Spring is here and as flowers start to bloom, the Kootenay Native Plant Society is welcoming community members far and wide to join them for some free public events celebrating native plants of the region.
“From webinars to walking tours, there will be something for everyone to celebrate,” says the society’s Valerie Huff.
The spring calendar will launch April 17 at 7 p.m. with a webinar led by Bren Beckwith, founder of KinSeed Ecologies. As senior scientist for the Pollination Pathway Climate Adaptation Initiative, Beckwith’s presentation will be offered via Zoom. Register for the event called “ ʔíʔtxʷǎʔ Rooted at a Confluence: Stories, Lessons, and the Future of Camas on the BC Interior” on Facebook or via the society’s website: kootenaynativeplants.ca.
Next, in celebration of Camas season, the community is invited to Millennium Park, in Castlegar, May 7. The event titled, “Way̓ ʔíʔtxʷǎʔ - Hello Camas,” will offer an afternoon of festivities, including interpretive walks, bee bingo and more, in honour of this culturally significant native plant. Everyone is welcome and no pre-registration is required.
In the meantime, a Camas informational sign is located along the Gyro Park walkway in Trail, between the main beach and Sunningdale. Blue Camas, a sacred heritage plant of local First Nations people, the Sinixt, is valued as an important food source, and this area is a heritage site for the plant. Camas have a short blooming season starting in the spring for about two to three weeks and then no evidence is left by the middle of June.
It’s vital for the public to respect the Camas by not picking or disturbing the plant.
As a registered nonprofit, Kootenay Native Plant Society relies on volunteers and supporters to help them protect native plants, such as Camas, so that plants and pollinators can thrive in the West Kootenay.
Next up, the society will host a table and offer walk-alongs during Critters Day at Beaver Creek Park on May 13.
Read more: Camas sign unveiled on Trail walkway
Read more: West Kootenay seniors do the hard work to restore habitat
Read more: Kootenay conservation partners plant pollinator ‘superfoods’ at Fort Shepherd
Details on work, such as The Pollination Pathway can be found on their website, Facebook and Instagram pages, or by emailing info@kootenaynativeplants.ca.
The Pollination Pathway program is supported by Columbia Basin Trust, BC Parks, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and BC Gaming as well as a number of community donors and volunteers.
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