Members of the Botany Group enjoyed a field trip to the Nymph Falls trails along the Puntledge River on February 3. The trip was repeated on February 7 with an invitation for public participation.

In the mild winter conditions (no snow), the group studied various plant communities in the area which consists mainly of second-growth Douglas-fir and western redcedar forest. The focus was mainly on the many mosses and lichens to be seen on living trees, the forest floor, and on stumps and logs. A few forbs, fungi and slime molds were also observed.

You can download co-leader Véronique’s photographic guide to many of the species seen on this trip here (PDF, 10.2 MB).

Here’s a selection of photos from the guide [click a photo to see the whole image]:

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

Title: Embracing our planet – one adventure at a time
Speaker: Sunniva Sorby (sunnivasorby.com)
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

If you missed this event or would like to see it again, a recording is available here (MP4, duration 0:50, 375 MB).

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

The post Recording for talk on polar adventures and citizen science appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

The post appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

Title: Embracing our planet – one adventure at a time
Speaker: Sunniva Sorby (sunnivasorby.com)
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox

Our speaker will relate tales and insights from her life’s work which bridges exploration, environmental advocacy, and the power of human connection. She is best known as one of the first two women in history to overwinter in the Arctic without men—an extraordinary 19-month experience (2019–2021) at a remote trapper’s hut called Bamsebu (little bear hut) in Svalbard, 78^o N latitude. There, Sorby and her expedition partner co-founded Hearts in the Ice, a groundbreaking citizen-science and climate-action platform that connected scientists, students and the public worldwide. From their frozen cabin, they collected valuable data for research institutions and engaged over 150,000 youth in virtual dialogues about climate change, biodiversity, and hope.

More about the speaker

Sunniva Sorby is a Norwegian-Canadian polar explorer, educator, citizen scientist, and storyteller. A lifelong explorer, she first made history in 1993 as a member of the first all-women’s team to ski to the South Pole. She has skied the epic Sierra High Route in California, skied across King George Island, Antarctica, skied across the Greenland Icecap as expedition leader, and has climbed many mountains only to realize that the greatest mountain is the internal one, often less explored.

Over three decades, she has worked extensively in both polar regions as an expedition member, historian, and naturalist for organizations such as Hurtigruten, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Polar Latitudes. Her storytelling blends science and emotion, weaving tales of endurance, wonder, and connection to inspire people to act for the planet.

Through her current platform, Embrace the Planet Project (ETPP), Sorby continues to elevate stories of environmental stewardship, citizen science, and hope. She believes that each of us can be a “citizen scientist,” actively observing, learning from, and protecting the natural world around us.

More about the meeting

Although this will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and videoconference), we encourage you to attend in person. Members (only) who cannot attend can participate via videoconference. The link to register for the Zoom meeting will be sent to members by email before the meeting.

As always, there will be an intermission after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available.

A brief business meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do.

The post Learn about polar adventures and citizen science at our March general meeting appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

A small contingent of botany enthusiasts enjoyed an outing on the trails adjacent to the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds (a.k.a. the Tsolum River flats) on January 13, 2026. The main focus was on the mosses, which are beautiful at this time of year, but other features of the area were also observed—trees and shrubs, identified by their shapes and other winter characteristics; liverworts; and a small number of fungi.

Véronique, the co-leader of the Botany Group, has again prepared a photographic guide to many of the species seen. You can download the guide here (PDF, 5.1 MB).

Here’s a selection of photos from the guide [click a photo to see the whole image]:

The post Botany at the Exhibition Grounds, January 2026 appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

In honour of Charles Brandt, long-time and much-admired conservationist in the Comox Valley, our Brandt Memorial Committee has organized an afternoon of stimulating and informative lectures on the theme of salmon conservation:

Date: Sunday March 8, 2026
Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. (doors open at 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College, 2300 Ryan Rd, Courtenay, BC.








The program includes two keynote presentations:

• “The state of salmon: mobilizing data, understanding resilience and informing recovery” by speaker Will Duguid of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
• “Salmon Parks: restoring wild salmon in Nootka Sound for future generations” by speakers Eric Angel and Jamie James, of the Salmon Park Stewardship Society associated with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation.

Be sure to mark your calendars for this special event—everybody is welcome. Attendance by CVN members is free, and others by donation.

For more information about Charles Brandt and details of these lectures, visit this page.

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