By Donation, Prizes, BBQ, Dissection, Fishing Pool, Guided walks, and more. Something for everyone in the family! http://www.nanaimoriverhatchery.ca/

Christoph Steeger is a Conservation Biologist residing alongside our river. His talk is entitled: The Cowichan Watershed: A Natural History Perspective for Environmental Stewardship. In it he will address questions such as: What is a watershed? What are the important features of our watershed? How are things interconnected? What can we focus on to help...

Join us for a morning of hands-on water quality monitoring across the Somenos Watershed! We’ll visit Somenos, Bings, Averill, and Richards Creeks, carpooling between sites to collect samples and record data. It’s a great opportunity to learn about key water quality parameters and how our creeks are affected by development and climate change. If you...

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Join us to pull invasive hawthorn, blackberry, and broom from the Somenos Garry Oak Protected Area. Learn about different removal methods and the uniqueness of the Garry oak ecosystems. You can expect to do some digging, cutting and moving of invasive plant material. Bring weather appropriate clothing and water, SMWS will provide tools, snacks, and...

Planting out babies, pulling invasives all in a beutiful setting. Might even see a few bluebirds hanging back for the winter! Register in advance if you can by emailing: info@CowichanLandTrust.ca

Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out to a few spots around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether your new to birding or an expert your bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many...

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Young and old, novice and pro birders are all welcome to join in the Coastal Bird Counts at high tide on the second Sunday of each month. . The route is along a nice flat track. Sea lions tend to be an added attraction for the first few months. Later on, the Great Blue Herons...

Come on out and learn something new about this important ecosystem by working alongside other fun, dedicated folk.  Let Laura know in advance if you can by email: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

The SMWS salmon watch annual surveys have begun with the salmon returning to the watershed. Join us, on Wednesday mornings to complete salmon spawning surveys in the Somenos Watershed creeks. We will be walking up the watershed creeks to count spawning salmon so be prepared for difficult terrain and some scrambling. Please bring water, weather...

Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out to a few spots around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether your new to birding or an expert your bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many...

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Help shape the future Plan for this Watershed.  This process is a first for BC!

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Monday, November 17th | 7-8:30pm | VIU Cowichan - Lecture Hall 140, 2011 University Way, Duncan | FREE Groundwater and surface water are deeply interconnected. In the Xwulqw'selu Sta'lo' (Koksilah River), flows are predominantly sustained by groundwater in the summertime. River flows are important to whole-of-watershed health, and one of the Cowichan Watershed's Targets is...

Monthly meetings in-person and by zoom.  A great way to catch up on what's going on in the valley.

Join us to pull invasive hawthorn, blackberry, and broom from the Somenos Garry Oak Protected Area. Learn about different removal methods and the uniqueness of the Garry oak ecosystems. You can expect to do some digging, cutting and moving of invasive plant material. Bring weather appropriate clothing and water, SMWS will provide tools, snacks, and...

Nora V. Carlson, PhD: "When prey attack. Mobbing behaviour in birds". Nora is a behavioural ecologist with a focus on how animals coordinate group behaviour using vocalizations. Her interests include: cooperative group behaviors, vocal animal communication (information encoding, information flow, interspecific communication), how groups coordinate movement using vocalizations, how anthropogenic noise affects anti-predator communication and...

Amongst the Oaks is a beautiful place to be - rain or shine. Stellers Jays tell me so! Come on out and do a bit of weeding and planting with some other knowledgeable, fun folks. Try to let Laura know in advance if you can by email:  info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

The SMWS salmon watch annual surveys have begun with the salmon returning to the watershed. Join us, on Wednesday mornings to complete salmon spawning surveys in the Somenos Watershed creeks. We will be walking up the watershed creeks to count spawning salmon so be prepared for difficult terrain and some scrambling. Please bring water, weather...

Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out to a few spots around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether your new to birding or an expert your bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many...

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Location is still to be determined. Join us for one of our Xpey' (Cedar) Family Planting Days this fall! Everyone welcome. We begin with a circle around a fire, have a light lunch (soup and bannock/bagels) and then plant xpey' (cedar) seedlings. Please RSVP so that we know how many are coming for lunch and...

Our amazing students Ari and Pascale have done some baseline surveys. Now we are ready to do trial restoration plots and help the camas thrive. We are also planting some Garry Oaks. Come and chat about what we are doing or help us do the work. Bring your favorite gloves, weeding tools, and spade or just come...

Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area along Bings and Menzies Creeks. Through our Streamside Stewardship Partners Program we are working with private landowners along our watersheds creeks to help restore and enhance riparian function through invasive removal and native species planting. You can expect to learn about riparian areas, invasive and...

Spend time in this rare ecosystem before the snow flies..... Pull some weeds and plant some lovely wild flowers for next spring.  Please let Laura (and Larry) know in advance if you can by emailing info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

The SMWS salmon watch annual surveys have begun with the salmon returning to the watershed. Join us, on Wednesday mornings to complete salmon spawning surveys in the Somenos Watershed creeks. We will be walking up the watershed creeks to count spawning salmon so be prepared for difficult terrain and some scrambling. Please bring water, weather...

Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out to a few spots around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether your new to birding or an expert your bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many...

Part of the "Special Places" project. Meet near Maple Bay at Andy Hutchins park about 9:50am. We will take a short hike uphill to the location. Tools and gloves available, but please bring your favourites (cleaned prior to the session).  We need at least 3 people each session (2 volunteers and Laura) to go ahead,...

Megan writes: “I’ve spent the better part of a decade chasing the quiet mysteries of the natural world, often favouring the nocturnal. My work as a biologist has always been about listening - to the land, and the wildlife that inhabits it, trapping, tagging, and tracking owls to learn where conservation efforts matter most. At the...