The Kootenay Conservation Program Fall Gathering serves as one of the primary opportunities to connect and reconnect KCP partners from across the region. In collaboration with Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it First Nation, this year’s event will be focused on the theme of “Rivers to Ridges: Fostering Connections for Conservation”. Qukin ʔamakʔis, meaning “Raven’s Land” and also known as the Elk Valley, is an area rich in ecological treasures, including gravel bed floodplains and other riparian areas, old-growth forests, high- and low-elevation grasslands, huckleberry patches, and a high diversity of plant and animal life. This year’s Fall Gathering will take place in this biodiverse valley, and provide us with an opportunity to explore the importance of connectivity – from rivers to ridges – and the deep cultural and ecological values of the landscape. Together, we’ll highlight the power of partnerships and collaboration in the ongoing conservation of Qukin ʔamakʔis.
The Fall Gathering will be held at the Senior’s Centre in Fernie, starting at 11 am for KCP’s AGM, then a catered lunch at 12:30 pm, and continuing with an afternoon of engaging presentations and the Conservation Café. This will be followed by a delicious banquet dinner and the Conservation Leadership Awards ceremony.
Saturday’s field tour will depart at 8:45 am to the Elk Valley, with lunch provided, and we will return to Fernie for 3:30 pm. The field tour will include visits to two locally significant conservation properties – The Nature Trust of BC’s Big Ranch Conservation Complex and Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Morrissey Meadows – where we will learn about collaborative land stewardship, riparian restoration, and more. Register soon, as space is limited!
