On August 16th at 12:00 noon, the public is invited to a youth led tour at Goose Spit to learn about the yellow sand verbena plant.  This Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER), Phase II project is made possible with funding from the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), Parks Department.

On August 2 nd at 12:00 noon, the public is invited to a youth led tour in Millard Nature Park.

On July 1, 2024, Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) achieves a twenty-year milestone of youth service in the Comox Valley.  Since 2004, four hundred and seventy-six youth aged twelve to eighteen have benefited from the one-on-one work experience program.  Through ecological restoration, ecotherapy and mentoring, they gain a sense of worth, belonging and place.

K’omoks Estuary holds immense ecological value for resident and migrating wildlife, and is essential for K’omoks First Nation. Since 2013, research during spring low tides was conducted to count eagles and herons feeding in the estuary. On June 9th at 1:00 pm at Royston Seaside Trail, two youth from Youth and Ecological Restoration Program (YER) will lead a public tour about the eagle and heron surveys.

Beginning in the 2021/2022 school year, Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) was granted funding from Ministry of Education, Mental Health, which came through Comox Valley School District #71. The first year of funding was so successful that YER has been granted funds for the 2022/2023 school year.

The public is invited to a youth led tour of Masters Greenway on July 5th at 12:00 pm. Tour participants will learn about the natural history and human impacts on the park. Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) have partnered to identify and map sites in the park where overuse and invasive species are causing negative effects. Biologist, Tanis Gower will lead the 2022 YER Phase II research project, guiding the youth and providing a final report for the CVRD.

Millard Creek is located south of the City of Courtenay and extends west into Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), Area A. Millard Piercy Watershed Stewards formed a watershed management plan in 2001. Wendy Kotilla has lived in the upper watershed since 1990, and in 2008 started what has become a long-term database on her one acre property, and the adjoining ten acres.

YER Founder, Wendy Kotilla, was featured in the 2022 Project Watershed video, Restoration and Reconnection. She was a founding director of PW in 1993. Wendy shared her perspectives on stewardship, and the value of traditional ecological knowledge and western science. Both are valid sources of data required to care for the Earth and other species we share this planet with.

From 1993 to 1998, Wendy Kotilla was involved with Clayoquot Biosphere Project as one of hundreds of people documenting the natural history of the Clayoquot River watershed. She was one of eight researchers highlighted in the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Storymap. Her work focussed on longitudinal salmon distribution in the river. Due to this collective database, the watershed remains unlogged today.

“ECOLOGY TRANSFORMS YOUTH”
Mielikki Kotilainen (Wendy Kotilla) has been drawn to nature for shamanistic healing and guidance throughout her life in Canada. Since the age of four, she has gone to rivers for solace. Nature rituals include witnessing eagles bathing and listening to ancient forest wisdom. Mielikki has engaged in Native American sweat lodge, bathing and Sundance ceremonies for over twenty years. Her ancestors came from Kivijarvi and Tampere in Central Finland.

Oyster River Enhancement Society (ORES) has been a dedicated supporter of Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) since the program began in 2004. Youth #6 was the first to come and help ORES volunteers with restoring salmon stocks to the river. In 2005, Youth #20 said that “ORES is a birthplace that brings life to the world. It is a place for fish to mate and we can help them.”

Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) and Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) are excited to invite the public to a youth led tour of the Perseverance Creek corridor on Friday, August 20th at 12:00 pm. This section of forest was purchased in 2020 and is 225 acres in size.

The Youth and Ecological Restoration Program (YER) is going through changes this fall. After sixteen years of YER being operated by one person, it is time to introduce someone else into the program leadership. This transitioning to new blood has been ongoing for a couple of years with the main goal of ensuring YER continue with its integrity intact.

The year of 2020 has been challenging for everyone. Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) suspended operations when the COVID pandemic was first realized around the middle of March.

YER will commence the fall program during the third week of September 2020 with the YER COVID Plan in place.

Local organic farmer, Arzeena Hamir, donated $1,000.00 to the Youth and Ecological Restoration Program (YER) in December 2019.

In 2019 Youth & Ecological Restoration (YER) produced a tribute to the decade of work that has led to more than 360 youth participants reconnecting with nature. The YER film “Ecology Transforms Youth” was shown at the World Community Film Festival on February 2nd....

I learned that nature is beautiful and sometimes setting aside anything you are doing and going to see nature changes you.

In October 2019, Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) signed an agreement with McIntyre Media Inc. to distribute the YER film “Ecology Transforms Youth”.

In September 2019, artist Kathleen Urdahl, donated $500.00 to both the Youth and Ecological Restoration Program (YER) and Comox Valley Transition Society.

Seal Bay Nature Park is a spectacular Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) park protecting approximately 1,500 acres of maturing second growth forest. It was established in 1975 through regional lobbying efforts.

Morrison Headwaters Nature Preserve is Comox Valley’s newest regional park. Comox Valley Land Trust and Comox Valley Regional District, along with many other groups and individuals recently purchased 55 acres of private property to add to the already protected 24 acre Beecher Linton Conservation Area. This is an incredible environmental victory for our community.

On February 5, 2019 I was incredibly honoured to receive the award for 2018 Distinguished Alumni from the University of Victoria, Division of Continuing Studies. Below you will find a copy of the speech I gave at the event.I acknowledge we are on unceded traditional...

Ecology Transforms Youth 2019 Documentary Film 35 min.Journey with several youth as they explore Comox Valley watersheds and ecosystems. The Youth & Ecological Restoration (YER) program was created by Wendy Kotilla in 2004. Guided by nature, YER engages vulnerable...

Youth & Ecological Restoration (YER) is celebrating three events on February 21st from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Upper Native Sons Hall. YER has now been operating in the Comox Valley for fifteen years; the new YER video will be shown; and YER founder Wendy Kotilla has achieved a University of Victoria (UVic) 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.

I have been nominated to receive an award as 2018 Distinguished Alumni for University of Victoria, Division of Continuing Studies.  The attached photo and biography will be published as part of the awards ceremony on February 5, 2019. I am incredibly honoured to be...

In 2018 YER will have Carswell Film carswellfilm.ca create a video about the program.  This video will need to be filmed during the spring, summer and fall to follow the youth participants through their seasonal work.  YER is fundraising to cover the video costs of $5,000.00.  The first $1,000.00 contribution came from Courtenay & District Fish and Game Protective Association courtenayfishandgame.org at their April 9th monthly meeting when a cheque was presented to Wendy Kotilla.

The K’omoks Estuary holds immense ecological value for resident and migrating wildlife, and is of vital significance for K’omoks First Nation.  Since 2013, research during spring low tides has found numbers of eagles and herons feeding in the estuary.  On May 28th at...