BC Nature enews March 2011

Upcoming Events
  • April 4, 2011 Deadline – Rene Savenye Scholarship – go to website
  • April 8 – Early Bird registration for AGM – Williams Lake. Register early! Registration available after April 8 but reduced pricing not in effect.
  • April 28 to May 1 – Canyon Camp Details below
  • May 6-8, 2011 – Skagit Bird Blitz – details available in Spring Magazine
  • May 12-15 – 2011 – AGM 2011 – Williams Lake – Registration now available on our website
  • June 3-5, 2011 – Mt. Robson Bird Blitz – Info available in Spring Magazine
  • June 17-19, 2011 – Manning Bird Blitz – Info available in Spring Magazine
  • July 15 – 19th – Strathcona Park Camp – details now on BC Nature Website
  • Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 – F.G.M. – “Nature on the move – Fall Migration through Delta” – hosted by Delta Naturalists in Tsawassen BC – Details available in Spring Magazine.
  Science Fair 2011  
  There is still time for you to get involved with your local community in Science Fair 2011. BC Nature is proud to sponsor prizes for BC Nature Award (Federation of BC Naturalists)• $50. To be awarded at each British Columbia Regional Science Fair to the best natural history project done by a student(s) in Grades 7 to 12. This includes studies of any aspect of natural history, conservation of natural habitats, or the conservation of natural species. Science Fair Website
Issue 13
Date March 2011
Downy Woodpecker
 
Communications Director needed!
BC Nature needs your help in assisting us with the revamping of our website – magazine editor etc. Please contact John Neville through the office
 
 
Big Day For The Brant – 2011 Birding Competition
For the 18th year a Big Day competition will be held to crown the teams that can see the most species of birds in one day. • WHERE: Parksville/Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, BC. • WHEN: Saturday April 9, 2011 from 4:30am to 3:00pm. • WHO: Teams of 3 to 5 in both Green and Motorized Categories. Novice, Intermediate, Experienced & young birders all welcomed. • PRIZES: Awards Presentations immediately following at Deez Bar & Grill, Qualicum Beach. • COST: $10 cash per person at the door. • HOW: TO REGISTER, contact RHYS HARRISON or (250) 248-5305 with team names, email addresses, category & experience level.
 
Interesting Sites and articles
Rob Butler (Guest Speaker at Scout Island Center – Williams Lake Nats.) has a blog that has lots of diverse interesting items to view – Rob Butler Blog Map – use your “ctrl” key and the + button to enlarge this interesting map.site to read.site Metro Vancouver Invasive Plant Council Site Watershed Watch

Where have all of our animals gone since 1850? visit this site

Endangered Rivers Nominations – the date has passed for 2011 — however — interesting

Water for Life Benefit concert April 7/11 – details can be found on

Interpretation Workshop – put on my Metro Vancouver – information found for the April 9th & 10th workshop at the

Find out what Alien Plant species are invading your neighbourhood

Interesting website –

 
Sustainability and Change: Studies in BC’s Past, Present & Future Communities
“Sustainability and Change: Studies in B.C.’s Past, Present, and Future Communities” is the theme for the B.C. Studies Conference, UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, B.C. May 5-7, 2011. We invite scholars in all disciplines to explore this theme as the conference will offer multiple perspectives on where we regard cultural and environmental sustainability and change amongst various stakeholders in our society. We welcome panels, sessions and individual papers in the traditional areas of BC Studies as well as symposia and presentations on a range of subjects: the arts and sciences, First Nations, fine arts, professional and community associations, and government agencies and representatives. We especially encourage colleagues in fields as diverse as water quality, agriculture, forestry, tourism, ecology, immigration, and land use to submit proposals related to community sustainability ! issues in B.C. Other colleagues may consider examining directions in BC’s social, health, industrial, and environmental policies. Studies from and about First Nations’ communities are particularly encouraged. Finally, proposals that place British Columbia within transnational or comparative contexts are welcome. Studying the past, understanding the present, and preparing for the future make these discussions even more relevant today. We must continue to assert the importance and appreciation for diverse and relevant modes of cultural and environmental interaction within society and the environment. This conference is one place where the exchange of ideas better prepares us, our students, and our work to serve our communities, however they are defined. For further information please go to: BC Studies – Okanagan or contact us at:
 
