Wildsight

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we take time to reflect on the history and ongoing impacts of colonialism, and to honour the survivors, families, and communities who continue to carry this history.

We’re grateful for the First Nations we have the opportunity to work alongside, and for all the work they do to protect the places and species that make this region so special — from threatened Mountain Caribou and old-growth forests to rivers, wetlands, and watersheds.

Indigenous Nations are leading important efforts to safeguard ecosystems, uphold connections to land and water, and shape a healthier future for these places. Today and every day, we recognize their leadership and the importance of deepening relationships grounded in respect, collaboration, and action.

Wildsight offers eight educational programs to get students outside and into nature. There, they experience awe and wonder, find space for difficult emotions, and discover that the natural world holds endless beauty, meaning, and inspiration.

In turn, these young people yearn to care for and protect the precious places that they come to love.

But sadly, many youth today experience paralyzing fear about the future of the climate and environment — and feel helpless as they face the reality of losing so much.

Remaining hopeful in these times is everything. And environmental education helps children move from fear towards understanding, from understanding towards action, and from action to hope.

Will you make a gift today to help bring more students outdoors for hands-on learning that builds the knowledge and confidence they need for the future?

Please visit https://wildsight.ca/giveforkids?source=Facebook+-+Post+-+2 to donate.

📸Photos:
1,2,7-Morgan Mitchinson
3,6-Jenny Rae Bateman
4-Julie Anne Davies
5-Drew Leiterman

‼️Your voice is needed to stop BCTS logging rare old and ancient forests in endangered Mountain Caribou habitat near Revelstoke‼️

This logging in a deferred no-cut zone will increase extirpation risk for the sole southernmost Mountain Caribou herd with a viable future — the Columbia North herd.

Caribou abundance is predicted to decline by 42% for every 1% increase in forestry roads in their habitat, and the Foster Arm logging could create 30kms of road access through the Columbia North herd's habitat.

The broader Foster Arm region is one of the last large areas of intact low-elevation old-growth left.

🔗 Please use our pre-written letter to demand halting logging plans in Foster Creek — just as the government's own experts recommended. 🔗 https://wildsight.ca/foster?source=Facebook+-+Post+-+1

‼️THREE DAYS left to submit your feedback about the future of the wider Cranbrook area's forests!‼️

The Ministry is creating a Forest Landscape Plan for the wider Cranbrook area, including Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford — and wants to hear what values locals in the region prioritize their forests for.
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This information will be used to help the planning team understand how people use the forests in the area, and which values, issues or concerns should guide future decisions (priorities like wildlife, ecosystem health, timber harvest, or recreation).
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The survey is simple and takes about 3 minutes to complete. Deadline is Sept 25.
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Please take the time to speak up for our forests — and share with your family and friends.
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Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=AFLbbw09ikqwNtNoXjWa3LcPjKQ4KdpKi6Y8qeUfvuJUMDVaUlZQOFdSUUw0V1FYUTNYNTZCMTJITi4u

Photo: Bailey Repp

This year, Go Wild! took 12 teens into the southern Rockies for a 5-day backpacking wilderness adventure.

To our absolute delight, we discovered not only a vast array of fossils — from corals to ammonites — but incredible relics from ancient Ktunaxa travels in the area.

We found piles of flaked chert from tool-making, old meat caches, tent rings, and evidence of ancient hunting. These artifacts serve as reminders of age-old footsteps from millenia past that traversed along our same travel route.

Go Wild! Offers an unique experience for youth to connect with nature, other like-minded youth from across the Basin, and with themselves — as they discover how powerful the wilderness can be.

Read more about this year’s Go Wild! at https://wildsight.ca/2026/08/25/ancient-trails-new-adventures/

One of the statements we routinely hear is that old-growth Cedars are rotten and hollow inside — and therefore dead — and should be harvested immediately before they fall and are ‘wasted’.

But the hollow core of an ancient cedar is anything but ‘waste’ for a forest and the animals that dwell there. In fact, it’s a life-giving feature that is invaluable — particularly for species like Black and Grizzly Bears, who depend on hollow trees for denning and birthing their young during the winter. The same can be said for other species like Vaux’s Swifts and Northern Long-eared Bats, all whom often rely on hollow Cedar cores for roosting.

Core rot is a natural, healthy part of the aging process for Western Redcedars. They can stand tall for many, many centuries with completely hollow or decaying cores.

