We are excited to host a celebration of 20 years of partnership for the Kootenay Conservation Program! This event will showcase the achievements of KCP partner organizations in the past 20 years in conservation in the Kootenays. It has been a few years since we have been together in person and we look forward to the opportunity to connect and re-connect KCP partners from across the region. The organizing theme for this year’s Fall Gathering is “Celebrating 20 Years of Conservation Partnership”. The event will showcase achievements in private land securement, landscape connectivity, local conservation funds and much more. Guest speakers will provide insights on looking forward into the next 20 years and preparing for conservation. Stay tuned for more details.

Are you applying to the Columbia Basin Trust's Climate Resilience Program, Ecosystem Enhancement Program, or other land-based Programs? Are you interested in knowing more about what makes a well-developed project? To bolster the success of your funding applications and projects, the Trust in partnership with the Kootenay Conservation Program is offering a Technical Project Planning Workshop to support your capacity to plan and deliver large multi-year projects focused on climate, ecosystem, and wildfire resiliency. This two-hour workshop will aim to assist Basin communities and organizations with project planning capacity. This workshop will explore the key processes and deliverables of a large multi-year project (i.e. scope, budget and schedule) and their key processes using real project examples. A Q&A session and breakout groups will enable participants to address their specific questions and needs. The workshop will take place June 15 from 9 am-11 am PT/ 10 am - 12 pm MT.

We've wrapped up our Conservation Ambassador Training Spring Tune-Up! This online training based on the Stewardship Solutions Toolkit took place in May, encouraging peer-learning for stewardship practitioners on a variety of themes. Overall, 15 people participated with over half (8 people) completing all three training modules to be awarded a Kootenay Conservation Ambassador Certificate! Congratulations to our new Conservation Ambassadors: Nerissa Abbott, Ethan Castilloux, Michelle Daniel, Ryan Drijber, Lori Joe, Terri McRitchie, Kalenna Olynyk, and Baylie Sjodin.

Our spring stewardship committee meetings and field tours are back for 2022! The East Kootenay meeting and tour is taking place in Cranbrook on Thursday, June 2 and the West Kootenay meeting and tour is happening in Nelson on Tuesday, June 7. The meetings will be in person but are also accessible via Zoom, and will be followed by a catered lunch and local field trip. If you are interested in attending, please contact KCP Stewardship Manager Marcy Mahr at marcy@kootenayconservation.ca.

We’re pleased to introduce a new timeline on our website that details all the major milestones and initiatives in KCP's history since inception in 2002 when it first began as the East Kootenay Conservation Program before expanding Kootenay-wide in 2012. Please take a moment to scroll through this colourful timeline to learn more about what KCP has accomplished over the past two decades.

Wildsight’s Columbia River Field School has been announced as a finalist in the 2020 Land Awards in the Fresh Water category. The Columbia River Field School is an immersive learning experience for students ages 15-18. Over 15 days, students travel the Columbia River by canoe while exploring important aspects of the river’s story through lessons in geography, ecology, hydrology, technology, economics, politics, history and culture. REFBC will reveal the winners in the five project categories, as well as the recipients of the Land Champion and Emerging Leader awards, on June 9 at the 2022 Land Awards Gala in New Westminster.

In 2021-22, the Lake Windermere District Rod & Gun Club became involved in the Columbia Valley Western Painted Turtle Project [a project supported by the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners (CWSP). They placed basking logs in ponds where they were lacking or in short supply (determined through 2020 inventory work). If you are interested in volunteering your time to monitor the use of the logs by turtles (and other species), please email cvpaintedturtle@gmail.com. You can monitor as frequently or as little as you like. Additional conservation actions for turtles in the region, such as fencing predators out of nesting areas and putting up signage at turtle crossing areas, are being worked on.

Do you work or volunteer with one of the Basin’s many non-profit organizations and want to learn more about marketing, strategic planning, and financial management? Through its Non-profit Advisors Program, Columbia Basin Trust, in partnership with College of the Rockies and Selkirk College, is hosting a series of in-person workshops that could help build the knowledge and capacity of your non-profit. In-person workshops will take place in Fernie (June 2), Golden (June 6, 20), Kaslo (June 16), and Trail (June 7). These workshops are for Basin non-profits and their staff and volunteers. The Trust is also hosting a series of webinars that could help build the knowledge and capacity of your non-profit (June 1, 14, 23).

