Wildsight

Is there maybe, perhaps, a whiff of change in the air for B.C.'s last deep-snow caribou?

In 2005, B.C. had 18 deep-snow caribou herds, uniquely adapted to survive and thrive in the deep snowpacks and harsh winters of the Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Eight of those herds are now locally extinct.

This week, the Syilx Okanagan Nation formally called on Ottawa to protect the last three herds in its territory with an emergency order under Canada'a Species At Risk Act.

Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson told the Tyee that caribou are essential to Syilx culture, laws and food systems and Syilx law requires protection of “the land and the water and the animals.”

“That’s what our ancestors did for us, protected land for us today, and it’s our responsibility to do the same for future generations," he said.

At the same time, our own lawsuit against Environment Canada is moving forward, pushing the government to finalize and publish maps of southern mountain caribou critical habitat.

Today, on World Caribou Day, we're grateful to all the folks fighting right now to ensure these unique animals can survive. If you want to join them, take 2 minutes to send a letter to the government asking for the old and ancient forests they rely on to be protected. wildsight.ca/caribou

📸 by Cory DeStein

Today is World Environment Day, and we welcome it while staring down the barrel of what could end up being the worst gutting of environmental law in Canadian history.

In a discussion paper released last month, Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined a proposal to fundamentally change how Canada scrutinizes the environmental impact of major industrial developments like mines, pipelines and ports.

If the proposal goes through, it would give Cabinet the power to override impacts to endangered species, rush environmental reviews, and approve projects even before risks are fully understood.

The government’s public consultation period has just been extended to Wednesday, July 22. Please take two minutes to send a pre-written letter voicing your concerns.

https://secure.wildsight.ca/major-projects

It was great to be in Radium to celebrate the official opening of the Radium Wildlife Overpass this week! For decades, the Mile Hill south of Radium has been a high-risk stretch of road for motorists and wildlife alike, with more than 200 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep killed here due to collisions in the last 20+ years.

Major infrastructure projects like this take long-term planning and significant investment and can only be achieved when our communities come together. We celebrate this achievement and recognize the leadership of the Ktunaxa Nation, Akisqnuk First Nation and Shuswap Band in getting here.

Wildsight has long advocated for this wildlife crossing – thank you to everyone who took action over the years in support of the Radium Wildlife Overpass!

After the paddle: Dix urges field school alumni to speak up for the basin Alumni from Wildsight's Columbia River Field School (CRFS) are uniquely positioned in discussions around the Columbia River and should use their voice to speak up on matters related to this region. That was the message from B.C.'s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, Adrian Dix, during a rec

It is well worth looking up this great story by The Tyee's Ben Parfitt today for an in-depth look into B.C.'s flawed forest tenure system.

On paper, logging licences give companies like Canfor an “allowable annual cut” that entitles them to log vast swaths of publicly-owned forests each year.

The higher those allowable cuts are, the more valuable those licences are to the companies that hold them, writes Ben.

But what if Canfor and others aren’t logging at rates close to what their licences say they can? If they sell such licences, what should those licences be valued at? And what role should the B.C. government play as the party that issues those licences and must approve any future sales?

The Syilx Okanagan Nation has formally petitioned the federal Government of Canada under Section 80 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to issue an Emergency Order to protect critical caribou habitat.

"The continued logging of critical caribou habitat is inconsistent with Syilx Forestry Principles and Standards, yet the province continues to authorize logging in these core areas,” says Councilor Jordan Coble, Chair of the Syilx Nation Natural Resource Committee. “The key issue is the lack of meaningful habitat protection — only 35% of core habitat for the Columbia North herd is currently protected.”

We're grateful to the leadership of the Syilx Nation for taking this important step towards a future with more protection for endangered herds like Columbia North.

Media Release - The Syilx Okanagan Nation has formally petitioned Canada under Section 80 of the Species at Risk Act for an Emergency Order to protect critical Southern Mountain Caribou habitat.

Click here to read the full media release: https://syilx.org/the-syilx-okanagan-nation-files-under-section-80-of-the-species-at-risk-act-to-protect-styilca%cc%93%c9%82-southern-mountain-caribou/

Old-growth forests take centuries to mature. Healthy watersheds evolve through complex relationships — from megafauna to microorganisms — over decades. Like the landscapes we work to protect, the future we envision takes time to build, and sustained commitment from donors like you to achieve.

By including Wildsight in your planned giving, you will be helping to build that future.

To learn more about how you can leave a legacy for the wild, visit our webpage https://wildsight.ca/legacy-giving/

Our Youth Climate Corps crew spent a day planting 250 native fireweed plugs and a handful of ponderosa pines in the Kimberley Nature Park recently to support regrowth on a 'landing site'.

Landing sites are where logs are brought for sorting and processing during forestry operations, and they're often difficult to replant because the ground gets so compacted that it makes for challenging growing conditions.

We're grateful to the Kimberley Nature Park Society for leading this work and allowing our YCC crews to support the effort each season!

At first glance, you might assume a burned forest is devoid of life. But a few minutes spent in one can be all it takes to realize you are witnessing the renewal of an ecosystem.

Burned forests can support many species, including Great Grey Owls, which live in these landscapes for up to two decades post-fire. Great Grey Owls are drawn to burned forests in part to hunt the rodent populations that often boom after new plant life emerges.

At a time when BC is pushing to increase how much timber it harvests — including by incentivizing salvage logging in burned forests — it's important we remember the ecological value these ecosystems hold.


Photos by

The Youth Climate Corps Kootenay crews jumped right into the 2026 season with some hands-on learning!

Under the guidance of Loki Tree and Forest Service, the young adults were taught how to safely use chainsaws and manage fire risks as they prep for wildfire mitigation work this spring.

Following the training, both West and East Kootenay crews are now in the Creston Community Forest taking on a second round of mitigation work started by last season's YCC crews.

Visit wildsight.ca/programs/youthclimatecorps to learn more about YCC!
Youth Climate Corps Creston Community Forest