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.
