of living in the remote wilderness and managing the lodge, becoming an accidental environmental activist, fending off wild animals, working as an angling guide and finally, fighting off a proposed mining operation and participating in the development of a government land management plan as a spokesperson for the wilderness tourism industry.While Simpson welcomed paying guests at Ookpik Lodge, unwanted house guests included a woodchuck, a pack rat, and martens. Simpson constantly had to watch out for grizzlies, moose, and cougars. Storms and extreme weather also provided fodder for hair-raising tales. All this makes for wonderful storytelling.Caroll’s story is essentially a love story. In an essay for Sierra Club, Simpson wrote: “I developed an immense passion for flora and fauna. Just walking back and forth on the 300’ dock several times a day, I was exposed to the unbelievable beauty of the northern spectrum of water life: the golden eagle soaring above, the osprey and kingfisher diving and coming up with fish for their hatchlings, the muskrats and otters looking for an easy meal, the tireless beaver working into the late evening sunsets. All of these creatures and more expressed their generational ownership of this small piece of the world. In return each was given my utmost respect and admiration…As I listened to the loons at the end of each day and the owl and the wolf in the night, I felt blessed to be witnessing such beauty. “On September 20th, join Comox Valley Nature and Save Our Forests Team for an afternoon of storytelling about this remarkable time spent living on a remote British Columbia lake.The event is being held at the Comox United Church Hall. (250 Beach Drive, Comox) Admission is by donation. Doors open at 2:30; the event begins at 3:00 p.m. There will be time for Q&A after the presentation, as well as books available for purchase. Tea/coffee and cookies - including forest-themed cupcakes - will be available for a donation.Join us, and prepare to fall in love.
🎟️ Get your tickets to the Project Watershed 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/Every ticket holder makes a difference. 💙 🎟️ Get your tickets to our 2026 Keeping It Living Dinner today! projectwatershed.ca/2026-keeping-it-living-dinner/When community and local businesses invest in conservation, our entire ecosystem benefits. Ticket sales directly support habitat restoration, scientific research, and environmental education, while the generosity of our sponsors helps offset event costs, ensuring that more of the funds raised can go directly toward this important work. Thank you to our incredible sponsors and dinner attendees for believing in the power of community-led conservation. Odlum Brown Community and Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, 40 Knots Winery, CNB Together, we're keeping our watersheds living. 🌿 Hope to see you September 12, 5 - 8 pm at 40 KNOTS Winery #KeepingItLiving #ProjectWatershed #CommunitySupport #Conservation #ComoxValley
The City of Courtenay is developing a long-term vision for Bill Moore Park and Dogwood Park to guide future improvements. To help guide these decisions, three initial concepts have been developed, and there is an opportunity for you to offer your input.The latest survey on the City website engagecomoxvalley.ca/bill-moore-and-dogwood-park asks for feedback on three concept plans and specifically which concept you prefer. The three concepts present a range of recreation possibilities and there is room on the survey for your comments.Dogwood Park is a 2.32‑hectare nature park featuring mature forested areas, natural habitat and a small wetland. Only Concept A will maintain the intact forest areas in Dogwood Park. Concepts B and C propose increased recreation in the park including an off leash dog park, disc golf course, pump track (a purpose built track for children’s cycling) and nature play areas. While the planners may say that no trees or few trees will be taken down to accommodate this, the under-story will not survive this level of trampling and fragmentation. The trees as well as all the wildlife who now call that area home will disappear over time. For those of us who value this forest, Concept A is the only option that makes sense.Dogwood Park is one of the few islands of green for many, many blocks. It provides habitat for wildlife, shade, retains water and acts as a carbon sink. On the architect's base plan of current conditions it is now characterized as an "underutilized space". The City has heard from sports enthusiasts but not nature lovers. Let them know why you value an intact forest and your connection to it. The survey is open until Sept 15.
The Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR) wants the federal government to establish a regulatory body for the horticultural industry and create a national database identifying invasive plants and their risks in different regions. "Even if we don't prohibit them, we need to let the public know when there is potential harm," said CCIPR co-founder Cathy Kavassalis. "We do this on other products, and we should do it on plants too. It's just common sense."In July, Nanaimo council passed a motion to pursue a bylaw amendment restricting the sale of plants on a list maintained by the Invasive Species Council of B.C. A week later, Surrey moved to ban sales by businesses including nurseries, large retail chains and florists. Kavassalis said a problem that could be addressed at higher levels of government is being pushed down to municipalities."These are all patchwork solutions that, in some ways, just waste a lot of resources," she said. The CCIPR says a national database could give provinces, territories, retailers and gardeners a shared source of information about which plants pose risks in different regions. Kavassalis also wants invasive plants removed from shelves or clearly labelled.For more on this story visit www.cbc.ca/news/science/invasive-plants-sale-federal-regulation-9.7312362 or see our link in bio
Category Archives: Guest Speakers
CSEB talk: Ecotoxicology of Mt. Polley disaster
CVN members were invited to attend the online lecture described below, hosted by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists. The recording of this talk is now availabile (see link at the end of this post). Title: The Mount Polley Mine … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Guest Speakers
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Recording available for Lynne Quarmby talk
CVN’s guest speaker on April 18 via webinar was Dr. Lynne Quarmby whose topic was Watermelon Snow – Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear. This is also the title of her recently published memoir, a moving account of her … Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Ecology, Guest Speakers
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CSEB talk: Indigenous management of salmon
CVN members were invited to attend the online lecture described below, hosted by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists. The recording of this talk is now availabile. Title: Indigenous Systems of Management for Culturally and Ecologically Resilient Pacific Salmon FisheriesSpeakers: … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Guest Speakers
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Hear scientist Lynne Quarmby discuss insights from Watermelon Snow
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: Watermelon Snow – Science, Art, and a Lone Polar BearSpeaker: Dr. Lynne QuarmbyDate: Sunday, April 18, 2021Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT This webinar is facilitated by the Canadian … Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Ecology, Guest Speakers
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Recording available for talk on bear dens and logging
CVN members were invited to a talk hosted by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists on April 6 via webinar. The guest speaker was Helen Davis (Artemis Consulting) whose topic was Impacts of Forest Harvesting on the Supply of Bear … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Mammals
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Learn about logging and bear dens
The Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists is hosting a free online lecture as follows: Title: Impacts of Forest Harvesting on the Supply of Bear Dens in Coastal BCSpeaker: Helen DavisDate: Tuesday, April 6, 2021Time: 10:00 a.m. PDT This talk is … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Guest Speakers, Mammals
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Recording available for orchid pollinators talk
The Strathcona Wilderness Institute hosted an online talk on March 24 by Dr. Jasmine Janes and Genevieve van der Voort whose topic was “Orchid pollinators of Strathcona Park“. If you missed this event or would like to see it again, … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Insects and arachnids, Plants and fungi
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Recording available for talk on Pacific Salmon Explorer
CVN’s guest speaker on March 21 via webinar was Dr. Eric Hertz whose topic was The Pacific Salmon Explorer: A novel tool for mobilizing data on salmon and their habitats risks of hatchery enhancement for Pacific salmon. The talk was … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Learn about exploring data on Pacific salmon
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host a free online lecture by Dr. Eric Hertz. The lecture entitled “The Pacific Salmon Explorer: A novel tool for mobilizing data on salmon and their habitats.” is on Sunday March 21, 2021, 7:00 … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Recordings available for Herring in the Salish Sea webinar series
The Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists and Comox Valley Nature hosted a highly informative series of five daily webinars from February 22 to February 26 focussing on herring in the Salish Sea. If you missed any of these webinars or … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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