BC Hydro is Listening?
In June 2010, the BC Government passed the Clean Energy Act. This instructed BC Hydro to prepare a 20 year Integrated Resource Plan to address , amongst other things, the use of renewable power potential to achieve the provincial government’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. On March 9, I attended BC Hydro’s Open House in Victoria. They presented a number of scenarios for the coming years. They also projected a production shortfall of ~5,000GWh by 2031. A combination of additional electrical generation with wind power, run-of-river , Site C and Gas-fired generation is proposed. Wind power and run-of-river resources are presented as the most expensive option. While a combination of windpower, run-of-river, Site C and Gas-Fired Generation would be the cheapest. I was introduced to a new subject called “Electrification”. This encompasses more use of electrical transportation and other services. How far do you want them to go? BC Hydro really wants your feedback! This is an opportunity for naturalists ,as individuals, to voice their opinion. Go to: BC Hydro on line feedback form In the spotlight on right of the page and give them your ideas on energy production and the future of our province. I will certainly be giving them mine. John Neville President
 
Environmental Assessment of the proposed Kitsault Mine
Please follow the link below (i.e. View Article) for a Notice giving details of the on feedback and comments by April 9th for the proposed Kitsault Mine project which would be located at the head of Alice Arm about 50 km south east of Stewart. Article on Kitsault Mine
 
Great Backyard Bird Count Results
Are your toes and fingers thawed out yet? Ever wondered what happened to those hours of counts you submitted? — Check out this site for all of the updated information from all the participating areas.
 
Cumulative Effects: From Assessment Towards Management
Cumulative Effects – interesting report The Forest Practices Board has had growing concerns about the cumulative effects of resource use on the British Columbia (BC) land base for a number of years. In the Board’s work examining forest and range practices, it was often apparent that other activities were impacting the land and water; activities that were not regulated under the Forest and Range Practices Act. Read more If that link doesn’t work then go to www.fpb.gov.bc.ca and under What’s New and Latest Releases, click on the title:Cumulative Effects: From Assessment Towards Management
 
Take the Water conservation Pledge
Canada has some of the world’s most extensive water resources. But we also consume far more per person than in other countries. Each of us uses about 57 gallons (260 litres) of water each day – about 10 times the global average. Join Nature Canada in signing on to save water – the statistics are amazing! Water Pledge Site
 
Nature Conservancy of Canada needs your help
BC region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada who will be holding an event at the estuary of the Campbell River on April 9, 2011. Here are the event details: Re-decorating the Nursery
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011
Closest town: Campbell River, BC
Meeting time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Key Partner: Greenways Land Trust
NCC needs your help with the biggest and most exciting ecosystem restoration project on the BC Coast! The estuary of the Campbell River is essential to the world famous “Tyee” or Chinook salmon that helped earn Campbell River the title of “salmon capital of the world”. The estuary is also a central character in the writings of Roderick Haig-Brown, a celebrated Canadian nature writer who lived a short distance up stream. NCC has been purchasing degraded industrial sites in the estuary and restoring them back to their original inter-tidal, salt marsh habitats. These habitats are critical “nursery” habitats for out-migrating Chinook smolts each spring. Come help NCC re-plant restored areas with marsh plants that have been harvested from an adjacent natural “donor” marsh. Please make sure you eat a solid breakfast, and pack a lunch to bring with you for the day of the event. Snacks and beverages will be provided by NCC to keep you energized and hydrated. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Erin at Greenways Trust
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Arctic Naturalist, The Life of J. Dewey Soper.

The regular monthly meeting of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society will be held March 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay. The speaker will be author and explorer Anthony Dalton, who will speak on his newest book “Arctic Naturalist, The Life of J. Dewey Soper”.

