Ready to go wild? Our online Raffle for the Wild tickets are now available. Win big & give back to nature. Score great prizes while helping protect the places we all love — from Lake Windermere’s shores to the peaks of the Purcells and Rockies.

Every ticket supports Wildsight Invermere’s conservation and climate action programs that ensure the integrity and ecological value of our lakes, wetlands, and wildlife keep thriving for future generations.

• Purchase 1 ticket for $10 or 3 tickets for $25 and go into the draw to win incredible prizes generously donated to help protect our wild places in the Columbia Valley.
• Raffle open until September 30, 2026. All proceeds go toward Wildsight Invermere conservation initiatives and programs that ensure the integrity and ecological value of our wild places are conserved for future generations. 

Back by popular demand, the fall Pre-loved Clothing Market will be held on Thursday September 17. As a member of Wildsight Invermere’s mailing list, you get exclusive access to register as a stall holder before the event goes public. With limited early-bird spaces, if you have clothes to sell, register below to sell your pre-loved clothing and keep the profits. Join up with friends and have a stall together. Reducing textile waste going to landfill and keeping pre-loved clothing in circulation in the Columbia Valley.

The Pre-loved Clothing Market is a place to keep textiles out of landfill and keep good quality items in circulation in the Columbia Valley. Shop unique, affordable pre-loved fashion — good for your wardrobe, better for the planet. Register to become a stall holder to sell your pre-loved clothing and keep the profits.

Think of it as in-person marketplace. A space to connect to community, enjoy a variety of clothing, drinks, light supper and good vibes.

The DTSS Climate Club is launching a new Transit Pilot Program, and we need your input!

We've created a short survey to better understand the current transportation experiences and identify gaps in accessible transit across the Columbia Valley for both students and the wider community. Your feedback will help explore opportunities for improved public transportation, including a later bus service between Canal Flats, Invermere, and Edgewater.

Better transit could make it easier for students to get to after-school jobs, sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities—while also supporting the wider community with more convenient and accessible public transportation.

Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey. Your input will help shape future transit options that work for everyone in the Columbia Valley.

Thank you for helping us build a more connected community!

Lake recreation has evolved from quiet sailboats and small fishing boats to larger, more powerful vessels that can create significant wakes and new pressures on shallow or ecologically sensitive waters. While innovation brings exciting ways to enjoy lakes, regulations and management practices have not always kept pace, raising important questions about safety, environmental impacts, and fair access for all users.

A lake suitability approach — matching activities to water depth, shoreline conditions, habitat, and other site-specific characteristics — can help protect clean water, healthy ecosystems, and enjoyable recreation without limiting it unnecessarily.

The guiding principle is simple: the right activity, in the right place, on the right lake. Click the link to read the full article and explore how thoughtful stewardship can help recreation and our lakes thrive together.

Today, only one third of the Columbia North herd’s core habitat is protected, despite the federal recovery plan recommending that all of the herd’s core habitat be protected.

B.C.’s southern mountain caribou depend on mature and old-growth cedar, hemlock, and subalpine fir forests, for several reasons. In winter, when other food is buried, they stand with huge snowshoe-like feet on top of the snow to feed on lichens growing on the branches of old-growth trees, as well as falsebox, an evergreen shrub — hence why they are sometimes called ‘deep-snow caribou’. Herds spend parts of the year in low-elevation old-growth stands and migrate to higher subalpine elevations in warmer months. under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA), Mountain Caribou herds are listed as threatened.

So what’s the threat? Despite the perilous state of our remaining southern mountain caribou herds, logging continues to occur in critical southern mountain caribou habitat. In 2014, the federal government released its southern mountain caribou recovery strategy, which recommended limiting disturbance to critical caribou habitat. In the five years after the strategy was released, more than 90,900 hectares — an area equivalent to over 227 times the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park — of critical caribou habitat was logged in B.C. 

It is ours to treasure, ours to protect. Help us stand up for caribou in Canada’s highest court, and in the ancient forests that are vital to their survival.

What is Wildsight doing?

Wildsight has advocated for increased caribou protections for more than 30 years. Currently, we’re pushing for habitat protections for the last two remaining herds in the region: the Columbia North and Central Selkirk herds. We also work alongside First Nations and other organizations to defend southern mountain caribou from a variety of threats.

Next time you pick up Spark, take a look at our new sign which acknowledges all the great sponsors of the new Kona EV. We couldn’t do it without their support. 

Whether you're planning a weekend getaway, running errands, or heading out on your next Columbia Valley adventure, SPARK Car Share is ready when you are!

New Feature: Tesla charging now available

SPARK just got even more flexible! A Tesla charging adapter is now available in the front seat console, giving you access to Tesla charging stations. Simply use your own Tesla account, attach the adapter to the charging cable, and off you go.

Planning a longer trip? Don't forget—you can book SPARK for up to two weeks at a time, making it the perfect option for vacations, road trips, day adventures or visiting family without the cost of owning a second vehicle. If you'd like to book SPARK for longer just email invermere@wildsight.ca.

Choosing SPARK means fewer cars on the road, lower emissions, and a more sustainable Columbia Valley. It's convenient, affordable, and climate-friendly.

Electric Facts

• An EV is not a new invention! Records show that the very first Electric Vehicle dates back to the 1830s, where Scotland’s Robert Anderson’s motorized carriage was powered by batteries!
  
• Going electric makes even more sense right now given the upheaval in the world, as it helps your pocket book along with reducing emissions! According to the Clean Energy Review switching to an EV can save drivers $23,000 to $32,000 over 10 years—about $250 a month indefinitely, and that’s based on 2025 gas prices (check out our updated calculator to see how much you can save).