Comox Valley Nature invites its members and the public to CVN’s March general meeting. where you can hear the following keynote presentation by our guest speaker:
Title: Embracing our planet – one adventure at a time
Speaker: Sunniva Sorby (sunnivasorby.com)
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Location: Main hall of Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox
Our speaker will relate tales and insights from her life’s work which bridges exploration, environmental advocacy, and the power of human connection. She is best known as one of the first two women in history to overwinter in the Arctic without men—an extraordinary 19-month experience (2019–2021) at a remote trapper’s hut called Bamsebu (little bear hut) in Svalbard, 78o N latitude. There, Sorby and her expedition partner co-founded Hearts in the Ice, a groundbreaking citizen-science and climate-action platform that connected scientists, students and the public worldwide. From their frozen cabin, they collected valuable data for research institutions and engaged over 150,000 youth in virtual dialogues about climate change, biodiversity, and hope.
More about the speaker
Sunniva Sorby is a Norwegian-Canadian polar explorer, educator, citizen scientist, and storyteller. A lifelong explorer, she first made history in 1993 as a member of the first all-women’s team to ski to the South Pole. She has skied the epic Sierra High Route in California, skied across King George Island, Antarctica, skied across the Greenland Icecap as expedition leader, and has climbed many mountains only to realize that the greatest mountain is the internal one, often less explored.
Over three decades, she has worked extensively in both polar regions as an expedition member, historian, and naturalist for organizations such as Hurtigruten, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Polar Latitudes. Her storytelling blends science and emotion, weaving tales of endurance, wonder, and connection to inspire people to act for the planet.
Through her current platform, Embrace the Planet Project (ETPP), Sorby continues to elevate stories of environmental stewardship, citizen science, and hope. She believes that each of us can be a “citizen scientist,” actively observing, learning from, and protecting the natural world around us.
More about the meeting
Although this will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and videoconference), we encourage you to attend in person. Members (only) who cannot attend can participate via videoconference. The link to register for the Zoom meeting will be sent to members by email before the meeting.
As always, there will be an intermission after the presentation with a chance to meet new people and socialize with old friends. Tea, coffee and treats will be available.
A brief business meeting follows. Reports from some of our interest groups and projects are an opportunity for guests to learn more about what we do.
To celebrate our 60th anniversary we invite you to come for a guided stroll on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk with a member of Comox Valley Nature on April 24, 10 am -noon. Learn about the history of this area, including how the former sewage lagoon has become one of the most popular walking spots in the Comox Valley. Check out the restoration work that has replaced invasive plant species and added more native plants, shrubs and trees that is being done by Comox Valley Nature in partnership with the City of Courtenay. Hear why invasive plant species are so damaging to the ecosystems. Enjoy the view from the "lookout" over the estuary and be reminded how important the estuary is to the web of life.