Despite being a colder than normal spring in the Columbia Basin, average spring temperatures in the region have increased between 1.6 to 2.0oC since the 1960s. The dynamic nature of weather means that we can experience a colder-than-normal spring one year, and a warmer-than-normal spring the next. Take two minutes to learn more about weather, climate, and variability at Columbia Basin Climate Source – check out Episode 2 of the Making Sense of Climate Science video series.

Over the past 40 years or so, the Bank Swallow population has declined by 98% and Barn Swallows by 76% due to reduced food, habitat destruction, vehicle collisions, and climate change (amongst other cumulative factors). It’s hard to address large-scale issues such as climate change, but there are ways to improve habitat.The Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project (UCSHEP) is a 5-year project undertaken by Wildsight Golden in collaboration with a number of community partners and sponsors to identify, restore, and enhance nesting sites for Barn and Bank Swallows in the Upper Columbia Valley. 

Salt dilution gauging is actually one of the most accurate ways of measuring flow rates in creeks and streams, and was just one of the various flow measurement methods that Selkirk College’s Integrated Environmental Planning students recently gained hands-on experience in. Last month these students participated in a hydrometric monitoring field lab held at Anderson Creek near Nelson, B.C. The lab was led in part by Paul Saso, a hydrologist with Living Lakes Canada’s Kootenay Watershed Science program, a recipient of Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund funding.

CBEEN’s Annual Awards of Excellence recognizes educators who demonstrate excellence in environmental education in the Canadian Columbia Basin. Nominees must reside within the Canadian Columbia Basin region. All nominees will receive a message from CBEEN thanking them for their efforts. Those who are selected to receive an award will be notified by September 1, and these will be given out at the Classrooms to Communities Provincial Conference in Revelstoke in October. 2022 nominations are open until the end of the day on June 15.

With the arrival of migratory birds also comes the second year of the five-year (2021-2026) Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project (UCSHEP). Volunteers are being requested to help with barn and bank swallow nest monitoring between April/May-September for barn swallows and between June-July for bank swallows. The locations of any new barn and bank swallow nesting sites in the Columbia Valley is also being requested. If you are interested in participating in this project or want more information, please contact the project biologist at racheldarvill@gmail.com.

CKISS is appealing to Kootenay Lake residents to volunteer in two community science initiatives to help protect Kootenay Lake from aquatic invasive species. It’s a new community science monitoring initiative hosted by CKISS with support from Living Lakes Canada's National Lake Blitz program and funded by the Regional District of Central Kootenay through the Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund. (1) Invasive Mussel Monitoring – CKISS is seeking community members who own private docks in Area A, D and E of Kootenay Lake to help monitor for invasive mussels. Volunteers will receive two assembled mussel monitors to attach to their docks and be required to check them every two weeks in the summer and fall. (2) Shoreline Surveys for Invasive Clams and Plants – CKISS is seeking community members who are interested in conducting shoreline surveys for invasive clams and removing invasive plants on selected shorelines on Kootenay Lake. Positions will run during the fall.

Click here to learn more and register.

From May to September, Living Lakes Canada is hosting the National Lake Blitz, an entry-level citizen science program whereby volunteers are sent easy-to-use kits to monitor the lake of their choice. All data collected will be shared online in a Lake Observation Map. Concurrently, from May to July, the Lake Biodiversity Photo Challenge will be accepting photo submissions of lakes across Canada with prizes awarded in four categories. The challenge is open to the public and anyone can participate by submitting photos online either via the website or on social media.

If you are interested in joining contact kla@kootenaylivestock.ca. 

