Randy Moody, co-founder of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada, is a leading provincial expert in whitebark and limber pine ecosystems and the recovery of these endangered species. Based in Kimberley, he has worked on related conservation and restoration projects throughout BC and beyond. Randy is fascinated by these species of pine and their many interconnections, including wildlife, climate change, fire ecology, mountain pine beetle, and forest health.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), Wildsight Golden, and Shuswap Band brought together diverse perspectives from the area to discuss priority actions for stewardship of local fish and wildlife, and to identify partnerships moving forward. At the Golden Conservation Action Forum Check-in Meeting last month, over 40 biologists and representatives from various local stewardship organizations, First Nations, and other agencies came together to review the progress being made on the five priority actions identified during a previous regional forum hosted in 2020.
Nine important conservation projects were recently approved by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to receive funding from the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF) in 2025. A local government service that creates a dedicated fund for conservation, the CVLCF distributes funding each year to eligible projects taking place in the area between Spillimacheen and Canal Flats that are approved by the service areas’ RDEK Directors.
With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays. In 2024, Kootenay Connect Priority Places funding continued to support diverse species at risk projects in key ecologically important areas including the Creston Valley, Slocan Valley, and Duncan Lardeau.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), a partnership of over 85 organizations, leveraged significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the Columbia Valley that, in turn, supports community well-being. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, KCP has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays, including the Columbia Valley.
Before she began working with bats ten years ago, Heather Gates hadn’t paid much attention to them. Today, she is fascinated by these remarkable animals. As the primary predators of night-flying insects, bats are a vital component of local ecosystems as well as being very important for agriculture. Heather conducts bat research and stewardship across the Columbia Basin as part of her work for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCSC), based in the Kaslo office.
Golden Check-in Meeting - January 2025
The Columbia Valley has a new conservation area. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has added the Geddes Creek Conservation Area (just outside of Radium Hot Springs) to its network of protected areas in the Columbia Valley. Geddes Creek covers 193 hectares (477 acres) right next to Kootenay National Park. It begins just two km from Radium and stretches north almost to Edgewater.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), a partnership of over 85 organizations, leveraged significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the East Kootenay that, in turn, supports community well-being. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, KCP has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays, including the Cranbrook and Kimberley area.
