Fresh out from last week’s important workshop, Dr. Loys Maingon (RPBio), President of Comox Valley Nature, will lead a free public walk around the last remaining Garry Oak grove in the Courtenay region.  As discussed at this week-end’s workshop with visiting experts from the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team, Garry Oak ecosystems both in the Capital Region and in the Comox Valley have been reduced to 1% of  their historic distribution, down from 3-5% a mere 20 years ago.

In 1870 John Richards surveyed 12 square kilometres of Garry Oak savannahs in the Comox Valley.   Only a few hectares now remain of these 12 square kilometres.  These few hectares represent about 18% of the total genetic diversity of Garry Oaks across their entire geographic distribution from mid-California to the Comox Valley.

Comox Valley Nature has embarked on a long-term project to reverse this decline through systematic planting in collaboration with private landowners, and education.   As part of its educational mandate the Comox Valley Nature Walk will take place on Sunday June 24, at 9:30 am.  Interested parties should park at the Vanier  Ice Rink (3001 Vanier Drive, next to Vanier Collegiate.  (Contact Loys Maingon 250-331-0143).

Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated to BC Nature which fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing weekly guided hikes and undertakes a variety of environmental projects .  Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island.

Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay.  Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth.  (No dogs on walks, please).  An entrance fee of .00 for the lecture is suggested for non-members.  New memberships are always welcomed.

The post Empower the 99%: Visit the 1% forest, and learn about Courtenay’s threatened Garry Oak heritage appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.

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.

The post The Clayoquot River Valley, 1995 Slide Show appeared first on Comox Valley Nature.