J. Dewey Soper was the last of the great pioneer naturalists in Canada. He was also a skilled and meticulous explorer. In the 1920s, Soper completed the last links in the complex map of Baffin Island’s coastline. As a naturalist, he was a major contributor to the National Museum of Canada and to the University of Alberta, as well as to other museums across the country.

Anthony Dalton is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Fellow of the Explorers Club. He is also National President of the Canadian Authors Association. The author of eleven non-fiction books on exploration and marine subjects, Anthony is a former professional expedition leader with years of experience in the Sahara, the deserts of the Middle East and in the Arctic.

Please come and join us to become better informed, and to learn how you can help CVNS provide education and protection for B.C.’s natural environment.

Meetings of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings are open to the public, including youth. A donation of .00 is suggested for non-members, and new memberships are always welcomed. Meetings are not held in July, August, and December. The CVNS April 17 presentation features Genevieve Singleton, with a lecture on “Wildflowers of Southern Vancouver Island”, and on May 15 we will have a presentation on the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society.

Please come out and join us for these important environmental topics. CVNS is a local 45 year old registered charity, with primary functions of protecting the environment, and educating the public about the environment. For more information please visit the website at www.comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca.

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BC Nature enews February 2011

Upcoming Events
  • February 28/11 – Deadline for Resolution submissions for the AGM
  • February 28/11 – Deadline for BC Nature Awards – email us here for details of Awards
  • April 4, 2011 Deadline – Rene Savenye Scholarship – go to website
  • April 28 to May 1 – Canyon Camp Details below
  • May 6-8, 2011 – Skagit Bird Blitz – details available in Spring Magazine
  • May 12-15 – 2011 – AGM 2011 – Williams Lake – Registration now available on our website
  • June 3-5, 2011 – Mt. Robson Bird Blitz – Info available in Spring Magazine
  • June 17-19, 2011 – Manning Bird Blitz – Info available in Spring Magazine
  • July 15 – 19th – Strathcona Park Camp – details now on BC Nature Website
  • Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 – F.G.M. – hosted by Delta Naturalists
BC Nature/Comox Naturalists Summer Camp 2011
Join us for a celebration of Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. This was the first park established in the BC system and is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2011. There will be opportunities for birding, botany, geology, swimming, education about the area, and just plain relaxing. Camp starts on Friday evening July 15, 2011 and ends on Tuesday morning July 19, 2011 – Complete Details now available
Issue 12
Date February 2011
Mergansers await Spring!
Grants Available
BC Hydro Grants and Sponsorships: BC Hydro provides Sponsorships and Donations. These are in addition to the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program that some clubs are aware of. Sponsorships are for events such as annual meetings or conventions. Donations are for ongoing programs with focus on environmental sustainability, youth education and community leadership. Donations are in the range of $5000 for regional programs and $15,000 for provincial programs. New funding cycle starts April 1. Here is the link
Canyon Camp – April 28 to May 1
The Chilliwack Field Naturalists, BC Nature and Hope Mountain Centre are teaming up to host an exciting 3-day camp in the historic Fraser Canyon. Food and accommodation will be provided by Camp Squeah near Yale. Expert educators will lead day trips that reveal the canyon’s fascinating cultural history and ecology. Highlights archaeology site, gold rush wagon roads, railway history, the Othello Tunnels near Hope, and a rare Gary Oak Ecological Reserve near Yale. Early spring is a great time to explore, when flowers and birds are returning to this rugged canyon landscape. Info now available on BC Nature Web site or Hope Mountain Center
Conservation Groups Join to Help BC Protect the Flathead River Valley
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have announced a multi-million dollar funding commitment to help remove major threats to British Columbia’s Flathead River Valley – a spectacular wilderness area that straddles the Canada-U.S. border. The two leading conservation organizations will provide $9.4 million to the Province of British Columbia to help offset the costs of enacting a historic memorandum of understanding signed a year ago by BC Premier Gordon Campbell and the Governor of the State of Montana, Brian Schweitzer. That agreement permanently prohibits coal mining as well as exploration and development of oil, gas and mineral resources on nearly 400,000 acres (160,000 hectares) in southeast British Columbia. In addition, the conservation groups will assist the BC government in maintaining and enhancing high conservation standards in the natural area in order to protect the rich diversity of plant and animal life.
New Member on the Board of Directors – Director of Communications
At our last executive meeting, it was decided that in order to update all of our communications with members, we would actively like to pursue a new volunteer position – Director of Communications – this new position will be a new position on our board of directors. This director would oversee the editorial aspect of our BC Nature Magazine and oversee a committee for the upgrading of our website. This position would involve working directly with the BC Nature office manager on both the website and the BCnature magazine and from time to time would have to make decisions regarding content of the magazine. If interested and you require more information, please email us at the office addressed to the President. John Neville.
Interesting Links and Dates
Interesting article in todays paper – BC Parks 100 year celebration and the budget – click here

