2025 Seasonal Wrap Up

As we look back at last year, we’re pleased to share an update on our local projects and their impact on ecological restoration, research, and youth education in the Comox Valley and other areas of coastal Vancouver Island. We’d also like to say thank you for your support; whether you’re a volunteer, donor, member, or community supporter, we couldn’t have done this without you!

Kus-kus-sum Restoration Project
Restoring an 8.3 acre former industrial sawmill site in the K’ómoks Estuary
Kus-kus-sum is on the brink of completion! Removal of the steel piling wall – the final and long-awaited step – will be starting in early December. Over the past year, we’ve also removed “clean but salty” soils from the site, completed the regrading process, and engaged community volunteers to plant over 4,000 native plants at the southern end. Preperatory work to remove the wall was initiatied in mid December and we are starting the removal process in early January. We’ll be throwing a “Wall Party”  on January 22th to celebrate this momentous step! Stay tuned for ticket info. 

Keeping It Living School Program
Engaging local students in hands-on environmental education  
Through our 3-part youth education program, we engaged 538 students from 29 classrooms at local Comox Valley schools in hands-on environmental learning in the classroom and at our ecological restoration sites. We also started to develop a new land-based summer program for pre-teen youth ages 8-12, and we plan to run a pilot session in 2026. 

Dyke Road Park Restoration 
CVRD-led project to restore tidal marsh in the K’ómoks Estuary
Last spring, 16 dedicated volunteers spent two days planting 10,000 native sedges and rushes into the new tidal marsh! The K’ómoks Guardians installed Canada goose exclusion fencing to protect the plants and surveys in July showed encouraging signs of establishment and new growth. The restoration will improve rearing habitat for juvenile salmon and protect the shoreline from erosion and flooding. This CVRD-led project is planned to be open for public use by late Spring 2026.   

Eelgrass & Kelp Restoration
Restoring eelgrass and kelp beds on eastern Vancouver Island
This year, our dive team planted and monitored two 360 m2 eelgrass beds in Fanny Bay with help from 60 volunteers. In partnership with the Kelp Rescue Initiative, we’ve also been working to restore bull kelp habitat near Cape Lazo this year; divers there have seeded four 50m² beds with ceramic tiles inoculated with kelp gametophytes. These plantings are part of a multi-year project to increase connected eelgrass and kelp habitat along the East Coast of Vancouver Island to support salmonids, forage fish, crabs, and other marine species. 

Forage Fish Project
Identifying and mapping forage fish habitat in the northern Salish Sea
Earlier in the year, our team analysed data sets to identify possible forage fish nurseries. Over the summer, we monitored for surf smelt eggs at these identified sites with support from 23 community volunteers. While no eggs were found, these results still provide valuable insights for our conservation efforts. We also hosted a volunteer training event on Quadra Island and held a “train the trainer” workshop. 

Community Water Quality Monitoring
Empowering local stewardship groups to monitor and protect stream health
7 local stewardship groups and various other volunteers monitored at multiple sites within their respective watersheds for five consecutive weeks in July/August to capture the summer low flow conditions and in October/November to capture first fall flush conditions.

Estuary Lagoon Restoration at the Courtenay Airpark
Planting and mainting upland habitat around the inside of the Lagoon 
Every Thursday from April to October, a dedicated group of green-thumbed heroes gathered at the Courtenay Airpark around the Estuary Lagoon. Rain or shine, these volunteers rolled up their sleeves to care for this thriving restoration site.

Thanks again for supporting our work to restore and steward the local ecosystems.