DFO’s Pacific Region Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) would like to invite your organization to participate in the third of the Wave 2 feedback workshops regarding amendments to the Fisheries Act. This session will look at Developing a Framework for Aquatic Species at Risk Conservation and will consist of a recorded video presentation and a Q&A period. All questions, comments, feedback and suggestions shared at this engagement session will be provided to our colleagues working on developing this policy. All material supporting Wave 2 engagement is available via the nationally-managed Talk Fish Habitat Platform. Please view the materials prior to this engagement session. For more information and the link to join the meeting, email DFO.Pacific.FFHPP-PPPH.Pacifique.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Are you applying to the Columbia Basin Trust's Climate Resilience Program, Ecosystem Enhancement Program, or other land-based Programs? Are you interested in knowing more about what makes a well-developed project? To bolster the success of your funding applications and projects, the Trust in partnership with the Kootenay Conservation Program is offering a Technical Project Planning Workshop to support your capacity to plan and deliver large multi-year projects focused on climate, ecosystem, and wildfire resiliency. This two-hour workshop will aim to assist Basin communities and organizations with project planning capacity. This workshop will explore the key processes and deliverables of a large multi-year project (i.e. scope, budget and schedule) and their key processes using real project examples. A Q&A session and breakout groups will enable participants to address their specific questions and needs. The workshop will take place from 9 am-11 am PT/ 10 am - 12 pm MT.

June 15-17, Revelstoke (full - waitlist available)

Do you have questions related to the Trust's Climate Resilience Program? The Columbia Basin Trust is hosting an information session on Monday, June 20, 2022 at 9 am PT / 10 am MT. The session will cover a program overview, types of eligible projects, the project idea process, schedule and a Q&A session. If you are unable to attend and have questions about the program, email climateresilience@ourtrust.org.

Calling agricultural producers! This field day hosted by Kootenay and Boundary Farm Advisors will bring producers and organizations together to discuss grazing management and strategies for cows, fish and frogs to co-exist on agricultural land. Producers will have the opportunity to talk with other farmers and land managers about their priorities and challenges when ranching and farming in ecologically sensitive areas. Resource people will present to discuss some new funding opportunities for Creston farms and existing supports such as the Environmental Farm Plan and Farmland Advantage. Producers will also be asked for their input on a new project being developed along riparian areas throughout the Creston flats. From 9 am to 12 pm PT.

Part of Y2Y's Exploring Ethical Space series. With the recent release of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act (DRIPA) Action Plan in British Columbia and the Province’s commitment to advance reconciliation through the Modernized Land Use Planning Program (MLUP), equity in land use planning is of the utmost importance. The landscape of land use planning is changing, but how do we work together to ensure it changes in meaningful ways? Elaine Alec from the Syilx Nation and Secwepemc Nation, and partner in Alderhill Planning Inc., an Indigenous-owned and operated planning company, will provide tangible examples of how love-based practices have led to positive results through community planning work. Moe Nadeau, researcher and master’s student at Simon Fraser University, will present on ways in which Ethical Space offers an equitable framework for land use planning, with a focus on the Upper Columbia region. From 2 pm to 3:30 pm PT.

Requiem for a Glacier is Paul Walde‘s sound performance and video installation lamenting the world’s melting glaciers. Its musical themes also draw attention to the local Purcell mountains and the decades-long struggle to keep the Jumbo valley free from development. Performed and filmed on Farnham Glacier in 2013, this installation plays on a big screen in a loop of 40 minutes, so drop by any time and stay as long as you like. Admission is free. Hosted by Wildsight Invermere, part of the Fire & Ice Festival.

2022 KCP Fall Gathering – Save the Date!

KCP is excited to host a celebration of 20 years of partnership for the Kootenay Conservation Program! This event will showcase the achievements of KCP partner organizations in the past 20 years in conservation in the Kootenays. It has been a few years since the KCP Fall Gathering has taken place in person and it will be an excellent opportunity to connect and re-connect KCP partners from across the region. The organizing theme for this year’s Fall Gathering is “Celebrating 20 Years of Conservation Partnership”. The event will showcase achievements in private land securement, landscape connectivity, local conservation funds and much more. Guest speakers will provide insights on looking forward into the next 20 years and preparing for conservation. Stay tuned for more details.

October 26-28, Revelstoke (full - waitlist available)

Basin residents confirmed that on-the-ground ecosystem enhancement remains an important priority and the Columbia Basin Trust is committed to maintaining and improving the ecological health and native biodiversity in a variety of ecosystems. The Trust is continuing to fund landscape-scale restoration and enhancement projects through its Ecosystem Enhancement Program and this year is a Basin-wide call for eligible project ideas that restore and/or enhance a variety of ecotypes, including terrestrial, aquatic and wetlands. The Trust will identify projects focused on enhancement and restoration by seeking input from community groups, First Nations representatives and government experts, and existing regional plans and research.