Industry has a history of funding and receiving awards for their reclamation efforts, but patting themselves on the back does not translate to better reclamation outcomes. Elk Valley Resources (EVR) has disturbed over 16,700 hectares of land — more than 40 Stanley Parks — yet less than a quarter has been reclaimed to date. While it’s clearly not possible for an active mine to reach 100% revegetation before it closes, it is very reasonable to expect better. EVR’s Coal Mountain mine has been closed for nearly a decade but still sits at less than 40% reclaimed, and active properties have huge areas for improvement.

Coal Mountain was able to avoid timely reclamation by putting the mine into an indefinite ‘care and maintenance’ mode, bypassing closure requirements and slowing reclamation to a snail’s pace. Putting a time limit on care and maintenance status and requiring that reclamation rates and water quality be tied to mine production would not only produce the jobs that industry and government are so fond of touting, but would also better protect downstream communities, aquatic and terrestrial life, and safeguard taxpayer dollars in the process.

Responsible mining shouldn’t be optional. With the passing of bills 14 and 15, the provincial government has shown a clear desire to prioritize industrial development over Indigenous rights and environmental protections. The call for improvements to how we manage and care for damaged lands has never been more important.

Celebrate the end of summer and get inspired by Banff World Tour films this Saturday with Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook.
Stillpoint is a full day of community, creativity and outdoor inspiration — including free gear repair, local films and a panel, a plaza BBQ and b**r garden, and our flagship Banff World Tour screening at the Conference Centre.
All ticket sales—including the Stillpoint 50/50—support Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook’s education, conservation, and regeneration projects.
🎟️ $35 • www.wildsight.ca/stillpoint

Join filmmakers and film lovers from across the Kootenays at Stillpoint Festival (a Fundraiser for Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook) on Saturday, September 19 at the Kimberley Conference Centre from 1-3pm.

🎬 1:00–3:00 PM (BY DONATION)
CK9 Studios’ Wildfire and Embers screening, followed by a Q&A and industry discussion with filmmakers Simon Shave (Wildfire), Trixie Pacis (Embers) and Adam Smallwood (RDEK Emergency Management) exploring how film can be a powerful medium for sharing environmental stories in climate-affected communities.

🍔 3:00–6:00 PM
BBQ & B**r Garden
Stick around to connect with filmmakers, local organizations, and community members, with additional community groups joining the gathering in the ski plaza.

📽️ 6:45 PM
Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival Screening

An evening of exceptional mountain storytelling from around the world.
Learn more and buy tickets here https://wildsight.ca/events/stillpoint/
KSBI participants get a 20% discount using the code KSBIKIM2026.

🏬Make it a weekend!
We’ve secured a discounted block of rooms at the resort, approximately 35% off standard rates.

Studio Suite: $149/night
One-Bedroom Suite: $159/night
Two-Bedroom Suite: $234/night

Rates are subject to applicable 15% hotel taxes.

Rooms are limited so book early! KSBI members can book directly with Trickle Creek Lodge at 1-877-282-1200 and let them know they are booking as part of Stillpoint to receive the discount.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, film fan, outdoor enthusiast, or simply looking to connect with the creative community, we’d love to see you in Kimberley.

Today’s children will shape the future of our planet — our wild spaces, our ecosystems and wildlife.

For years, Wildsight has instilled curiosity, hope, and empowerment in students through a vast array of educational programs that get kids outside and into the wonder of nature. But we depend on people like you to keep these programs running.

Donate today at https://wildsight.ca/giveforkids?source=Facebook+-+Post+-+1 to help build the stewards of tomorrow.

📸Photos:
1,3,4,5-Drew Leiterman
2-Michael Royle

The downturn or “falldown” of BC’s forest industry has been predicted — and ignored — for decades.

Eddie Petryshen, Wildsight’s conservation specialist, said B.C. has an “alarming history” of miscalculating the level of logging its forests can sustain, resulting in overcutting that has caught up with the sector.

“We’ve been talking about getting more jobs per tree for a very long time but we haven’t effectively moved the needle on that,” he said in an interview.

A massive increase in the province’s viable harvest will not fix BC’s forestry issues — nor will it stop mills from closing and costing people their livelihoods.

The solution is a forestry model that prioritizes long-term stability and more value and jobs for every tree that gets logged.

Most text from Toronto Star article “B.C. forestry sector says industry at ‘breaking point’ in letter to Premier David Eby”.

Photo by