Beat the Winter Blues and keep the kids or grandkids occupied over spring break — visit Van Dusan Gardens website for all the details

Interesting Article – “The ominous rise of amateur ornithology.”

Mt. Robson Bird Blitz – June 3 – 5th
Birders! Come and join us on the weekend of June 3rd to 5th in Mt Robson Provincial Park for the 24th Annual Mt Robson Bird Blitz. Over the years, the number of species has ranged from 76 to 111, with the average being in the 90’s. Birders can drive the Highway 16 corridor, paddle the Moose March area, hike to the high country or explore a variety of additional areas by foot. Camping is available at Robson Meadows Campground and cabins are located nearby at Mount Robson Lodge. For further information contact Gail Ross
Consultation DFO – Shorthead Sculpin
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is seeking your input in consideration of listing the Shorthead Sculpin as “Special Concern” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Shorthead Sculpin (Cottus confuses) was listed as Threatened in 2003 on Schedule 1 of SARA. This species has been recently re-assessed by COSEWIC as being of “Special Concern”. The Shorthead Sculpin is a small fish species whose known Canadian range consists of the Slocan River, the Kettle River, and the mainstem and tributaries of the Columbia River. General threats to this species include changes in water quality and quantity, including adverse impacts from industrial, agricultural and residential land use. For comments and input, please see Link by March 14th
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Our Native Pollinating Bees

The regular monthly meeting of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society will be held February 20, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay. The speaker will be Victoria bee expert Gordon Hutchings, and will consist of detailed information on native bee pollinators and their habitat requirements. An abbreviated meeting, and our annual AGM will follow.

Gordon has been studying native bees for 22 years in BC, Yukon and Saskatchewan. He has been a contract field biologist for the Royal BC Museum, BC Ministry of Environment (Conservation Data Centre), the Yukon Territory Government, and Canada Wildlife Service. He also has a book on dragonflies of western boreal forests coming out soon.

There are over 450 species of bees in BC, and some species are adapted to very specific types of flowers. The biggest threats to native bee species are habitat loss/degradation, habitat fragmentation and pesticides. Native bees (especially Mason bees) are becoming increasingly important as pollinators since honey-bee populations have been drastically reduced by an introduced mite. Most of the agricultural crops in British Columbia depend on pollination by bees.

Please come and join us to become better informed, and to learn how you can help CVNS provide education and protection for BC’s natural environment.

Meetings of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings are open to the public, including youth. A donation of .00 is suggested for non-members, and new memberships are always welcomed. Meetings are not held in December, July, and August. The CVNS March 20th presentation features author Anthony Dalton, with a lecture on the northern naturalist, botanist J. Dewey Soper, and on April 17th we will host Genevieve Singleton on Wildflowers of Southern Vancouver Island.

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BC Nature Camp: July 15-19 in Strathcona Park

CV Naturalists are sponsoring a BC Nature Summer Camp in Strathcona Provincial Park from Friday July 15 to Tuesday July 19.  Participants will be accommodated at Strathcona Park Lodge at Upper Campbell Lake bordering the heart of the park. All meals are provided at the Lodge.   Planning is underway for a full program of walking, hiking, birding, botany, swimming, and education about the park and the area, as well as special presentations & activities.