Does your organization have a large-scale, shovel-ready project to help the Basin become more Climate Resilient? This Climate Resilience Program helps communities in the Basin become more climate resilient by supporting large-scale, multi-year, shovel-ready climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience projects that address sources of climate change or manage the risks of climate change impacts. If you have questions or a project that isn’t shovel ready but you want to talk about an idea for your community, reach out the Program Coordinator at climateresilience@ourtrust.org.

Living Lakes Canada's Foreshore Integrated Management Planning (FIMP) Project Team is pleased to release an RFP for its third field season. Living Lakes Canada invites proposals from qualified consulting firms to survey and report on the following lakes located in the Canadian Columbia Basin using the FIMP methodology: St. Mary Lake, Trout Lake, Summit Lake and Arrow Lakes. The closing date is June 10.

Wildsight Golden Branch is looking for an outgoing, well-organized, and dynamic person to assist the Outreach Coordinator and Wildsight Golden with community programs, projects, and events. This is a 30-hour per week, 8-week position that will start on or before July 4, depending on the applicant’s availability. As this job is funded through the Canada Summer Jobs funding, all applicants must be under 30 years of age. The ideal candidate will be enrolled in a recognized post-secondary institution in Environmental Studies, Geography, Biology, Education or another diploma that has demonstrated relevance. Deadline to apply is June 10.

Yellowstone to Yukon is seeking a senior professional to be their next Program Director. This position would lead their work advancing protected areas especially through supporting Indigenous-led efforts, maintaining landscape connectivity given a changing climate, and promoting people and wildlife coexistence. All Y2Y work is highly collaborative and requires working from local to regional scales and on key national and global enabling policies. This individual will report to directly to the President and will assume primary oversight of Y2Y programs and associated administration. As such, this person will be responsible for directing these programs, and providing oversight and support of planning, implementation and management of projects and programs that advance the Y2Y vision and deliver on the strategic plan. Preference is for the position to be based at or within driving distance of the main office in Canmore. Position open until filled.

Finance and Administration Manager, Kimberley

The purpose of The Outdoor Learning Store is to provide easy access to excellent outdoor learning equipment and resources to schools and organizations, while providing financial support for our host charity, the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) and added capacity for our numerous Outdoor Learning Partners. This role will take the lead on getting orders out the door. Drawing from our supply of over 100 different resource & equipment options, this position will ensure that orders are boxed and bagged to ensure they arrive in great condition. Position open until filled.

The WildSafeBC Community Coordinator position is a unique opportunity to make a real difference in reducing human-wildlife conflicts where you live. Professionalism, commitment and good communication skills are essential for success with this position. Additionally candidates should be able to work independently with minimal supervision. Community coordinators will be trained in the use of proven education and delivery techniques, which they will then implement within their communities regarding conflict-reduction information about all species of wildlife as part of BCCF’s WildSafeBC program. Positions open until filled.

The Invasive Species Council of BC is a provincial non-profit organization working to protect and restore BC’s landscapes and habitats from the devastating impacts of invasive species. The Invasive Species Council of BC is hiring for several remote positions: Fundraising and Partnerships Manager; Learning Coordinator; and Indigenous Partnerships Manager.

World-class conservation efforts by local land trust partners have resulted in the acquisition of properties throughout the East and West Kootenay that protect fish and wildlife, movement corridors, grasslands, old forests, and riparian areas. Coordinated and prioritized in partnership with KCP, these properties have increased landscape-level connectivity and secured valuable habitat for species at risk. The KCP website now features an updated selection of the properties acquired since 2002 in an easy-to-view timeline format.

KCP's “Case for Conservation” trifold brochure details 9 different reasons why conserving private land is so crucial to the health of the region’s ecosystems that support a myriad of plant, fish and animal species — many of which are currently rare or endangered or at risk of becoming so. The brochure opens up into an attractive poster that can be easily posted in offices, public spaces and homes. Printed brochures are available for distribution. If you would like copies, please contact KCP Program Director Juliet Craig at: juliet@kootenayconservation.ca.

The Kootenay Conservation Program helps partners to coordinate and facilitate conservation efforts on private land, and in an effort to support this, KCP has developed a webpage that compiles some of the best conservation and stewardship resources available for our region.