Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP)

05/21/2026

Water shapes every part of life in the Okanagan. Our lakes, rivers, wildlife, agriculture, communities, and our future.

This week, the Syilx Okanagan Nation formally declared a Watershed Emergency across the region in response to worsening drought conditions, declining snowpack, ecosystem stress, and growing threats to water security.

The impacts are already being seen across local watersheds: warmer water temperatures, drying creeks and wetlands, increased wildfire risk, and stress on fish and wildlife populations. Protecting water is an environmental issue, and also a collective community responsibility we must all take accountability for.

As we head into another hot, dry season, it's a reminder that every action matters:
-Reduce unnecessary water use
-Choose drought-tolerant landscaping
-Respect lakes, rivers, and wetlands
-Help reduce wildfire risk
-Support watershed restoration and stewardship
-Healthy watersheds support all living things, now and for future generations.

We stand with the Syilx Okanagan Nation in recognizing the urgency of protecting siwtk" (water) and the ecosystems that depend on it.

Read the full press release from Okanagan Nation Alliance here: https://syilx.org/the-syilx-okanagan-nation-declares-a-watershed-emergency/

04/22/2026

Earth Day is here and it's a great time to reflect on what Earth Day means to all of us. Every year on April 22nd, awareness is raised about environmental issues and inspiring actions to protect our planet.

Since its start in 1970, Earth Day has grown into a global movement encouraging individuals and communities to make sustainable choices that ensure a healthier planet for future generations. Earth Day focuses on fostering a deeper connection with the natural world.

At OCCP, we believe everyday is Earth Day. Every single day that we are alive, we make an impact on the planet and we get to choose what impact we make. Caring for the planet is not something we do once a year, it's something we weave into everyday life. In the choices we make, the things we notice, and the future we help create.

And most importantly, everyday is Earth Day on Indigenous land. This year, the Okanagan Nation Alliance is uplifting the Syilx Nation Community Guardians for Earth Day.

"Indigenous Guardians are the land and water protectors our future depends on. They are the continuation of responsibilities that have existed some time immemorial. Rooted in Syilx law, knowledge, and relationships to the land, guardians care for watersheds, monitor ecosystem health, protect cultural sites and ensure decisions that honour future generations." - ONA

Today is a reminder of who has always led this work and who continues to show what it means to care for land and water over the long term.

Photo Credit: Lindsay Lalach

03/10/2026

With the Syilx Water Forum now less than two weeks away, we’re excited to continue sharing the momentum around this important gathering. Please take a moment to read through the agenda, and secure your spot if you haven't already.

OCCP is honoured to be a sponsor and to support the conversations that will unfold.

From ceremony at kłúsx̌nítkʷ – Okanagan Lake, to keynote reflections from Syilx scholar Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, Haida Nation Principal and Counsel Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, and international water governance expert Dr. Nuria Hernández-Mora from Spain, participants will journey from place-based Syilx and First Nation teachings to international insight — exploring how we move from awareness to action in protecting siwɬkʷ for generations to come.

Registration Link:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/g-EkD_35

We hope you’ll join us!

02/25/2026

Last week, the 7th Collaborative Leadership Table brought leaders from across the Okanagan-Similkameen together to continue advancing shared work on water, ecosystems, and long-term regional collaboration.

OCCP is grateful to coordinate and support this table alongside the Okanagan Nation Alliance, creating space for dialogue, alignment, and action across Nations, local governments, and organizations.

These gatherings go beyond meetings and are about strengthening relationships, honouring Syilx leadership, and building the collective path forward for healthy watersheds and connected landscapes.

Thank you to Coldstream Community Hall for hosting us in their beautiful new facility (with amazing acoustics!)

02/24/2026

🌿 What does it actually look like to keep nature connected across the Thompson-Okanagan?

We’re excited to share that Keeping Nature Connected is now live, a new regional hub bringing together the people, projects, and pathways shaping ecological connectivity across our landscapes.

Coordinated by the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative (TNCC), and developed collaboratively with OCCP and partners across the region, this site makes connectivity easier to understand, and easier to act on. From wildlife movement and healthy watersheds to resilient communities, it highlights what’s already underway and where we’re heading together.

Ecological connectivity is about maintaining pathways across land and water so wildlife can move, watersheds can function, and communities can thrive as climate and development pressures grow.

This work reflects collaboration across Secwépemc, Syilx, and Nlaka’pamux territories, and the many organizations, Nations, and practitioners helping move connectivity from idea → action.

🔗 Explore the website: https://keepingnatureconnected.ca

Take a look, share it with your networks, and let us know what stands out to you. The more we connect our work, the stronger our landscapes become.