2011 is the 100th anniversary of Strathcona Park so it is fitting that we have a camp focussed on the oldest park in the BC Parks system.   Registration will be limited to 24 participants and opens on April 1.   Cost for the full program will be $600 shared occupancy.  Watch for  the next issue of BC Nature magazine for registration information.

The organizers are looking for a couple of naturalists who are willing to volunteer some time on Saturday (July 16) or Sunday (July 17) to assist with birding and botany on the daily hikes.  Contact Pam Munroe through our contact page  if you are interested.

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The Clayoquot River Valley, 1995 Slide Show

The regular monthly meeting of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society will be held January 16, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay. The speaker will be local environmentalist Wendy Kotilla, and consists of slides from her 1995 fisheries study of the entire length of the Clayoquot River.

Wendy Kotilla has been involved with wild Pacific salmon for over forty years through commercial fishing, salmon enhancement, fisheries research and ecological restoration.  Fisheries work has taken her to many areas of the coast including Skeena River, Queen Charlotte Islands, Tsitka River, Clayoquot River and Carnation Creek Experimental Watershed Project.  Currently, Wendy coordinates the Youth and Ecological Restoration Program in the Comox Valley to educate young people about the natural world.

In 1993, over 850 people were arrested in Clayoquot Sound to stop clear-cut logging. Clayoquot Biosphere Project began baseline data collection in the pristine Clayoquot River valley and built a cabin at Clayoquot Lake to be used as a base camp.  In 1995, Wendy initiated assessment of longitudinal distribution of fish communities in the Clayoquot River, walking most of its length to conduct the field work.  Her presentation highlights the fisheries research she was involved with during that time and contains “never before seen” slides.  Clayoquot River valley remains unlogged to this day.

Please come and join us to become better informed, and to learn how you can help CVNS provide education and protection for B.C.’s natural environment. A donation of .00 is suggested for non-members, and new memberships are always welcome.

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Protecting Vancouver Island’s Ancient Forests

On Wednesday, December 8th the Comox Valley Naturalists are hosting a slideshow by Ken Wu and TJ Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) to raise awareness of  the need to protect BCs endangered old growth forests. The AFA is calling on the BC government to inventory BC’s ancient forests and protect them where they are scarce, to ban raw log exports to foreign mills, and to ensure the establishment of a sustainable second-growth forest industry in BC.

The 40-minute Power Point presentation will highlight the current status of Vancouver Island’s forests and what citizens can do to protect old-growth forests, watersheds, and related ecosystems. The presentation includes Watt’s superb photos of some of the most magnificent forests in the country, including Clayoquot Sound, the Walbran Valley, Red Creek Fir, and Avatar Grove.

“Our diminishing old-growth forests are important for wildlife, tourism, the climate, water quality, and for many First Nations cultures,” stated Wu. “How many jurisdictions on Earth still have trees that grow trunks wider than a car’s length and as tall as downtown skyscrapers? We need a plan to protect our endangered old-growth forests and to sustainably log the second-growth stands that constitute most of the landbase on Vancouver Island now.”

According to satellite photos, 75% of the original productive old growth forests of Vancouver Island have been logged. This includes 90% of the original productive old growth forests in valley-bottoms, where the largest trees grow and most biodiversity resides.

Slideshow will take place Wednesday, December 8th at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue from 7-9pm.


							
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CVNS to Host BC Nature Camp

The Comox Valley Naturalists Society will be hosting a BC Nature Camp in Strathcona Park in July 2011. BC Nature is the parent provincial organization of CVNS and other natural history societies throughout the province.

Strathcona Provincial Park has a special significance as BC’s first Provincial Park, and the largest on Vancouver Island. Activities celebrating BC Parks’ 100th anniversary in 2011 began this summer & will continue into next year. 

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The Strathcona Park Nature Camp will include nature walks, hikes, and special presentations. More details will be available in the coming months.

