I quietly stepped up to the small, screened window allowing me a direct view into the eagle house. He was perched in full view, his female companion Hyacinth closeby. Humpty, who did, indeed, have a great (and near fatal) fall from the nest, is now a perfectly breathtaking adult eagle, larger than life with piercing eyes. Though he rarely vocalizes (and when he does it’s faint), and his flight and mental deficits are permanent, he is thriving at MARS Wildlife Rescue (MARS).
Metaphorically speaking, Humpty’s silence is what MARS, just a 15-minute drive from the Old House Hotel, is all about. This beautiful 11- acre escape devoted to wildlife recovery is a voice for wild animals that need our greater appreciation, awareness and protection from harmful and often naïve human activity.
I observed Humpty during my MARS tour which I was finally able to book after months of waiting out covid restrictions. I was happy to see our group was ageless – two 20-something guys, a young woman and an older gentleman who had just donated an expensive microscope. It was surely our lucky day as Jan, a super engaging and knowledgeable MARS board member/volunteer, was designated to be our guide.
Our conversation and observations flowed as we meandered around the new Centre which opened in 2019. (The new property was purchased in 2015.) A landscaping and architectural work of art, it integrates an interpretive center, educational pollinator and native plant gardens, carefully designed animal enclosures and a state-of-the-art animal hospital into its forested acres. I considered myself knowledgeable about my own backyard until I met Jan! My eyes were opened to more things I would need to consider as we curate our little five-acre forested home.
The entire experience was about seeing our Island backyard differently, both visually and mentally. If they could speak, resident owls Brinley and Shakespeare (pictured above) would say, “Please do not throw food out of your car window, I’ll go after the rodents that will try to eat it.” Brinley is a Great Horned Owl whose wing had to be amputated after a vehicle hit her. Shakespeare, a spectacular Barred Owl, also was hit by a car. He lost his left eye and fractured his beak and sternum and sustains a significant hearing impairment on his left side.
Fortunately, despite their long-term challenges, the owls are living a good life with lots of human interaction. I learned Brinley (pictured above), more than 17 years of age, relishes her regular diet of quail and mice and has a secret superpower: 400 pounds of crush force in her claws. Shakespeare is a great vocalist, though he sounds more like a howler monkey than a Barred Owl! It’s easy to get emotionally connected to these engaging creatures.
Those are just two of the many birds that have a story to tell, from a Red-tailed hawk to a Western Screech Owl and albino American crow siblings. While the resident birds capture our attention, the team working behind-the-scenes sees dozens more that receive medical attention with the goal of rehabilitating them through to a full recovery and their return to the wild.
Too many of the animal patients that come to MARS suffer from human threats: lead and rodent poisoning, entanglement, and collisions with power lines and windows. To date, 1143 patients have come to MARS, now surpassing last year’s number.
It takes a village to operate this hospital/vistor’s centre: volunteers, representing more than 28,000 labour hours; collaborating rescue centres; wildlife experts; staff; fundraisers; communities; students; and corporate sponsors, like BC Hydro which is actively mitigating its power line threats to birds. Old House visitors are a welcome addition!
My final stop was the interpretive centre. What imaginative learning experiences! My favourites were comparing arm spans with wingspans, a stunning hummingbird display, and a video capturing the entertaining process of robin chicks leaving the nest!
At MARS, the voice for wildlife conservation is loud and clear. From the caws of the crows to the words on the graphics, from the voices of the guides to the hoot of the Barred Owl, it shouts, “We are all connected; we all need to protect our wild animals and wild places!” Were Humpty able to vocalize, he’d be a great addition to this chorus.
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The MARS Visitors Centre is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 3 pm for drop-in shopping and exploration of the indoor exhibits area.
One-hour guided tours must be pre-booked. For the protection of the animal patients and resident animals, self-guided tours are not allowed.
For more information and to book your tour, click here.
Outside the Old House Front Door
A Comox Valley and Vancouver Island Travel Blog
(Photos by Jackson Rooper)
The day of the party, I admit to grumbling about packing extra clothes, about leaving the warmth of my home just to brave the odds in the name of team spirit. In my defense, it really was an awful night: windy, blustery, and with random snow showers. But there was no turning back; the event was “on.”
