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Learn about growing old-growth forests at our next general meeting.Comox Valley Nature members and the general public are invited to CVN’s May general meeting. where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker:
"Growing Old Growth: The relationships that define the future of our forests" with Tal Engel of WolfTree Integrative Forest Rehabilitation.
Date: Sunday, May 25, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
(Members, please also take note of the special resolution to be voted upon, detailed on our website)
Tal’s talk presents an integrative and regenerative forestry approach to foster fire-resilience, moisture retention, and overall ecological integrity so that degraded forest ecosystems may endure the ever-increasing anthropogenic pressures to one day become old growth forests. He will present evidence that for old growth forests to develop, far more than just time is required.
Tal holds workshops for community groups in which he first explores how industrial forestry has radically altered the structure, composition, function, and relationships essential for the growth of a resilient and healthy forest. The second part of the workshops cover methods he has developed to help dense young forests recover from a century of industrial forestry.
This talk is based on the first part of Tal’s workshops. He will focus on his theories relating to succession, pathology, and cultural relationships in forests and will include an overview of forest ecosystems in crisis from other parts of the world.
Tal has kindly offered to conduct a second part of his workshop on June 1st in Merville. For CVN members only. Sign up at the General meeting to tour the farm where he puts his methods into practice.
Tal Engel is a forest restoration practitioner and regenerative farmer who lives in the Merville area. On his family’s farm, Honey Grove, he researches and develops forest restoration methods and models that his organization, WolfTree Integrative Forest Rehabilitation, applies throughout eastern Vancouver Island.
see more at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/
www.wolftreeforestry.com/
We are pleased to offer a series of guided walks on Saturday May 17th, in Vanier Nature Park.Choose between 3 walk times that each have a different walk leader; each very knowledgeable about both oak trees, nature and the Vanier Nature Park restoration project.
The 10:00 am walk will be lead by Nick Page. Nick is a professional biologist who works on the assessment, restoration and management of species and ecosystems in coastal BC. He has a M.Sc. in plant ecology from UBC and works with Current Environmental in the Comox Valley. Nick grew up on Headquarters Road not far from the most northern Garry oak trees in Canada.
The 11:30 walk will be lead by Fred Newhouse. He is a Registered Professional Forester and has stewarded a woodlot for 27 years and worked in forest consulting for 35 years. As a Comox Valley Nature member he has volunteered for 15 years helping on projects including the Vanier Nature Park Garry Oak Restoration Project and Trees of the Year. He has conducted walks at Paradise Meadows for Strathcona Wilderness Society.
The 1:00 pm walk will be lead by Verna Mumby who has 30 years of work in arboriculture as a ISA Certified Arborist and Consulting Arborist. She says she is still learning every day from the trees. When not hugging trees she is knee deep in microscopy looking into microbes in the soil – or walking her dog in the nature of the wonderful Comox Valley.
The Vanier Nature Park project is being co-managed by Comox Valley Nature and the City of Courtenay with funding from both the City of Courtenay and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Each walk leader will share their unique perspective on this forest and this very positive project.
Registration is required.
Please be at the meeting spot at least 10 minutes before the walk starts to sign in. We will have a table with further information on this exciting project.
The walk is partially on level ground with some gentle to moderate uphill walking on a forest trail that has some uneven footing. No dogs please.
For more information or to sign up, visit comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/
Everything is connected, healing the land heals people:
Three knowledgeable Comox Valley Naturalists will introduce participants to the plants at the Airpark. Learn how this area was transformed from a sewage lagoon covered in slabs of concrete to a diversified city park. We will find many native plant species here that are reclaiming and recreating this natural environment.Frank Hovenden, the leading force behind these changes will highlight many plant species. Participants will have the opportunity to sharpen their native plant identification skills by the end of this botany focused walk. This is a 1 km walk on flat ground. Meet at the playground on Mansfield Drive.
Registration is required and limited space available so sign up early at This is a free event but donations are welcome. No dogs please.
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 May 3 from 11 a.m. to 12:00. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear.Registration required at comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/events/ (no dogs please)
Admission is free, but donations are welcome
Category Archives: Shoreline and Marine
Learn about the strategy to address wrecked and abandoned vessels
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: Update on the National Strategy to address Canada’s wrecked and abandoned vesselsSpeaker: Donavan Jacobsen (Transport Canada)Date: Sunday, March 19, 2023Time: 7:00 p.m. PT This webinar is facilitated … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Recording for talk on tidal marsh plant communities and goose grazing
Comox Valley Nature, facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar: Title: Changes in Salish Sea tidal marsh plant communities, with or without grazing by Canada geeseSpeaker: Stefanie LaneDate: Sunday, February 12, 2023 If you … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Guest Speakers, Plants and fungi, Shoreline and Marine
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Learn about tidal marsh plant communities and effects of goose grazing
Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: Changes in Salish Sea tidal marsh plant communities, with or without grazing by Canada geeseSpeaker: Stefanie LaneDate: Sunday, February 12, 2023Time: 7:00 p.m. PT This webinar is … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Guest Speakers, Plants and fungi, Shoreline and Marine
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Recording available for talk on impacts of salmon farms on wild salmon
Comox Valley Nature, facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar: Title: What we need to do to rescue wild salmon from further declineSpeaker: Alexandra MortonDate: Sunday, November 20, 2022 If you missed this event … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Ecology, Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Intertidal life at Willow Point Reef
Trip report provided by Kathleen W. with photos by Barbara N. On May 18, despite a dismal weather forecast, 13 Shoreline Group members joined our enthusiastic trip leader Sandra Milligan for a productive low tide outing at Willow Point Reef, … Continue reading
Posted in Field Trips, Shoreline and Marine
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Recording available for talk on Canada’s fisheries
Comox Valley Nature, in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar: Title: The State of Canada’s Fisheries: Oceana Canada’s 2021 Fishery AuditSpeaker: Isabelle JubinvilleDate: Thursday March 17, 2022 If you missed this event or … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Learn about the status of data-poor fish stocks
Comox Valley Nature, in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: The State of Canada’s Fisheries: Status of Data-poor StocksSpeaker: Rebecca SchijnsDate: Thursday March 24, 2022Time: 10:00 a.m. PDT … Continue reading
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Learn about the state of the Salish Sea
Comox Valley Nature, in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: The State of the Salish SeaSpeaker: Dr. Ian PerryDate: Sunday March 20, 2022Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT This webinar … Continue reading
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Learn about the state of Canada’s fisheries
Comox Valley Nature, in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, is pleased to host the following free online lecture: Title: The State of Canada’s Fisheries: Oceana Canada’s 2021 Fishery AuditSpeaker: Isabelle JubinvilleDate: Thursday March 17, 2022Time: 10:00 a.m. … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation and Restoration, Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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Recording available for talk on heat mortality of seashore life
Comox Valley Nature, in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar: Title: Well that stunk: mass die-offs of BC seashore life during the 2021 heatwaveSpeaker: Dr. Chris HarleyDate: Sunday, November 21, 2021 If you … Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Ecology, Guest Speakers, Shoreline and Marine
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