Tracy Flynn was recently elected President of Wildsight Invermere, after holding the role of Vice President for one year, as well as being a Regional Board Director for four years. She is the 2024 winner of the Ellen Zimmerman Award, reflecting her dedication and ongoing efforts in conservation in the East Kootenay.

On a bright October day, three dozen people crest a knoll in the Wycliffe Conservation Complex, a corridor of conservation lands just north of Cranbrook, BC. To the barn swallows overhead, the people—a meandering line of puffy jackets in earthy hues—look as much a part of the landscape as the creeks and groves that surround them. But high-quality binoculars, waterproof notebooks and spontaneous swooning over a rare grassland plant are not all this group has in common. They are connected by something much bigger: a deep-rooted partnership with over 20 years of experience bringing people together to collaborate on shared conservation priorities—Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP).