2025

Kootenay Conservation Program is proud to announce the recipients of its annual Conservation Leadership Awards which recognize one person from a partner organization in both the East and West Kootenay who has demonstrated leadership, innovation, and dedication to conservation.

In the East Kootenay, the 2025 honour goes to John Bergenske, founding member and the current Strategic Advisor of Wildsight, and for the West Kootenay, the 2025 recipient is Gregoire Lamoureux, recognized for his leadership with Slocan River Streamkeepers.

Congratulations to JOHN BERGENSKE, recipient of the East Kootenay Conservation Leadership Award.

John is a charismatic leader, whose passion and commitment to protecting all living things has resulted in extraordinary contributions to protecting the lands, waters and wildlife of the region, while inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders. John has been an active member and leader of the conservation community in the Kootenays for over 50 years. He came to Canada in the early 1970s and was a founding member of Wildsight (originally named the East Kootenay Environmental Society), serving as Campaign & Executive Director for more than 10 years. He is now Wildsight’s Strategic Advisor. 

John is solutions-oriented and values-based, building effective partnerships to advance conservation efforts. He is equally skilled at government relations and policy change as he is on the ground; a unique combination in the conservation community, and one that means the policy changes he is advocating for – including wildlife, forestry, and protected areas – are deeply grounded and informed by the reality here in the Kootenays. He excels at finding alignment on shared values amongst what are often referred to as non-traditional allies, and has an incredible skill in bringing the right people to the table that collectively can make things happen. His approach to building relationships is grounded in authenticity, integrity, and shared values – it’s through these relationships that he is able to accomplish so much.

John’s accomplishments in conservation are many. He was instrumental in establishing St. Mary’s Alpine Park and the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy in the early 1970s. He was key to the designation of the protected areas and parks that came out of BC’s Commission on the Environment and Resources in the 1990s, and worked to establish the Columbia Wetlands and East Columbia Lake Wildlife Management Areas.

In addition to Wildsight, he has been instrumental in founding other East Kootenay organizations focused on conservation. These include the Rocky Mountain Trench Natural Resources Society, and the BC Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Coalition, bringing together a unique group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses to advocate for biodiversity, ecosystem health and the long-term health of fish, wildlife and habitat in BC.

He has conducted extensive field research on both mountain caribou and grizzly bears in the region, as a contribution to the Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan, which included the protection of 2.2 million hectares from logging and motorized access.

John applies practical solutions to conservation issues, such as being deeply involved in the certification of Tembec’s (now Canfor) forest operations in the East Kootenay under Forest Stewardship Council certification. He was pivotal in achieving higher environmental standards at the Skookumchuck Pulp Mill, reducing effluent and improving emissions. He has been an active member of ‘Organizing for Change’ for over ten years, a coalition of 12 of BC’s Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) working to collectively advance environmental policy priorities.

During this time, he has also worked to build meaningful relationships with many Indigenous community members and strives to advance Indigenous-led conservation. 

John’s work continues, with a large focus on protecting the southern Rocky Mountain Wildlife Corridor: from the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park to the Banff Protected Areas Complex, including the Flathead, Wigwam and Elk Valleys. He works closely with a diverse group of partners, including local guide outfitters and the BC Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, to steward this vital connectivity corridor. 

He is a member of the Minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council and was pivotal in establishing the East Kootenay Wildlife Habitat Advisory Council, part of the Together for Wildlife Strategy. He continues to advocate for policy changes to better protect wildlife and biodiversity, including changes to the Wildlife Act and implementation of the Old Growth Strategic Review.

John has helped to actively mentor numerous colleagues over the decades, supporting the next generation to step into leadership roles within Wildsight. He believes in people’s ability to channel their unique skills and will provide effective encouragement and constructive criticism to steer them in the right direction.

John’s advice for young people interested in conservation and stewardship work is to “be grounded in nature and accept impermanence. Follow your passion – know your issue and its context. Share your understanding with others; develop relationships based on trust. Find or create communities with a common cause. Focus your efforts where they are most likely to influence outcomes. Be respectful. Persist. Find your joy in contributing to the joy of all living beings.”

John’s lifelong commitment, passion, and contributions have created an incredible conservation legacy in the Kootenays and beyond. He received a beautiful framed custom photograph by Pat Morrow, of Buster Lake with the Bugaboos in the distance. See John’s Faces & Places article from January 2019, for more information. 

Congratulations to GREGOIRE LAMOUREUX, recognized for his leadership with Slocan River Streamkeepers, for receiving the West Kootenay Conservation Leadership Award. 

Since moving to the Slocan Valley over thirty years ago, Gregoire has been a leader in environmental stewardship. He transformed his backyard into a multi-layered food forest producing a diversity of fruits, nuts and medicinal plants – while creating habitat for many species of birds and other wildlife. He also started a small nursery where he grows native trees and shrubs for local restoration projects.

In 1991, Gregoire began teaching permaculture in the Kootenays and eventually taught courses across Canada. He founded Kootenay Permaculture and partnered with Selkirk College to teach the Permaculture Design course for almost 20 years. He also served on the Board of Directors of Seeds of Diversity Canada for 5 years. In 1998, he was a co-founder of Kootenay Organic Growers Society.

In the mid-1990s, Gregoire was involved with a small agroforestry group that put forward progressive ideas to the Land Use Planning Process by the Commission on Resources and the Environment (CORE), which established regional land use tables for sustainable development. 

A few years later, Gregoire worked with a local contractor on slope stabilization and erosion control projects across the Columbia Basin. During this same period, a small group of Slocan Valley residents met regularly to discuss ideas on how to collect stories and share information about the Slocan River ecosystem with residents.

In partnership with other valley residents, Gregoire became one of the founding members of the Slocan River Streamkeepers (SRS), and was soon managing the Riparian Restoration Program, which continues today. He has implemented 50 restoration projects, which also include 3 fish habitat projects along the Slocan River. Following the Wetlands Institute with the BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF), he implemented 3 wetland restoration projects in the Slocan Valley. He is also involved with water monitoring of local creeks and both the Slocan and Little Slocan Rivers. His other passion is to install bat habitat structures and bird nesting boxes along the river, where there are now over 180 bird nesting boxes.

Gregoire has partnered with other stewardship groups to implement restoration projects, including the Slocan Lake Stewardship Society, The Nature Trust of BC, BCWF, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, and Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society. He continues to build relationships with local First Nations to learn more about our connection to the land. You will often see him at public outreach events in the Kootenays, sharing stories of the work of SRS. 

If you paddle or float down the Slocan River, you will see growing trees supporting healthy riparian areas that were established and continue to be tended by Gregoire and his co-workers. The thriving trees speak for themselves; the wetlands are full of aquatic life, the birds and bats provide essential ecosystem services, and the fish have habitat throughout their life cycle. 

Gregoire has taken on the mentorship of many enthusiastic youth who want experience with hands-on conservation work. He has worked tirelessly to foster partnerships in conservation whenever opportunities arise. Thanks to Gregoire, many Slocan Valley residents have come to know about and deeply appreciate the work of Slocan River Streamkeepers.  

Gregoire’s advice for young people interested in conservation and stewardship work is to “spend ample time in nature, listening to the land, nature, and people. Nurture your curiosity, read books, and learn everything you can about one aspect of nature that interests you. Learn to read the landscape and understand the connections between every living thing in the ecosystem. Volunteer with stewardship groups and on restoration projects. Build relationships with a diversity of people and with other living things; find mentors to work with and learn from. Get out there and have fun!”

In recognition of his many contributions, Gregoire received a a beautiful framed photograph by Lucas Jmieff called ‘Slocan River Serenity’. See Gregoire’s Faces & Places article from February 2015, for more information.