In a fascinating and amusing article titled “Life Over Limb: Conversation with a Taildropper Slug“, CVN member Véronique McIntyre describes this unusual creature and how and why it manages to sever its own tail section and still survive. Read the article here.
This is the second submission in a new facet of this site devoted to long-form writing from CVN members, following the publication yesterday of a book review. Each of these contributions will have its own page on the site and be introduced by a blog post (like this one). You can access these contributions any time using the new blog post categories “Articles” and “Book Reviews” in the sidebar, or the Search box, also in the sidebar.
In the initial contribution to a new facet of this site, CVN member Tony de Castro has shared his review of the book Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations by David R. Montgomery. As a longer form article the review has its own page on the site. You can read the review here.
Comox Valley Nature, facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar:
Title:Conservation Implications of Clearcutting around Strathcona Provincial Park Speaker: Loys Maingon Date: Sunday, January 15, 2023
If you missed this event or would like to see it again, CSEB has made the recording available here. To access it you will need to provide your name and email address.
For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.
Nominations for Comox Valley Nature’s Tree of the Year for 2023 are now open. Some key features of the contest:
Any resident of the Comox Valley can nominate a tree, not just CVN members.
We have an online nomination form to make nominating easier.
The winner will be decided by public vote. All residents of the Comox Valley can vote for their choice among the nominated trees using online voting.
You can nominate a tree any time between January 15 and March 15. Visit our Tree of the Year page to learn more about the contest and to access the nomination form. There you will also find some details of the nomination rules (which have not changed from last year’s). Or go directly to the nomination form here:
After nominations close, we will publish an illustrated list of the nominees on this website, along with maps of their locations. We encourage you to visit as many as you can, preferably by cycling or walking, before you vote.
The voting period will start April 1 and end May 31. Watch for additional details at that time.
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BC’s forests have been so intensively and unsustainably clearcut over the past five decades that even the Premier has publicly acknowledged that they are “exhausted.” This is synonymous with the international designation endorsed at COP15 of “degraded forests.” Strathcona Provincial Park now stands as a virtual ecological island in a sea of clearcuts. This has important economic and ecological implications for the region and for the management of Strathcona Provincial Park. The government’s stated commitment to “30% by 2030” presents a unique opportunity to complete the 12% advocated for in the 1989 Larkin report, and add a further 18% to the park, if only to meet our obligations to future generations.
About the speaker
Loys Maingon is a retired registered professional biologist and research director for the Strathcona Wilderness Institute. He is a former president of Comox Valley Nature and is currently a CVN director.
CVN has a new and improved online method for new members to join and existing members to renew. With this new method you can provide your contact information, affirm the waiver, optionally make a donation, and pay with a credit or debit card, all together through our payment processor Square.
If you have not already joined or renewed, try it out! Start at our updated Membership page.
Even if you prefer to pay by e-transfer, cheque or cash, you can still use the new method to send us your membership information and affirm the waiver. However, if you would like to use the traditional paper form instead, it is still available on our Membership page.
Donations
We have similarly improved the process of making a donation separately from membership to let you specify your donation intentions more clearly and pay with a credit or debit card online. You can even make multiple donations to different CVN interest groups or activities with one payment while itemizing your intended amounts.
To try out the new donation process (apart from the membership process), start at our updated Donate page.
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Contributed by Karen Cummins, leader of the Tree of the Year team. Click a photo to enlarge it.
Meet the tree-checking crew for Tree of the Year 2023
Left to right: Isabella, Barbara, Kathie, Katrice, Carol, Tryna and Fred
We had our first workshop for CVN members who will help check the trees nominated for the upcoming Tree of the Year event. We met on a beautiful mid-December afternoon in Filberg Park in Comox to learn how to measure tree height and diameter, consider tree identification, and describe the location including the GPS coordinates.
This was a first CVN outing for Katrice Baur who is the Comox Valley Youth Coordinator for the Invasive Species Council of BC. We are looking forward to Katrice and her youth helping us with Tree of the Year as well as engaging in birding, botany and wetland group outings.
We were also very fortunate to be joined in our workshop by Tryna McLean, the charge-hand for Filberg Park. Serendipitously, we had already decided to use “Frankie,” the red oak in Filberg Park that Tryna nominated for Tree of the Year in 2022, as a tree to illustrate measuring techniques. Tryna shared more of “Frankie’s” history and was able to identify and tell stories of many of the park trees.
