Water Quality Monitoring
2026-04-07 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Somenos Creek Dog Park, Somenos Creek Dog Park, Duncan, BC, V9L3G1, Canada
Join us for a morning of hands-on water quality monitoring across the S-amunu/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 are interested in joining us, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com for more details.

Transfer Beach - Native Plant Bed Care
2026-04-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Transfer Beach, 200 Transfer Beach Road, Ladysmith, BC, V9G 1W2, Canada
Yes – Easter Monday!! We meet up at the Kinsman Hut on the 1st Monday of the month until November to care for the Butterfly Meadow and Bird Shrubbery we planted in 2024. Come and help weed, plant, collect seeds, learn about native plants and the communities they support. Bring your own coffee and favourite gardening tools if you can and we will bring extras. Lead – Monica

NC-Speaker- Arctic/Antarctic Flora & Fauna
2026-04-06 09:30 - 11:30 | Fish Health Building, 1080 Wharncliffe Road, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L2K7, Canada
Local, retired ship captain, Don Feil will share an audio-visual presentation of the Flora and Fauna of the Canadian Arctic and Antarctic Regions which he observed during voyages through the Northwest Passage, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. This will be in-person only – no zoom – so we can appreciate the photos full-size on the big screen…… and yes we know it’s Easter Monday! Bring a toonie for coffee.

Maple Bay Garry Oak Preserve - Volunteer Maintenance
2026-04-01 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
Spring is the time to see the Garry Oak ecosystem return to life! Come out and do a bit of gentle maintenance while appreciating some of the flowers and birds under the leafing Oaks. Please rsvp by email if you can: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

Invasive Plant Removal – Garry Oak Protected Area
2026-03-31 09:00 - 11:00 | York Road End, End of York Road off of Trillium Terrace, Duncan, BC, Canada
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 warm drinks.
We will be meeting on site at the end of York Road, left off Trillium Terrace through the Timberlands neighbourhood.
If you are interested in joining us for this event, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com for more details.

Seedy Sunday-Duncan
2026-03-29 10:00 - 14:00 | British Columbia
Cowichan Green Community is again hosting this year’s Seedy Sunday event!
Claire Watson, intern at the Farm Hub is organizing 250-748-8506

Swan and Goose Count
2026-03-25 10:00 - 13:30, 2026-03-18 10:00 - 13:30, 2026-03-11 10:00 - 13:30 | Somenos Creek Dog Park, Somenos Creek Dog Park, Duncan, BC, V9L3G1, Canada
Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether you’re new to birding or an expert you’re bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many years now. Bring binoculars, weather appropriate clothing, some water and a willingness to learn. Length of the event will vary depending on which route you join and the number of birds to count.
The crew meets at the Somenos Dog Park on Beverly Street at 9:45 then will head out together from there.
If you are interested in joining us for this event, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com for more details.

Tending Garry Oak Ecosystems
2026-03-21 13:00 - 16:30 | Maple Bay Rowing Club, 6735 Beaumont Ave, Maple, BC, V9G 1A2, Canada
Biodiversity Begins at Home- Tending local Garry Oak and associated Ecosystems with guest speaker Wylie Thomas.
If you’d like to attend, please rsvp by email: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

Seedy Saturday-Cobble Hill
2026-03-21 10:00 - 14:00 | Cobble Hill Hall 3550 Watson Avenue Cobble Hill, BC V8H 4A8, 3550 Watson Avenue, Cobble Hill, BC, V8H 4A8, Canada
Seedy Saturday in Cobble Hill will be March 21 2026 at the Cobble Hill Hall in Cobble Hill – Betsy 250-744-9269

