The Kootenay Connect initiative and KCP’s Kootenay Connect Priority Places (KCPP) were the topic of a Canadian Geographic feature article!
KCPP is based on a 2019 analysis by biologist Dr. Michael Proctor and ecologist Marcy Mahr, who identified a regional network of 12 priority connectivity areas linking valley‑bottom riparian/wetland complexes with surrounding uplands and mountain ranges. That science‑based framework has continued to guide where KCP’s partner organizations focus restoration and stewardship efforts. The article highlights a vivid, real‑world example of ecological connectivity, the GPS‑collared grizzly, “Drone Bear”, as it navigates the Columbia Valley using Kootenay Connect’s predicted corridors to move between the Purcell Mountains and Kootenay National Park in the Rockies. Creston’s Frog Bear Conservation Corridor, the Slocan Valley biodiversity project, and the ecological significance of the Columbia Lake Corridor are also featured in the article.
For more information about Kootenay Connect Priority Places, please visit: https://kootenayconservation.ca/kootenay-connect-priority-places/
Lead image: The Kootenay region is known for its dramatic mountain peaks, but it’s the valleys and the riparian ecosystems they shelter where connectivity is most threatened by human development. Cole Bartman/Can Geo Photo Club photo.
