"I love the deep silence of the midwinter woods. It is a stillness you can rest your whole weight against. The stillness is so profound you are sure it will hold and last." -Florence Page Jaques
THE WONDERS OF WINTER
Photo: Genna Rosel
This winter, almost 4,000 Kindergarten to Grade 3 students throughout the Columbia Basin will go into their wild schoolyards to experience the magic of winter ecology.
Now in its eighth year, our Winter Wonder program connects students with the joys, secrets and marvels of our Kootenay winters. During a half-day field trip, they explore winter wildlife, snow science and weather—all concepts contained in the BC education curriculum.
Monica Nissen, our Education in the Wild Program Manager, says, “Across Canada, kids are spending less and less time outside, creating what some refer to as a ‘nature deficit.’ Winter Wonder gets them out there, connecting them with their own wild backyards.”
Winter Wonder educators come dressed up as imaginative characters like Frosty Flake or Captain Powder and lead the class through a range of hands-on activities, both inside and outside the classroom.
Nissen explains, “Research shows that outdoor play during the winter actually builds the immune system, stimulates the imagination and promotes problem solving. Kids who bundle up properly and play outside in the winter are generally happier and healthier.”
With nearly 160 field trips booked so far, this year is shaping up to reach the most students yet.
Find out more about all of our education programs by visiting our website.
VOICE YOUR PRIORITIES, SHAPE THE FUTURE
Photo by Bruce Kirkby
The Columbia Basin Trust's revenue is expected to double to $55 million over the next three to five years. With this exceptional amount of funding on the line, this is a unique opportunity to drive the future and voice your priorities. It’s time to think big—what should the Columbia Basin’s future look like? How about the return of salmon to the Columbia River? Or all communities in the basin to be carbon neutral?
We, at Wildsight, see a future in which humans and nature can thrive together. A future in which holistic planning can encourage green and sustainable business, where our children receive environmental education to prepare them to be the future stewards of the land and where communities, together with government and industry make sure their rivers and lakes are clean and clear.
Some of the themes that stood out as priorities for us when we answered the online engagement questions were climate change, ecosystem restoration & conservation and water management.
Access the Our Trust, Our Future website here. You will have to sign up and create a login before you will be able to provide your input. The online engagement process closes on February 20th.
WILD NATURE TOURS
This Valentine's Day, why not take your sweetheart on a guided snowshoe with Wild Nature Tours, run by the Wildsight Elk Valley branch? Discover Fernie facts while enjoying amazing snowy wilderness with a local naturalist guide and warm up with hot drinks and homemade snacks. Tours are available for two and three hour adventures or a full-day experience in the Cedar Valley Old Growth Reserve at Island Lake Lodge. For more information or to book your tour online, visit the website. All proceeds go to our conservation and sustainability work in the Elk Valley. Check out this article in Toque and Canoe about their recent snowshoe trip with Wild Nature Tours!
Written by Kat Hartwig, Water and Climate Director
This past November, I represented Living Lakes Canada and Wildsight at the 14th annual Living Lakes Conference in Nanchang, China. I was invited, along with Alex and Catherine Salki of Living Lakes Canada member organization, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, to present our work on water stewardship in lake communities with a special focus on the Columbia River Basin and the Lake Winnipeg Basin.
Attended by 350 delegates from 33 countries spanning 5 continents, the conference theme was “Lakes in densely populated regions: Balance between people and nature.” There was significant information exchanged on the protection of lakes and wetlands internationally and sharing new approaches for successful management with a common understanding for the need and urgency to foster the protection of lakes and wetlands worldwide.
It was quite shocking to see Nanchang City, population seven million, through my bus window and witness the kilometers upon kilometers of empty highrises awaiting relocated arrivals from rural areas. Building cranes stretched the horizon as far as the eye could see. In 2004 it was estimated that over 400,000,000 people will be relocated before 2030, while “China will build half of all the buildings that will be constructed in the entire world, but they will be two and a half times less energy efficient.” Read more…
LOOK OUTSIDE
Since last summer, people from around the Columbia Basin have been sharing their wild moments and quiet meditations in the Purcell Mountains through our Look Outside photo contest. There have been some absolutely stunning submissions. Barry Hawes took home December’s prize with his image (above) of ice meeting sunlight on Paradise Ridge.
To see a selection of summer, fall and winter images, check out the gallery page on the contest website.
Keep submitting your high-res photos to our website and tagging them #wildlookoutside on social media. There are still many sweet prizes to be won every month and a $1000 Grand Prize will be awarded at the close of the contest.
JOB POSTING
Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey Assistant
Do you have a passion for birds, along with good communication skills? Wildsight-Golden is seeking one qualified assistant to work on the Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey CWWS), and to deliver public interpretive presentations or programs on waterbird species, Lewis’s Woodpeckers and wetlands.Find out more here...
MEMBERSHIPS
For just $20, you can become a lifetime member of Wildsight. Together, we will work to protect wild places, wildlife and clean water and promote sustainable communities.
We're stronger together - join Wildsight today!
