Maple Mountain Broom Bashing
2025-11-28 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-27 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Andy Hutchins Park, 964 Herd Road, Maple Bay, Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
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, so please confirm by emailing info@cowichanlandtrust.ca with Maple Mountain in the subject line. And please spread the word to other folks who might be keen!

Night Tracking:Western Screech Owls with Megan Buers
2025-11-27 19:00 - 21:00 | North Oyster Community Center, 13467 Cedar Rd, Ladysmith, BC, V9G 1H6, Canada
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 core of every project is a simple question: How do we give wildlife the space they need to persist and thrive in a rapidly changing world?

Swan and Goose Count
2025-11-26 09:45 - 13:00, 2025-11-19 09:45 - 13:00, 2025-11-12 09:45 - 13:00, 2025-11-05 09:45 - 13:00 | Somenos Creek Dog Park, Somenos Creek Dog Park, Duncan, BC, V9L3G1, Canada
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 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 for this event please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com.

Salmon Watch Survey
2025-11-26 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-19 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Somenos Marsh Head Office, #3-55 Station Street, Duncan, BC, Canada
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 appropriate clothing, polarized sunglasses and waders if you have them, if not, we will supply you with a pair. All other materials will be provided.
We will be meeting in the SMWS office at 55 Station Street at 9:00 am on Wednesday mornings.
If you are interested in joining us, please email us at phaedra@somenosmarsh.com as space is limited.

Garry Oak volunteers
2025-11-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
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

Riparian Restoration – Streamside Stewardship Partners Program
2025-11-24 12:00 - 14:30, 2025-11-19 12:00 - 14:30, 2025-11-17 12:00 - 14:30 | SMWS Office, 55 Station Street, Duncan, BC, V9L1M2, Canada
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 native species and restoration processes.
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.

Xpey' (Cedar) Family Planting Day
2025-11-23 10:00 - 14:00 | BC
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 to find out location and directions or receive more information, by emailing (info@qccsociety.ca) or text/call 250-893-9916. Huy ch q’u!

Trial Camas Restoration at Hemer Park Camas Meadow
2025-11-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Hemer Park, 2411
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 – we will have extras.
Don’t come to the Hemer Park main entrance. Go to the end of Morland Road, off Woobank, and we’ll see you there!

Garry Oak volunteers
2025-11-19 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
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

Nature Cowichan Speaker - Nora Carlson - When prey attack: mobbing behaviour in birds
2025-11-18 19:30 - 21:00 | Zoom
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 communication networks, and predator-prey relationships. For more info: Nora V Carlson, PhD – Home

Invasive Plant Removal – Garry Oak Protected Area
2025-11-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-05 09:00 - 11:00 | BC
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

Cowichan Stewardship Round Table - Monthly Meeting
2025-11-18 09:00 - 12:00 | Fish Health Building, 1080 Wharncliffe Road, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L2K7, Canada
Monthly meetings in-person and by zoom. A great way to catch up on what’s going on in the valley.

It starts everywhere: Understanding the Xwulqw'selu watershed as a groundwater-dependent ecosystem
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:30 | VIU Cowichan Campus, Lecture Hall 140, 2011 University Way, North Cowichan, British Columbia, V9L 0C7, Canada
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 for “seasonal flows throughout the Cowichan-Koksilah watershed to support the needs of communities and aquatic ecosystems”.

This month’s talk will dive into just this, discussing how, through community monitoring with over 70 volunteers taking over 4000 observations from 2021-2024, the UVic Xwulqw’selu Connections Project, and the community of volunteers supporting this project, have mapped where and when groundwater is critical to maintaining ecosystem health in the Xwulqw’selu watershed.

This month’s speaker, Kristina Disney, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Victoria. She has been studying groundwater-surface water interactions and learning alongside the community(s) of the Xwulqw’selu watershed since 2021. To the river and to the people who call this watershed home, she hopes she can give back in equal measure the care she has been shown.

Join us on Monday, November 17th to hear what Kristina and the community(s) of the Xwulqw’selu watershed have learned from 4 years of community monitoring in the Xwulqw’selu watershed! Attendance, as always, is free. We hope to see you there!

This Speakers Series is hosted by the Cowichan Watershed Board, with the support of VIU Cowichan and funding from the Watershed Security Fund.

Photos in header image provided by Shalu Mehta and Bryant LeRoy.

CANCELLED!!! Xwulqw'selu (Koksilah)-Watershed Plan-Open House
2025-11-13 15:00 - 19:00 | Quw’utsun Cultural Center – Comeakin Room, 200 Cowichan Way, Duncan, BC, V9L 6P4, Canada
Help shape the future Plan for this Watershed. This process is a first for BC!

Riparian Restoration - Streamside Stewardship Partners Program
2025-11-12 12:00 - 14:30, 2025-11-05 12:00 - 14:30, 2025-11-03 12:00 - 14:30 | SMWS Office, 55 Station Street, Duncan, BC, V9L1M2, Canada

Garry Oak Volunteers
2025-11-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
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

Coastal Bird Count-Citizen Science
2025-11-09 09:30 - 10:30 | 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!

Garry Oak Volunteers
2025-11-05 09:00 - 12:00 | Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, AitkenRoad, Duncan, BC, V9L 5S1, Canada
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

Water Quality Monitoring
2025-11-03 10:00 - 12:00 | 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.
