This fall, Wildsight is inviting Columbia Basin residents to camp, explore and learn with us along the Columbia River through two ‘Columbia River Conversations’ Field Tours designed around interactive learning. Participants will learn about the past, present and future of the Columbia River from unique field visits, diverse experts, engaging activities, and through conversation with each other.
‘Upper Columbia’ (Revelstoke area, camped at Blanket Creek Provincial Park): Friday, September 5 – Sunday, September 7
‘Lower Columbia’ (Castlegar area, camped at Syringa Creek Provincial Park): Saturday, September 27 – Monday, September 29
“The Columbia Basin is a vast and complex watershed with an even more complex future. To understand the issues we face, it’s essential to spend time with the actual places that are involved. And it’s equally important to learn from a wide range of perspectives,” says Program Lead Graeme Lee Rowlands. “This September, we invite you to connect with others that care about this special watershed as we learn about dam operations, reservoir levels, ecosystem restoration, salmon reintroduction, the Columbia River Treaty, and more.”
Columbia River Conversations builds on Wildsight’s eight years of experience providing Columbia River educational experiences. In 2018, we launched the Columbia River Field School, a 15-day summer field course for students focused on youth education and engagement around watershed issues. In 2021, we released Teach the Columbia: a curriculum package that makes Field School topics accessible to classroom educators and have since offered educator pro-d field courses. In 2023, we invited government and community leaders to gather with Field School alumni to share knowledge and find connections through this important topic.
Now, this experience will be open to the general public for the first time. Wildsight hopes to recruit diverse groups of participants including local residents, community leaders, artists, writers, natural resource professionals, educators, and others.
Join an unforgettable journey through one of the most important landscapes in North America. Learn more and complete a short application at wildsight.ca/columbia-river-conversations/.
Photos: David Moskowitz
