COMOX VALLEY LAND TRUST HONORARY MEMBERS

Gael was on the CVLT Board from 2017 to 2019, taking on the treasurer position. She was instrumental in building the capacity of CVLT community fundraising, playing a key role in raising funds for the Morrison Headwaters and Puntledge Forest conservation projects, including personally providing matching funds for the initial crowdfunding of both projects. Her steady support continues to be a major asset for the CVLT.
Prior to her retirement she provided consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses with a focus on strategic planning, finance and marketing.

Bruce Bell retired to the Comox Valley in 2008, following a diverse career in the law. He is a dedicated conservation volunteer, including current membership in the Oyster River Enhancement Society, and past service as a Director of the Comox Valley Community Foundation, Director and past President of the Centre for Aquatic Health Science Society, and Director of the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Bruce was a publicly appointed Director of North Island College and the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons and went on to become Board Chair of both organizations. He is a current member and director of the Comox Valley Airport Commission. He was instrumental in connecting CVLT with donors for our Save Puntledge Forest campaign, and he continues to support CVLT’s fundraising and conservation efforts. In 2024, Bruce and his wife Jean donated 4.5 acres of waterfront property to expand local parklands in the Comox Valley.

Chanchal served on the CVLT board for 14 years including as secretary before CVLT had administrative support. She is a strong local conservation advocate and was instrumental in the Comox Valley Regional District establishing the Royston Cumberland Railway Trail. She continues to advocate for the conservation of other local areas and leads CVLT educational native plant and forest bathing walks.

Chanchal is a medical herbalist living in Royston, BC, where she and her husband manage Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden, a seven-acre internationally registered botanic garden specializing in food and medicine plants. Chanchal is also a certified Horticultural Therapist and a Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) practitioner.

Meaghan Cursons is a community leader who has been the Executive Director of the Cumberland Community Forest Society since 2013. She has been instrumental in acquiring and protecting forested lands surrounding Cumberland, while supporting other conservation and community-building efforts in the valley. Through her leadership, the Cumberland Community Forest Society has become a leader in environmental education and citizen science activities such as science pubs, Fungus Fest, and community bat monitoring. Meaghan is a long-standing member and co-chair of the Comox Valley Conservation Partnership’s steering committee, which provides a venue for local conservation organizations to work together.
Meaghan works with the Comox Valley Regional District, supporting Comox Lake watershed community education, and is also a director with the Island Coastal Economic Trust, contributing to regional economic development with a focus on sustainability. Meaghan is a passionate community builder, and her creative and multi-disciplinary approach is evident through the many events she organizes throughout the year to build community while promoting environmental stewardship.

Jan Gemmell is a long-time volunteer streamkeeper, amateur naturalist and current president of the Morrison Creek Streamkeepers. She started streamkeeping after moving to a neighbourhood near Morrison Creek in 1994, ultimately becoming fascinated and familiar with the aquatic habitat and species in the Morrison watershed, including its salmon and lamprey populations.
Jan served on the board of the Comox Valley Land Trust from 2018 to 2025. Jan and her late longtime partner Jim Palmer contributed to a major CVLT conservation accomplishment: the protection of two parcels of land in the Morrison Creek Headwaters, which were acquired in 2019 and 2023. Together these acquisitions are 300 hectares in size, and they provide important forest habitats and cool and abundant groundwater flows into Morrison Creek. Jan and Jim’s unmatched passion and dedication were the foundation of this conservation success story.

A retired First Nations and environmental lawyer, Lesley moved to the Comox Valley in 2020 to take advantage of the area’s abundant outdoor spaces and activities. She served on the CVLT board, including President for a year starting in July 2023. Through her knowledge of environmental law and her connections to the BC law community, she elevated CVLT’s legal expertise to successfully take on complicated land protection projects.
Lesley has been a long-time conservation advocate with a strong interest in community conservation work. She started the Elk Valley Conservation Society in Fernie, worked for the East Kootenay Environmental Society, negotiated the East Kootenay CORE land use plan, sat on the board of the BC-Yukon chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, served on the first coordinating committee of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, and is a director of the East Kootenay environmental organization Wildsight.

Michael Nihls retired in 2014 after a 39-year career in local government parks management. He served as a CVLT board member from 2015 to 2025, including holding the positions of President and Vice President. He sat as the CVLT representative on the Comox Valley Conservation Partnership steering committee for several years. He also served as Chair of the Land Protection Committee, where he applied his extensive background in parks planning and land acquisition, helping guide the process of protecting the Puntledge Forest.
Michael brought key parks department expertise to the CVLT, and his skills and steady hand were greatly appreciated.