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Little River Nature Park

Karen Franzen and Murray Little planting native plants

Residents of the Little River area may have noticed the Comox Valley Naturalists toiling on the old McPhee property recently. This site, located on Wilkinson Road, was once an old gravel pit and is being transformed into what will become the Little River Nature Park administered by the Comox Valley Regional District.

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As a result of the beachfront development, a large portion of the property has been dedicated to parkland. However because of the old gravel extraction operation, much of the area is devoid of vegetation or else infested with invasive plants such as Scotch broom.

This year a remediation plan was developed for the site by Sellentin’s Habitat Restoration and Invasive Species Consulting. In the spring several crews began removing much of the Scotch broom and other invasive plants from the site. Now with wet fall weather upon us, the Comox Valley Naturalists have started planting native plants on the site, to help with its restoration to a more natural condition. Over 600 native plants have been placed in the ground so far. These include our native conifers like Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. Also planted are many of the smaller shrubs, forbs, and ferns one normally finds associated and growing close to these trees.

Beaver lodge in old gravel pit pond

Another local conservation group, the Little River Enhancement Society, also works on this site. Their interest is, of course, fish. For the last several years they have been stocking the ponds with native fish. To help provide shading, and thus lower the water temperature, many trees have been planted beside the pond.

Wildlife of many kinds use this property. Many of the trees have had to be fenced to protect them from browsing deer. As well, it was necessary to wrap with wire many of the existing cottonwood trees, as the local beavers are

active in the area. During the planting, adult bald eagles could be seen repairing their nests with large branches. There are two eagle nests on, or adjacent to, this site. A nature park designation is indeed a good use for this property.

The Comox Valley Regional District has plans for further work on this property, in the form of trails and fencing. In the meantime, local groups will continue to give nature a helping hand as the restoration process takes hold.

Ernie and his hole digger

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November Presentation: Author Chris Czajkowski, “A Wilderness Dweller’s Cookbook”

Chris Czajkowski: A Wilderness Dweller's Cookbook

The regular monthly meeting of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society will be held November 21, 2010, at 7:00 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay. The featured speaker will be noted author Chris Czajkowski, who will present on her life in remote areas of Northern British Columbia, as well as her newest book “A Wilderness Dweller’s Cookbook”.

In 1988, Chris Czajkowski walked into British Columbia’s Central Coast Mountains to build a homestead, a business, and a life. Raised in England, Chris was in her thirties when she moved to a remote location some 300 miles north of Vancouver. There, she single-handedly cleared the land and – despite a total lack of experience – built her own home. Later, she perfected her stone oven and her recipes – and word began to spread of Nuk Tessli and “The Best Bread in the World.”

This is not a ‘how-to-skin-a-moose-and-salt-it-down-and-make-the-offal-into-sausages’ kind of book. Rather it is a fascinating account of how a wilderness dweller – in a ‘none-growing climate’ 20 km from a road, 60 km from a store, and 250 km from the nearest town large enough for a supermarket – feeds herself and the visitors that come to her small ecotourism resort.

From tangy sourdough loaves of freshly-ground grain, Nuk Tessli Fruit Bread sweetened with molasses and aromatic spices, to Montreal Bagels with an alpine touch, here are hearty, adventurous recipes that bypass the bread machine. Also included are quick breads and desserts, like Trail Mix Cake – perfect for a hike – and Nuk Tessli’s enigmatic Spotted Dick, plus a few indispensable recipes for any wilderness dweller (or frugal urbanite), such as fresh yogurt and sprouts. Of particular interest to readers with their own wilderness dreams will be her descriptions of how she gets wholesome, fresh food to the table in this remote and spectacular location.

Please come and join us to become better informed, as to how you can help CVNS provide education and protection for B.C.’s natural environment.

Meetings of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings are open to the public, including youth. A donation of $3.00 is suggested for non-members, and new memberships are always welcomed. Meetings are not held in December, July, and August. The CVNS January 16 presentation is by Wendy Kotilla, with a ‘never before seen’ show of an early1990’s trip up the Clayoquot Valley. On February 20 we will have a presentation by Gordon Hutchings, with a wide range of Bee topics, stories and information.

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