Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship

Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship We partner with and support local communities & land stewards to conserve, steward, and restore natural areas so that they thrive.

Local grassroots charitable organization assisting and supporting land stewards and community groups conserve, restore and enhance local species and spaces. Charitable Registration # 84539 8775 RR0001 (donations are eligible for tax receipts).

Happy International Vulture Awareness Day!Did you know that buzzards and vultures are different species? Buzzards and vu...
09/05/2026

Happy International Vulture Awareness Day!

Did you know that buzzards and vultures are different species? Buzzards and vultures are often mistaken for one another but they play very different roles in the ecosystem.

Buzzards are birds of prey that actively hunt small mammals, reptiles, and other animals using their talons and excellent eyesight. Vultures, on the other hand, are primarily scavengers. Rather than hunting live prey, they feed on carrion (dead animals), which helps to recycle nutrients and reduce the spread of disease.

How to tell them apart:
Vultures often have bare heads, whereas buzzards have fully feathered heads. Despite their differences, both birds are important for maintaining healthy ecosystems and can often be seen soaring overhead.

Did you know... The endangered Mormon Metalmark butterfly in B.C. relies exclusively on snow buckwheat as food during it...
09/04/2026

Did you know... The endangered Mormon Metalmark butterfly in B.C. relies exclusively on snow buckwheat as food during it's larval stage. Snow buckwheat is associated with the endangered Antelope Brush ecosystem type, which exists in the Similkameen valley and some parts of the southern Okanagan. If you live in the Similkameen region, consider planting snow buckwheat on your property to help restore our Metalmark butterfly population!

Did you know... Ponderosa Pines smell like vanilla?! These distinctive trees of the Okanagan desert release a special ra...
08/28/2026

Did you know... Ponderosa Pines smell like vanilla?! These distinctive trees of the Okanagan desert release a special ratio of chemicals called terpenes which smell like vanilla or butterscotch. This effect is particularly pronounced on warm, sunny days.

Ponderosa pine can be identified by it's unusually long needles (modified leaves), large pinecones, and thick, flaky orange bark, which has evolved to withstand our fire regimes. However, the smell is actually one of the easiest identifying features!

Next time you notice a tree with flakey bark, long pine needles, and perhaps a fire scar, give it a whiff! If it smells like vanilla you'll know it's a ponderosa!

Join us on September 22 at Coldstream Community Hall for a practical look at the growing world of virtual fencing. Our V...
08/24/2026

Join us on September 22 at Coldstream Community Hall for a practical look at the growing world of virtual fencing. Our Virtual Fencing Day will bring together representatives from two leading virtual fencing companies, experienced virtual fencing experts, and ranchers who are using the technology with their own herds.

Hear directly from the people developing the technology, learn how virtual fencing works in real-world ranching operations, and explore the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned from putting virtual fencing into practice. Whether you’re curious about the technology or considering it for your own operation, this event will offer a chance to learn from both the experts and the ranchers on the ground.

Lunch is provided- RSVP is required to attend. For more information, agenda, and to RSVP, visit Eventbrite @ https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/virtual-fencing-day-tickets-1998601174915

Thank you to our funders and partners- Sitka Foundation, Conservation Northwest, BC Community Gaming Grant, Valley First, and Gallagher Animal Management - for keeping this workshop at no-charge for participants.

Did you know... The native Western Painted Turtle has an invasive lookalike? The Red Eared Slider looks almost identical...
08/21/2026

Did you know... The native Western Painted Turtle has an invasive lookalike? The Red Eared Slider looks almost identical to the Western Painted Turtle! They are similar in size shape, and color!

Here's how you can spot the difference:
-Western painted turtles have a red carapace (bottom piece of their shell), whereas Red Eared sliders have a yellow carapace
-Western painted turtles have a striped yellow and black head and body. Red earted sliders also have yellow and black stripes, but with an addition of a small red stripe at it's ear, hence the name Red eared Slider!

Red eared sliders are often kept as pets, and can get intoduced to the wild by pet owners who can no longer care for their turtle. If you have a red-eared slider, please rehome it rather than release it into a pond, where it can hurt our native turtle populations!

swipe —> for a refreshGlamorous afternoon in the life of a biologist 😝 This afternoon we made our rounds at Swan Lake Na...
08/21/2026

swipe —> for a refresh

Glamorous afternoon in the life of a biologist 😝 This afternoon we made our rounds at Swan Lake Nature Reserve to give our photopoint locations a little TLC. This is a citizen science project where trail walkers are encouraged to help us track recovery of plantings in this park by taking photos from fixed locations. We wouldn’t want to set our phones on a bird roost either, so spent some time cleaning them up.

Overall the planting is doing well- though this years #’s drought and inability to water new plants is certainly proving to be a challenge.

If you notice them needing a little maintenance, give us a shout at [email protected]

Did you know.. Bighorn sheep can run into each other at speeds up to 20 miles per hour! Forces of impact during ramming ...
08/18/2026

Did you know.. Bighorn sheep can run into each other at speeds up to 20 miles per hour! Forces of impact during ramming have been estimated to be up to 3400 Kilo Newtons! One adaptation that helps rams lesson the impact of ramming is a boney protrusion called the horn core, which has a spongy structure inside that helps absorb forces! This works so well that material engineers have actual studied this material to try and develop new technologies!!

Did you know... Killdeer will fake an injury to distract you away from their nests! You may have seen Killdeer seemingly...
08/14/2026

Did you know...

Killdeer will fake an injury to distract you away from their nests! You may have seen Killdeer seemingly limping with what looks like a broken or injured wing and calling out as if wounded. This is actually a clever defense mechanism to lure predators away from their nests with the promise of a tasty and easy-to catch adult-sized bird. However, once the predator has been successfully moved far enough away, the killdeer will fly away like normal!

In addition to tricking predators, killdeer put on such a convincing act that even our field techs have been fooled! Has a killdeer ever tricked you? Let us know!

Happy International Wolf day!Today we recognize the largest members of the dog family (canids), the wolf! There are only...
08/13/2026

Happy International Wolf day!

Today we recognize the largest members of the dog family (canids), the wolf! There are only 2 widely recognized species of wolves, consisting of the grey wolf and red wolf, with debate over various others being added to the list.

BC is home to an estimated 8,500 grey wolves. These elusive predators tend to thrive away from people and have large territories, so encounters within the Okangan-Similkameen region are quite rare.

Wolves mainly prey on wildlife such as elk or deer, but can prey on even larger animals like moose or even bison if the opportunity presents itself. They are amazing hunters and can sprint at speeds more than 60 km/h and can cover over 65 km in a day!

Did you know... Male Northern Flickers take on the majority of childcare! From nest building to egg incubation to childc...
08/07/2026

Did you know... Male Northern Flickers take on the majority of childcare! From nest building to egg incubation to childcare (males are more attentive and less likely to abandon their fledglings), male Northern Flickers are stepping up to raise their children! This is what is called partially reversed s*x roles, as the female still participates in rearing the offspring, just to a lesser extent.

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#6-477 Martin Street
Penticton, BC
V2A5L2

Telephone

+12507701467

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