Wildsight

Our West Kootenay Youth Climate Corps did great work picking fruit trees in Nelson a few weeks ago. Read more in our latest blog: https://wildsight.ca/2026/10/26/nelson-pilot-project-tackles-bear-attractants-and-food-waste/

The Inland Temperate Rainforest is home to a huge diversity of fungi and lichen species, and our mushroom expedition this fall to the ancient forests of the Rainbow-Jordan wilderness only just scratched the surface!

On October 26, fifteen young Canadians will walk into a federal courtroom in Vancouver for the first federal youth climate trial in Canadian history. Come be part of this historic moment. You can view the proceedings online or attend in person on Oct 26. bit.ly/rsvp-larosetrial

On October 24, British Columbia will choose its next government. Make sure to head to the voting booth to ensure your voice is heard!

This month, Grade 5 students from Fernie got to experience the incredible beauty and diversity of a local grassland. Programs like this one encourage a love for nature in younger generations, showing them how special wild places are, and fostering stewardship and joy.

The team at Wildlife Science Centre has created an exciting new online resource: the Caribou Habitat Information Platform. Visit https://www.chip.abmi.ca Caribou photo by Wayne Sawchuk

This film by Golden District’s Rod and Gun Club and the @wildsheepsocietybc is touring the Kootenays this week — accompanied by Q&A sessions afterward. Screenings occur in Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fernie, Radium, and Golden. Visit OTLFILM.CA to get your tickets!

Municipal elections are here — this is your opportunity to choose your mayor, councillors and school trustees. Vote4Tomorrow has created an easy outline of where candidates in each BC community stand on current issues, including environmental and climate issues. (visit vote4tomorrow.ca)

Our East Kootenay YCC was in the field last month with the @WhitebarkFoundation supporting their restoration work to protect the future of the species. Check out this article: https://wildsight.ca/2023/09/19/saving-seeds-in-the-subalpine/"

In a warming climate with increased wildfire and drought, these differences matter. Cool, moist forest refuges provide important habitat for plants and animals, while helping our landscapes withstand heat and drought.

Cobwebs like this can ensnare birds, bats, and important insects, and lead to fatal consequences. Fall is a critical time for birds as they migrate unbelievable distances through our towns and cities, and many individuals seek out hedges and shrubs for safety and to roost in overnight.

Wildsight’s education programs help today’s youth understand the wild places on their doorstep — and give them the tools to care for them. Will you chip in to help build a future of hope for our youth — and the wild places they will inherit? https://www.wildsight.ca/giveforkids

Today, on World Habitat Day, we reflect on both the thriving and dwindling habitats that are vital not only to our wildlife, but to us too. Pledge to spread awareness and reverence for our wild places, and do what you can as an individual to protect these irreplaceable habitats.

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we take time to reflect on the history and ongoing impacts of colonialism, and to honour the survivors, families, and communities who continue to carry this history.

🔗 Please use our pre-written letter to demand halting logging plans in Foster Creek — just as the government's own experts recommended. 🔗 https://wildsight.ca/foster?source=Bluesky+-+Post+-+1 #takeactionnow #protectouroldgrowth #mountaincaribou #speciesatrisk Caribou photo by Monica Dahl

‼️THREE DAYS left to submit your feedback about the future of the wider Cranbrook area's forests!‼️ ㅤ Survey link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=AFLbbw09ikqwNtNoXjWa3LcPjKQ4KdpKi6Y8qeUfvuJUMDVaUlZQOFdSUUw0V1FYUTNYNTZCMTJITi4u Photo: Bailey Repp

Go Wild! Offers an unique experience for youth to connect with nature, other like-minded youth from across the Basin, and with themselves — as they discover how powerful the wilderness can be. Read more about this year’s Go Wild! at https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/25/ancient-trails-new-adventures/

One of the statements we routinely hear is that old-growth Cedars are rotten and hollow inside — and therefore dead — and should be harvested immediately before they fall and are ‘wasted’. Black and Grizzly Bears depend on hollow trees for denning and birthing their young during the winter.

If you have a fruit tree that needs picking in the East Kootenay, check out https://wildsight.ca/branches/kimcran/our-programs/apples to have your fruit harvested — it will help people in the community and keep wildlife safe! @YouthClimateCorps

Accelerating permits won’t make an uneconomic mine suddenly profitable. What it will do is compress the timeline for environmental assessments and meaningful consultation, reducing oversight and giving mines more opportunities to cut corners on things like safety and environmental protections.

“Exactly a year ago I stood in the same spot as today, looking at an ancient forest full of large Cedar and Hemlock, surrounded by dense beds of Devil’s club and ferns, listening to birdsong. https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/14/return-to-redrock/

Are you passionate about teaching ecological literacy, nature connection, sustainability and environmental stewardship? We’re looking for an environmental educator to join our team in Castlegar area schools! Learn more: https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/26/now-hiring-sd20-environmental-educator/

Billions of our hard-earned dollars should not have to fund the cleanup of massive corporations’ mines simply because our government let them cut corners. Read more at our latest blog: https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/11/bcs-critical-mineral-push-and-the-erosion-of-accountability/

Clayton Lamb chatted with us about his latest research examining how recreation trails influence the movements and behaviour of large mammals around the trail network near Fernie. Read our latest blog to find out more: https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/14/sharing-recreation-trails-with-wildlife/

People power led to a huge win for the wild this week! Thanks to overwhelming public pushback, the Columbia-Shuswap Regional Board (CSRD) voted to deny Selkirk Tangier’s proposal for a large heli-ski lodge near Mars Creek.