Frankie’s diameter being measured by Fred while Isabella, Katrice and Kathie watch.
We are really pleased that at least three of our group are also interested in testing and helping Roger Chayer to create the cycle maps for 2023.
Nominations for the 2023 Tree of the Year event will be open from January 15 to March 15. Watch for further blog posts as the event progresses.
Look up, look way up and find your favourite tree to honour.
Posted inTree(s) of the Year|Comments Off on Tree of the Year 2023 is coming
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.
Comox Valley Nature, facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists, recently presented the following webinar:
Title:Biodiversity of the Morrison Creek Headwaters Speakers: David Stapley, Joy Wade and Chanchal Cabrera Date: Sunday, December 11, 2022
If you missed this event or would like to see it again, CSEB has made the recording available here. To access it you will need to provide your name and email address.
For more information about this talk, see the announcement in our earlier post.
From an email by Jocie to the Botany Group on December 4. Click a photo to enlarge it.
We snuck in a walk at Bear Creek Regional Park last week (Nov. 26) just before the recent snowfall. It was a cold frosty day, but we saw lots of interesting things!
Here are a few notes and highlights. Photos are mine and Veronique’s. If any IDs are incorrect let me know.
Fragile fork moss (Dicranum tauricum). The fragile tips break off on your finger!
Badge moss / coastal leafy moss (Plagiomnium insigne). One of our largest mosses.
Tree ruffle liverwort (Porella navicularis). A common epiphyte on maple and alder.
Purplepore bracket fungus (Trichaptum abietinum). A common fungus on conifers, with shades of green and purple.
Same as above, showing the purplish, ragged pores on the underside.
Hair ice / frost flowers are associated with the fungus Exidiopsis effusa, on hardwoods.
They don’t call it “Bear Creek Park” for nothing! Lots of bear sign…scratch marks on trees, and scat with lots of crabapples in it.
Netted crust (Byssormerulius corium). This fungus was quite abundant on our walk. A striking pure white with soft, marshmallowy edges and a wrinkled surface. Some ochre tints. It is called Meruliopsis corium in some books. On hardwoods.
Same as above, showing variation of growth form.
Cow parsnip seeds (Heracleum maximum), formerly H. lanatum. Has delicate brown lines that look painted on.
Trailing blackberry leaves (Rubus ursinus). “Frosty botany” is always fun to photograph.
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.REGISTRATION required on our events page cvnature.ca/events An easy 1 km walk on a wheelchair accessible paved path. Dress for the weather and bring a water bottle Sorry, no dogs. This event is free, but donations are welcome.For more information, add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation email: . ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary Comox Valley Nature is offering this opportunity to get together with knowledgeable birders to share skills and learn more about birding in the Comox Valley.This outing is designed for beginners, but birders of all levels are welcome. Experienced birders will help with identifying species, equipment, useful apps, and field guides. Both CVN members and the public are welcome on this walk at the Courtenay Airpark which will be on a wide smooth pathway for about 2km round trip. Bring binoculars if you have them. Dress for the weather. Warm clothing necessary – it’s often windy there! Please leave pets at home.Register through our events page at This event is free. Donations welcome.#birding#comoxvalley#iba#courtenay airpark ... See MoreSee Less
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we offer this opportunity to learn more about Garry oaks in the Comox Valley.Vanier Nature Park is home to a small grove of Garry oak trees which is being stewarded by Comox Valley Nature. These oaks are at the northern extent of their range, and are a remnant of a culturally modified ecosystem that once covered 160 square kilometres in the Comox ValleyThis walk will be lead by Geologist Bob Hauser and Forester Terry Lewis. They have spent many hours in the park removing invasive holly. Terry and Bob will look at the work in progress in the grove and share their unique perspective on this forest, with a focus on soil science and tree species.The Vanier Nature Park project is being co-managed by Comox Valley Nature and the City of Courtenay with funding from the City of Courtenay, BC Nature and the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. Registration required through 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, to add your name to a wait list or to cancel your reservation, email: Details of the meeting place will be sent to registrants. Please be at the meeting spot at least 10 minutes before the walk starts to sign in. ... See MoreSee Less
