As spring breathes new life into the Columbia Valley, our lakes and rivers come alive with the sound of returning birds. The Columbia Valley Flyway is a vital migration corridor and nesting area for countless species, from loons and grebes to herons and other waterfowl. For these birds, the wetlands and shorelines of our region are not just beautiful — they’re essential.

With the warming weather, many of us are eager to get back on the water. Whether you’re paddling, boating, or floating, it’s important to remember that we’re sharing this space with wildlife. Birds build their nests in vulnerable spots along shorelines, in marshes, and even on floating vegetation. These nests can be easily disturbed — or destroyed — by waves. While natural wind-driven waves are part of the ecosystem, human-made wakes from boats can be much more powerful and unpredictable. Boat-created wakes near shorelines can swamp nests, separate chicks from parents, or force birds to abandon nesting sites altogether.

We can all help protect nesting birds by watching our wake and avoiding sensitive wetland areas during the nesting season. This spring, let’s enjoy the beauty of the valley while giving birds the space they need to rest, nest, and raise the next generation. After all, a healthy flyway is something worth caring about.

You know it and love it: our annual fundraiser the Wild & Scenic Film Festival (WSFF). Will you help us make it happen this year? We are seeking dedicated volunteers to join the WSFF Committee and take on responsibility for an aspect of the festival, whether that’s the food and drinks, getting the word out through social media, posters and ads, reaching out to our sponsors, managing volunteers on the day, organizing the venue logistics, or any number of other tasks that come together to make this event so special. It takes a real team to bring it to life and we look forward to having you join ours. When we all work together, every little piece of the puzzle becomes more fun!

The first committee meeting will be this month, and the level of commitment will be at least 1-2 hrs a month initially, and more in the 4-6 weeks leading up to November 15th, depending on the role you choose to take. Please let us know you’re keen by emailing invermere@wildsight.ca by May 13th.

This summer, the Invermere Farmers and Artists Market will have a new service hosted by Wildsight Invermere: a Bike Valet! It's like a coat check for bicycles, so that shoppers can wander the market or around town unencumbered and know their bike is in good hands (and maybe we'll do a little tire pumping and wheel washing too ;-). A bike valet is a great way to encourage cycle commuting and active transport for short trips, and provide convenience and peace of mind to those who ride their bikes into Invermere's downtown area. 

To be able to host this regularly, we are looking for volunteers who can give a few Saturday mornings in June-Sept to be a bike valet host, or help with setup/take down. Are you that person who can tell the difference between a road bike and a gravel bike in the blink of an eye? If so, this might be your calling! Or maybe you just love the buzz of a farmer's market and talking with people about ways they can reduce their carbon footprint. Please indicate your interest and availability on the sign-up form and we'll reach out with more info.

The Radium Bighorn Sheep herd follows a natural rhythm, traveling east to west in the morning to reach the golf course or the river, where they thrive during the day. As evening falls, they journey back east to the steeper slopes, where they find rest for the night. However, the presence of a major highway now disrupts their migration.

Since 2022, Shuswap Wildlife Monitors have been out on highways to alert drivers when bighorn sheep are on the road, ultimately reducing the number of hits. Pam Martin, a committed monitor who has spent the last four years nurturing her bond with this community-loved herd, is one of the wildlife monitors responsible for this mortality reduction. She says, “People’s behaviour has really changed. Many locals now slow down and put on their flashers when they see sheep on or near the road – that is incredibly helpful."

A BIG thank you to the more than 70 volunteers who came out on Saturday April 26th to enjoy the sunshine and CLEANUP! There were litter-pickers from Radium to Wilmer to all over Invermere. You really made a difference in those places you gave some TLC.

Some fun facts: we deposited 167 aluminium cans, 18 glass bottles, and 31 plastic bottles, as well as 2 bins of plastic containers and paper. There were 5 tires found, and 18 FULL garbage bags taken to the dump, along with miscellaneous rusted metal and large plastic items. The item people most frequently commented on was finding lots of cigarette butts.

It's days like that which remind us of the power of working together, to collectively create new habits and protect our precious planet. Remember every day is Earth Day.

We had some amazing prizes to give away, and delicious refreshments too! Big cheers to all the businesses who donated to give a little thank you to volunteers young and old: Radius Retreat, Kicking Horse Coffee, Edible Acres Cafe, Kootenay Coffee Works, Roi's Resale, Treasures in the Wind, Om Organics, Re-FRESH Family Consignment, Black Star Studios, Bavin Glassworks, Fire Vixen Tattoos, Village Arts, Hopkins Harvest, Circle Market, Kootenay Savings and Kelsey Adele Photography.

And of course thank you to the co-hosts and stall holders: Lake Windermere Ambassadors, District of Invermere, RDEK, Kootenay Savings' Jessica with her food fresh tips and Jayne with her amazing display of upcycled clothing!

THANK YOU EVERYONE