What is Ecological Connectivity? Ecological connectivity is the flow of life that links land, water, and tmixʷ | tmícw (all living things). When tmixʷ | tmícw can move freely, nature stays healthy. Across the Thompson–Okanagan in Secwépemc, Syilx and Nlaka'pamux territories, these connections...

01/13/2026

💧 siwɬkʷ 2026: Mark your calendar for the Syilx Water and Climate Forum on March 23-24, hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance.

siwɬkʷ 2026 is bigger, bolder, and more impactful than ever. It’s a call to action for water, land, and future generations.

This landmark water and climate forum is focused on strengthening regional water governance, advancing Indigenous food and water sovereignty, and responding to the urgent challenges of desertification and climate change in the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds.

More details coming soon!

📅 March 23-24, 2026 (Mark your calendars!)

Syilx Water and Climate Forum This is not just a conference. It’s a call to action for water, land, and future generations. Honouring our siwɬkʷ The Syilx Water and Climate Forum is a Syilx-led, action-oriented gathering designed to strengthen regional water governance, advance Indigenous food a...

10/23/2025

Last week, OCCP’s partners from across the Okanagan gathered for a day of deep learning, reflection, and dialogue on aligning conservation work with syilx authority and priorities.

Facilitated by Matthew Dance, with a powerful presentation by Deborah Curran (UVic Environmental Law Centre) on how not to recolonize in our conservation efforts. The workshop invited participants to reflect on relational responsibility and taking syilx authority seriously.

Thank you to everyone who joined, shared insights, and committed to continued action. The conversations sparked here are just the beginning of a much longer journey.

09/25/2025

The North Okanagan Conservation Fund 🌱 is accepting proposals for 2025/2026 until the October 31st deadline. If you’re a local registered nonprofit with a focus on the environment, this Fund is for you!

This fund provides up to $80,000 annually to eligible conservation projects that protect our natural areas and ensure a sustainable future.

For more information or to apply, please click the link below:
https://buff.ly/ezC9e5s

Eligible projects include:
➡️Habitat restoration
➡️Wildlife conservation
➡️Water quality protection
➡️Connectivity for natural areas and wildlife corridors

Learn more and apply by October 31st!

Regional District of North Okanagan

09/01/2025

We are thrilled to highlight the BC screening tour of Trouble in the Headwaters, a hard-hitting 25‑minute documentary by Daniel Pierce that examines the disastrous 2018 flood in Grand Forks, BC and the hydrological connection to clearcut logging in the Kettle River Watershed.

The documentary features Dr. Younes Alila, an engineer and professor of forest hydrology at the The University of British Columbia: UBC Faculty of Forestry, who has studied the connection between forestry and flooding for decades, and whose groundbreaking research and peer-reviewed science has exposed how government and industry have dramatically underestimated the risk of flooding caused by clearcutting.

We encourage all OCCP supporters, partners in forestry, conservation, and water policy, as well as anyone invested in BC’s ecological future, to attend a screening, participate in the discussions, and help shift the narrative toward more responsible forest and watershed management.

Note: Entry is by donation. Seats are limited, so booking ahead is recommended!

Kelowna: Thursday, September 4th, 6:15pm - 8:45pm
Event Link: https://lnkd.in/gvAnVJWa

Penticton: Monday, September 8th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Event Link: https://lnkd.in/gfZkVE5V

Vernon: Tuesday, September 9th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Event Link: https://lnkd.in/gzEZhc5V

More screenings across BC: https://rb.gy/m4sq0j

08/14/2025

🐟 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱

After nearly a century, salmon will once again have unimpeded access to Okanagan Lake and its tributaries! 🌊

Join the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) to celebrate the official opening of the Okanagan Dam Fish Passage:
📅 Monday, August 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
📍 East side of Okanagan Lake Dam, Riverside Drive, Penticton, BC

This innovative project, led by the Syilx Nation with many partners, reconnects siwɬkʷ (water) and tmixʷ (all living things), allowing salmon and other fish species to return to their historical spawning grounds in kłusxnitkʷ (Okanagan Lake).

This is a powerful act of environmental and cultural healing - ntytyix (salmon) are not just resources, they are relatives.

Learn more from ONA: https://syilx.org/about-us/operations/news/

Salmon Passage At Okanagan Lake To Open August 18, 2025 🌊

After years of hard work, advocacy, planning, and now successful implementation while overcoming challenges, the new Okanagan Dam Fish Passage is about to open! The water will be released and permanently flowing, providing salmon unimpeded access from Okanagan River into their Okanagan Lake historical spawning habitat.

For close to 100 years, salmon, a keystone species inextricably linked to the health of Okanagan Lake and its ecosystem, have had no or limited access to the lake and its tributaries.

For more info, please visit: https://syilx.org/salmon-passage-at-okanagan-lake-to-open-august-18-2025/