In fact, all that thinking could just lead to a staycation at your “home away from home,” the Old House Hotel. And add to that, some spoiling at Ohspa. It’ll still feel like summer, especially since the outdoor heated pool and hot tub have been completely refreshed and keep you toasty while soaking. So, package it up, and head to the Old House.
And if I am up for a walk with the dog, I can satisfy my craving for Starbucks and their bite-sized egg whites and almond milk lattes by simply crossing the street. Just inside Thrifty’s there’s a smaller Starbucks too, but I prefer the one with umbrellas and a place to secure my pup.
If you’re tight on time, the hot beverage machine in the Hotel lobby serves up an amazing selection of hot drinks. Fresh cream is in the fridge! Plus, there’s always a bowl of fresh fruit, so you can grab an orange or apple if you’re on the run. I’m told you can pre-order a small breakfast box as well!
For the longest time, I have set out from the Old House to walk the spectacular trail that borders the Courtenay River and its sister K’omoks Estuary. It plays out like a movie that completely relaxes and uplifts me, that is until the very end where a parting scene delivers a bit of a sucker punch. But as I recently found out during my visit with Bill Heidrick (a new Project Watershed conservation friend worthy of a blog just about him), an amazing sequel is about to play out… and I think every Old House guest should know about it.
The Kus-Kus-Sum ambitious restoration plan — overseen by Project Watershed and the K’omoks First Nations and supported by an incredible list of commercial and government (including the City of Courtenay) partnerships — is to bring back the area’s original combination of salt marsh, waterways, riparian zones and forested areas. Once restored, it will provide the community with abundance in the form of wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, carbon sequestering and recreational and educational activities.
The Comox Valley community, led by the K’omoks First Nations people and Project Watershed’s amazing team (also responsible for a multitude of other nearby restoration efforts) is on a roll to “unpave this parking lot” and restore “paradise.” (Yes, Joni Mitchell, you are an inspiration still!) The fundraising events are super creative. All contributions matter to this project: small, large, matched and anonymous. (I loved hearing about the secret gift matching donor called the “Estuary Angel.”) But I am most amazed by the tireless, passionate folks from everywhere in the Valley and beyond who are completely committed, Bill for starters.
There is place in howling distance of the Old House Hotel, that will likely change you forever. People have come from as far as Belgium to see one single animal, Tundra the wolf at the 
You will find him traveling with his celebrity wolf, from Tofino to Vancouver, from schools and First Nations ceremonies to nature centers and coastal communities, educating folks about the irreplaceable value wolves have in managing our ecosystems. Other times the visit simply breathes hope and wellness into people who desperately need the healing power of wolf. He puts to bed myths about menacing wolves and shares the inspiring truth: as top predators, they are astoundingly gentle in their nature when it comes to raising their pups, living in packs and generally living peacefully with humans when given enough room to roam. (And, yes, wolves, need a lot of room to do their part for balancing nature.)
Tundra’s people/animal pack actually numbers five. Two other dominant wolf dogs live there and are just over three years old. Nahanni is an Arctic wolf, and Mahikan is a black wolf; both are almost “full wolf” and astoundingly beautiful and fascinating to observe. While somewhat elusive, they are still very interested in humans. Few people on the planet can or should handle such an immense responsibility; Gary is one them. He lives, eats and sleeps the care of his wolves.
This on-site education is a fantastic segue to what most consider to be the most transforming part of visiting the Centre. Traveling by car, you arrive at the local river trail. Here Gary and Tundra leash up, and a walk becomes an effortless conversation about all things wolves. Tundra takes the lead, stopping at the river where she fills her belly with water and bathes in the coolness.
If you’re staying at The Old House, it is likely that you’ll be dining in at some point or maybe the whole time! You might crave a quiet morning with breakfast in bed or a happy hour in your room enjoying locally-made wine, cheeses and meats. Perhaps movie night by the fire with a local brew paired with popcorn dressed with special salt is your idea of a great autumn night.
You also won’t want to miss their fantastic selection of coconut and milk ice creams or the flower shop that begs you to take a few blossoms home to personalize your room. No doubt there are other great little shops in Courtenay and Comox featuring local fare, but if you want to spend less time shopping and more time exploring, this store will not disappoint. Check it out!
