The New Forest Act Roadshow, initiated by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWSS), is a series of public presentations across British Columbia explaining why BC’s current forestry system is failing, and what a workable legislative solution looks like.

That solution is the New Forest Act—a proposed policy framework developed over several years through research, public input, and lived experience in communities directly affected by forestry decisions.

BC’s forestry challenges are not isolated incidents—they are the result of a system that no longer reflects the realities on the land.

Join Jennifer Houghton and Dave Weaver on Monday June 15, 7:00 p.m., at the Stan Hagen Theatre in Courtenay for a presentation that offers a clear, developed alternative.

This event is for:

• Residents concerned about forestry in their region
• People working in or affected by the forestry sector
• Those interested in practical, policy-level solutions
• Anyone who wants a clear explanation of what’s happening—and what can be done

This is a free public event. Donations are welcome.

About the speakers

Jennifer Houghton is lead developer of the New Forest Act, a legislative proposal to replace British Columbia’s current forestry system. She works directly on forestry policy analysis, public education, and government engagement to advance structural reform in how BC’s forests are managed.

Dave Weaver has 37 years of experience in British Columbia’s forestry sector, working across industry, consulting, and government. His career includes field forestry with MacMillan Bloedel, forest consulting and applied ecology instruction in the northern interior, and 12 years with the BC Ministry of Forests developing silviculture policy and training in alternatives to clearcutting.

He now focuses on watershed-level impacts of forestry through his work with the Beaufort Watershed Stewards, bringing decades of on-the-ground and policy experience to the discussion of forestry reform in BC.

More…

To view the schedule for other presentations and for full details on the legislative framework visit the BFWSS website.

Sentinel Educational Foundation and the Watershed Sentinel magazine are the sponsors of the Vancouver Island leg of the 2026 New Forest Act Roadshow. Their support is helping bring public education about forest policy reform to communities across Vancouver Island.

The post Learn about the proposed New Forest Act, June 15 appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

Title: From the Salish Sea to Paradise Meadows: exploring flora, habitats, and communities
Leaders: Mary Sanseverino and Loys Maingon
When: Sunday, June 28, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Strathcona Provincial Park
Participant limit: 20
To register: Email strathconawilderness@gmail.com
Registration Fee: $15 (adult); $10 (student / volunteer)

Join photographer Mary Sanseverino and SWI research director Loys Maingon, together with local botanists, for a day of exploring the amazing flora from VI’s east coast to the mountains of Strathcona Park. The day will also be an homage to ecologist Dr. Hans Roemer, who passed away earlier this year. We will use his method of presenting plant diversity in defined communities as a guide to developing a greater understanding of plant ecology in both Paradise Meadows and lower down in the Comox Valley.

The day will be a mix of classroom instruction in the morning and fieldwork in Paradise Meadows in the afternoon. Everyone is welcome! The only prerequisite is a curious mind. We think there will be something here for beginners and experts alike.

The morning session will consist of two slide presentations—Loys, revealing “All You Wanted to Know About Plants but Were Afraid to Ask,” followed by Mary, featuring Native Plants of BC’s Coastal Dry Belt, which she co-authored with Hans Roemer. The group will then turn to a Q&A session with the presenters to discuss the issues raised.

After a lunch break, we will venture out to examine plant diversity within the subalpine meadow ecosystems of Paradise Meadows.

For more details

Download SWI’s notice.

The post SWI plant diversity workshop, June 28 appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

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!

The post Sophia Priestman, CVN Bursary recipient, 2026 appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

Comox Valley Nature hosted the following presentation at our May 2026 general meeting:

Title: Island vignettes from a nature photographer’s life
Speaker: Bruce Moffat (moffatphotography.zenfolio.com)
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026

If you missed this event or would like to see some of it again, Bruce has kindly provided his slides (PDF, 72 MB) and links to the subset of the videos he showed for which the sound track is suitably licensed (on YouTube).

Black bear video

Black Oystercatcher video

Surf Scoter video

For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.

The post Bruce Moffat’s nature photography talk materials appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

CVN members and others who have or know university students in a nature-related degree program should be aware of two scholarships awarded by BC Nature:

• Bert Brink Scholarship
  
  $2,500 to a graduate student “in a discipline which contributes to an awareness, appreciation, improved management of flora and fauna, conservation, restoration, and understanding of our natural environment.”
  
  
• Rene Savenye Scholarship
  
  $2000 to a post-secondary student “enrolled in an undergraduate degree program that contributes to awareness, appreciation, and understanding of our natural environment.”

Both scholarships include the following evaluation criterion (among others): “length of time volunteering in nature for BC Nature or a member club or another non-profit with focus on conservation.”

For more information, including access to the application forms, visit this BC Nature web page.

Applications for both scholarships must be submitted by June 15.

The post BC Nature scholarships available appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

Our first recipient is Sophie Johnston who receives a $5,000 grant to support her field research on coastal areas of north Vancouver Island. Sophie is currently a PhD Student at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Chris Harley. She has a BSc (Honours) in Biology and Mathematics from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. Sophie currently has a publication in the journal Marine Ecology Progress and has other manuscripts in preparation on the effects of a warming ocean and ocean acidification on marine invertebrate species and coastal ecosystems.

Sophie’s research is documenting the effects of ocean acidification on intertidal marine communities in the Johnstone Strait. The goal of her research is to investigate how a dominant ecosystem engineer, a limpet in this case, shapes marine community structure along a gradient of ocean acidification.

Watch for a more detailed description of Sophie’s research in our June newsletter.

The post Brandt Research Grant 2026 awarded appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

Comox Valley Nature marked a major milestone this spring—our 60th anniversary. Founded in 1966, CVN is one of the North Island’s oldest and most active nature organizations, dedicated to fostering environmental education, stewardship, and appreciation for the natural world.

To commemorate six decades of community engagement and ecological leadership, the society hosted a 60th Anniversary Celebration on April 26.  The event brought together members, volunteers, and guests to reflect on CVN’s long legacy of protecting and learning from the region’s forests, wetlands, and shorelines.

Over the years, Comox Valley Nature has championed numerous restoration and education initiatives. These include programs such as Garry oak and wetland restoration, Courtenay Airpark Walk restoration, birding, botany and shoreline groups, an annual bursary for high school graduates, and ongoing community partnerships to maintain sustainable access to local trails and habitats.

In 2026, we are also incorporating our anniversary theme throughout our public walks. To check the various upcoming nature walks, visit our Events web page.

As we look ahead to our next chapter, we remain rooted in our founding mission—to know nature and keep it worth knowing. Through guided walks, lectures, interest groups and conservation projects, Comox Valley Nature continues to inspire stewardship and connection with the rich ecosystems of Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley.

Here’s a selection of photos from the event [click a photo to enlarge it].

CVN’s long history was represented in a graphic timeline display. You can read the entries in the images below the full timeline by zooming in on each one.

The post CVN celebrates 60 years of stewardship and community appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.