This year’s 2024 Restoration Report for the Courtenay River Airpark will be posted on the Comox Valley Nature Website. It will be posted under Publications on the top bar of the page. Click there and go to Wetland Restoration or use this link: https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Airpark-Report-final-1.pdf

I wish to thank all the volunteers who showed up in record numbers helping the project for its 29th year. Another hot dry summer required lots of watering the new plantings. We are looking forward to 2025 and starting to replace our native plant signage.
A limited number of hard copies of the report are available from myself or Karen Cummins.

Thanks once again.
Frank Hovenden

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This year’s 2022 Restoration Report for the Courtenay River Airpark has been posted on the Comox Valley Nature Website. It is under publications on the top bar of the page. Click on this and go to Wetland Restoration.

I wish to thank all the volunteers who showed up in record numbers helping the project for its 28th year. We are looking forward to 2023 and some new initiatives that we have planned.
A limited number of hard copies of the report are also available from myself or Karen Cummins.

Thanks once again.
Frank Hovenden

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The post Airpark Restoration 2021 appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

In 2020, the CVN Birders Group established a partnership with the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) to enhance the bird displays at their visitor centre. Last spring, Art Martell gave two presentations on the topic of the Trumpeter Swans to packed audiences at the visitor centre. Bruce Moffat was to give a photo essay on the story of a baby Loon. This will be rescheduled when the pandemic is over.

Establishing wetland plants

Royann Petrell provides an update in the photos below on a landscaping project at MARS to establish bird-friendly plants [click a photo to enlarge it]. She began planning a year ago and now is having weekly work parties with Karen Cummins and Jan Smith. More volunteers are needed for planting. Royann will provide training and education.

Birding volunteers needed

We would like weekly bird observations at MARS as we will compare species abundance before and after replanting.  Linda, Gord, Kathyrn, and Krista have been doing this, but they will need more birders to have weekly reports. To date, 73 species have been recorded on eBird, and approximately half that on iNaturalist.

If you would like to help with either the planting or bird counting, please contact Royann, or email Kelly at cvnbirds [at] gmail [dot] com and he will put you in touch.

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Restoration Project 2020  Courtenay River Airpark

The post Courtenay River Airpark 2020 Report appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

I was out walking along the Puntledge River recently (downstream from the Condensory Bridge on the Courtenay side), and I came across some large patches of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) at the bend in the river. The plants are over knee high and just coming into flower (white flowers). I recall seeing this terrible invasive a few years ago in Victoria. From the looks of things…it’s been at this location for at least a few years.

I have notified Jim [President] and Karen Cummins [Wetlands Restoration Director] about it. Karen is looking into what might be possible for removal. It is somewhat complicated as the ownership of the land overlaps with the City, CVRD and KFN.

I’m attaching some photos here. As well, download this information pamphlet from the City of Victoria which has everything you need to know about it. One thing I’d like to add, however, is that this plant is edible. Yes, you can make pesto with it, toss it into salads and soups etc. Being in the mustard family, it has a bit of a spicy “kick” but by all reports it is a favourable edible.

If any of you have seen garlic mustard anywhere else in the Comox Valley let me know…hopefully it is only at this one location!

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