Nature Nanaimo-Speaker-Ya Otter know
2026-03-19 19:00 - 21:00 | British Columbia
You Otter know: Otters in Coastal British Columbia With Linda Nichol. Nature Nanaimo invites folks to their next Members meeting on in – Rm 2 Beban Social Centre, either in-person or via zoom. DFO research biologist, Linda Nichol, will introduce people to the sea otter and its close relative, the river otter, both of which live along the BC Coast. The sea otter, it’s near brush with extinction and subsequent recovery, make for an illuminating story about the importance of top predators in structuring habitat and supporting biodiversity.
You can also attend via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/91243560814?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 912 4356 0814
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Volunteer at Maple Bay Garry Oak Preserve
2026-03-18 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
Spend a few hours helping with maintenance at the Nature Conservancy Canada’s Maple Bay Garry Oak Preserve. This is one of our Valley’s largest and best examples of a Garry Oak ecosystem. Planting natives, pulling invasives or just working gently in the nursery. Pubic access is prohibited otherwise, so this is a chance to view, learn and reflect on a time when the valley was covered by this ecotype. Please RSVP if possible to info@cowichanlandtrust.ca so we get the cookie numbers right!

NC-Speaker-Sounds in the Sea
2026-03-17 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
Amorina (Ami) Kingdon will speak about her recent book “Sing Like Fish”. It’s about underwater sounds, and the effects of anthropogenic sound on sea life. Long before there were any birds on the planet, sea creatures developed methods to “speak and listen” to their surroundings. Amorina Kingdon has worked as a science writer and science media officer in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal. She ended up in Victoria when she arrived for a vacation, fell in love with the coast, and forgot to leave. Some of her contributions to past Hakai Magazine can be found here: Amorina Kingdon | Hakai Magazine For the zoom link, please email: cvns@naturecowichan.net

Cowichan Stewardship Roundtable meeting
2026-03-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Fish Health Building, 1080 Wharncliffe Road, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L2K7, Canada
CSRT meetings on the third Tuesday of the month are both in-person and on zoom. Everyone welcome! 9:00-10:45 round-the-table update from each person about topics related to the Cowichan River by their organizations. But you can just listen, or speak as an individual too if you like. 11:00-12:00 speaker presentation. Please feel free to come and go at anytime. The Roundtable works together in a collaborative, kind and respectful manner at all times. The agenda timing is only approximate. Speaker for this month is: Kevin Pellett, DFO – Chinook update

Invasive Plant Removal - Garry Oak Protected Area
2026-03-17 09:00 - 11:00 | York Road End, End of York Road off of Trillium Terrace, Duncan, BC, Canada

CWB Speakers Series - Movie Night!
2026-03-16 19:00 - 20:00 | VIU Cowichan Campus, 2011 University Way, North Cowichan, British Columbia, V9L 0C7, Canada
CWB Speakers Night this month will be a movie night! Join us to watch two short films that explore the interconnectedness of all parts of our watersheds, as well as what it can look like for communities to care for and govern their watersheds for flourishing futures. We will be screening Our Waters & Source Waters: The Rivers that Shape us.

Friends of Holand Creek meet up
2026-03-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Ladysmith Information Hut, Methuen & 6th Ave, Ladysmith, BC, V9G 1C4, Canada
Meet each 3rd Wednesday of the month for an interpretive walk, a bit of invasive removal or just to admire the Trilliums.

Hecate Park Work Party & Info Session
2026-03-15 10:00 - 14:00 | Hecate Park, 1845 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay, BC, V0R 1N0, Canada
Please join CVRD Parks & Trails and the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre to care for the native plant beds at Hecate Park on Sunday March 15, 2026! This event will be in two parts: a restoration work party from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and an educational talk and volunteer program info session from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Please join for either or both!
Work party activities will include weeding the beds, planting native wildflowers and transplanting native dune grass as well as general park cleanup if needed.
We are honoured to have Siilh’na’mut Ken Elliott (native plant expert) and Genevieve Singleton (ethnobotonist) joining from 12:00 pm to 2:00pm to share their deep knowledge of the area and the important plant species at the site.
There will also be information available about volunteer opportunities with CVRD Parks & Trails and the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre.
Please pre-register online or contact the Parks Volunteer Coordinator with any questions you may have. parks.volunteers@cvrd.bc.ca, Office: 250.746.2649

Maple Mountain-Broom Pull
2026-03-12 09:45 - 13:00, 2026-03-06 09:45 - 13:00, 2026-03-05 09:45 - 13:00 | Andy Hutchins Park, 964 Herd Road, Maple Bay, Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Spend a few hours on the south side of Maple Mountain tending to one of the nicest, wild Garry Oak patches in the Six-Mountains Forest. Please sign up in advance at: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca and meet at the Maple Bay tennis courts for a short hike up to the site. Gloves and tools provided if needed.