Read more: https://www.biv.com/news/environment/bc-penalizes-major-coal-miner-269k-over-toxic-runoff-and-spills-12637700

Xatśūll First Nation has joined the Syilx Okanagan Nation in petitioning for an Emergency Order to protect Southern Mountain Caribou herds. Xatśūll argues that the federal and provincial governments have failed to halt caribou declines in the face of ongoing habitat loss.

Mining & Policy Impacts specialist Simon Wiebe sat down with Chris Walker on CBC Daybreak this week to dig into the Fording River mine extension. They discussed the importance of a comprehensive review and approval process — and why third parties should be involved.

Today is the LAST DAY for your donation for Mountain Caribou to be matched! Your gift will support our work fighting for large-scale Southern Mountain Caribou habitat protections. Can you chip in? https://secure.wildsight.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=67 Photo by @DavidMoskowitz

Right now there's an opportunity to support the Kaska Dena in their vision to establish the Dene K’eh Kusan Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in northwest BC. Sign the petition: https://biggestwildest.ca/

‼️ DEADLINE EXTENDED TO AUGUST 7! ‼️ Wildsight is looking for a Communications and Engagement Lead to help tell the stories behind our conservation and education work across the Columbia Basin, and beyond! https://wildsight.ca/about/careers-2/communications-and-engagement-lead/

Last month, a paper was published that revealed 954 km2 of critical caribou habitat has been logged in British Columbia since 2020. This is ON TOP of the 909 km2 that was logged in the 5 years prior. https://secure.wildsight.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=67&source=Bluesky+-+Post+-+3

Baiba Morrow was recognized recently for a lifetime of environmental stewardship and conservation leadership. Read more about Baiba's story in our latest blog: https://wildsight.ca/2026/07/10/the-world-needs-more-baiba/

We at Wildsight have a plan to protect this iconic species, but we can’t do it without your help. Can you chip in to help protect the precious forests this iconic species depends on to survive? Visit: https://secure.wildsight.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=67&source=Bluesky+-+Reel

"British Columbia probably has more lichens than Costa Rica or the Amazon. This is the Amazon of the lichen world — and we have a global responsibility for the conservation of this organismal group." https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/23/conservation-through-the-lens-of-lichens/ #lichen #rarelichens

Eco-grief can affect all of us — regardless of where we live, how old we are, or where our hobbies or interests lie. This month, our Youth Climate Corps crew participated in an eco-grief workshop with Sonya Rokosh. They got outside and sat down to talk about their fears about the future.

After more than a decade as chair of Wildsight’s Board of Directors, Brian Conrad is passing the torch to fellow board member Kelvin Saldern! Read more about Kel at: https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/23/wildsight-welcomes-new-board-chair/

Wildsight is exploring transforming wood waste into biochar — a carbon-rich form of charcoal that can improve soil health, increase water retention and store carbon. Read more: https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/24/can-forest-waste-help-build-healthier-soils/

The Qat'muk IPCA in the Purcells continues to advance! At around 70,000ha, it will encompass the Jumbo Valley, connecting Bugaboo Provincial Park with the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. 📸s: Pass by Steve Ogle, grizzlies by Jim Lawrence, tarn by Petra Hekkenberg, Jumbo Wild by Garrett Grove.

📣 The deadline for public submissions is July 22! Use our pre-written letter to send your message today. Use your voice to demand our natural world remains a priority in decision-making by sending a letter at https://secure.wildsight.ca/major-projects?source=Bluesky+-+Reel

Thanks to the Friends of the Kimberley Public Library, Purcell Outdoors and CBAL for helping connect kids with nature through reading and discovery. Wildsight's summer Bugs & Mini Beasts Outdoor Adventure Kit is available now at the Kimberley Public Library!

Toby Spribille has spent decades pushing through thorny Devil’s Club and moist undergrowth in British Columbia’s Inland Temperate Rainforest in pursuit of one thing: lichens. Read more at https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/23/conservation-through-the-lens-of-lichens/

The migration ranges of some deep-snow caribou herds are contracting upslope by up to 23% a decade. Help us protect the habitat they depend on. https://secure.wildsight.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=67&source=Bluesky 📸s by David Moskowitz, Cory DeStein, Bailey Repp, and iNaturalist

We're looking for a Communications and Engagement Lead to help tell the stories behind Wildsight's conservation and education work across the Columbia Basin! Apply by July 24. More details below: https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/29/communications-and-engagement-lead/

As another school year comes to an end 📚 🥳 and we wrap up our 25th year of Environmental Education, we're looking back with gratitude, and forward with hope at this journey. Thank you to everyone who makes these experiences possible for the next generation. 📸s by Drew Leiterman

Get that broom outta here! This week, our West Kootenay YCC crew worked alongside CKISS, removing Scotch Broom from a private property. This project not only helped mitigate the spread of the Scotch Broom, but also contributed to fire mitigation of ladder and ground fuels on the property.

When most people think of rainforests, they think of tropical or coastal jungles. But over 500 kilometres from the sea sits BC’s Inland Temperate Rainforest — one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. https://secure.wildsight.ca/ITR?source=RainforestDay+-+FB+-+Post

YCC spent 2 days in Kimberley Nature Park last week, completing an inventory of invasive plant species alongside East Kootenay Invasive Species Council. An environmental enhancement project is planned for the area, and this inventory was an important precursor!

Mountain Bluebirds are secondary cavity-nesters — they build their nests in cavities created by other birds (woodpeckers). These cavity nests are abundant in burned forests, and so are grasshoppers (which move in shortly after wildfire due to the hot, dry conditions that aid in their reproduction).

We are deeply disappointed and disheartened by these comments. Ravi Parmar has insinuated that caribou populations are declining, in part, because they are dumb: "Not the smartest animal, that’s for sure.” Caribou are not to blame for the logging of their core habitat.