Koksilah Watershed & Water Sustainability Plan (XWWSP)-Open House
2026-03-11 15:00 - 18:00 | HUB-Cowichan Station, 2375 Koksilah Road, Duncan, BC, V9L6M5, Canada
The Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Government-to-Government (G2G) Planning Team invites you to the Xwulqw’selu Watershed & Water Sustainability Plan Open House
The purpose of the Open House is to:

Increase awareness of the Xwulqw’selu Watershed and Water Sustainability planning process (XWWSP);

Provide clear information about what the XWWSP and the scope of actions being considered; and

Provide an opportunity for public input on actions being considered for the Plan We encourage you to share this invitation and poster with friends, colleagues, or community members who may be interested.

Don’t Forget to Take Our Survey!

Water Quality Monitoring
2026-03-09 10:30 - 12:30 | Somenos Creek Dog Park, Somenos Creek Dog Park, Duncan, BC, V9L3G1, Canada
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 are interested in joining us, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com for more details.

Coastal Bird Count-Citizen Science
2026-03-08 08:30 - 09:30 | Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre, 1845 Cowichan Bay Road, Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, V0R1N0, Canada
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 at the Rookery are fun to watch as well. Surveys began in 1999 and provide valuable data to Birds Canada totrack the health of our coastal habitats.Check their Coastal Bird Survey Newsletter at https://www.birdscanada.org/bccws_newsletters. If you want to
borrow some binoculars and give it a try please email me at
kathrynmariec@gmail.com. Hope to see you there!

Menzies Creek Restoration
2026-03-06 12:00 - 15:00 | British Columbia
Join us for an afternoon of restoring the riparian area on 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 native species and restoration processes. During this event we will be planting live stakes along the banks of Menzies Creek to increase riparian function.
If you would like to hear a little bit more about this event or would like to join us, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com.

Reconcilliation - Journey of Our Generation Workshop
2026-03-06 09:00 - 15:30 | Quw’itsun Cultural Center, 200 Cowichan Way, Duncan, BC, V9L 6P4, Canada
Full Day seminar awakening participants to the Indigenous Peoples journey. Nobody will be turned away for insufficient funds.

Swan and Goose Count
2026-03-04 10:00 - 13:30 | Somenos Creek Dog Park, Somenos Creek Dog Park, Duncan, BC, V9L3G1, Canada
Once a week over the winter a crew of people head out around the Cowichan Valley to monitor and count swans and geese. Whether you’re new to birding or an expert, you’re bound to learn something from the awesome crew of people who have been dedicated to this count for many years now. Bring binoculars, weather appropriate clothing, some water and a willingness to learn. Length of the event will vary depending on which route you join and the number of birds to count.
The crew meets at the Somenos Dog Park on Beverly Street at 9:45 then will head out together from there.
If you are interested in joining us for this event, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com for more details.

Volunteer at Maple Bay Garry Oak Preserve
2026-03-04 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
Spend a few hours helping with maintenance at the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Maple Bay Garry Oak Preserve. This is one of our Valley’s largest and best examples of a Garry Oak ecosystem. Planting natives, pulling invasives or just working gently in the nursery. Pubic access is prohibited otherwise, so this is a chance to learn and reflect on a time when the valley was covered by this ecotype. RSVP if possible to: info@cowichanlandtrust.ca

Nature Cowichan Speaker - Bald Eagles
2026-03-02 09:30 - 11:00 | Fish Health Building, 1080 Wharncliffe Road, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L2K7, Canada
Dave Manning, long-time birder, writer, and photographer, has been observing Bald Eagle behaviour for over 20 years throughout the Salish Sea. This talk will be in-person only – no zoom! Bring a toonie for coffee.
