Wildsight is hoping to connect Kootenay residents to old growth forests in our region.
To that end, they will be offering guided walks through old growth forests right in our own backyards. The hikes will be led by Eddie Petryshen, Wildsight’s Conservation Specialist or Jenna Shulhof, the Columbia Valley Conservation Coordinator.
There are seven different communities hikes planned: Golden, Creston, Invermere, Nelson, Kimberley/Cranbrook, Fernie and Revelstoke.
• Golden June 10 – a 2 kilometre hike with some elevation gain to an older fir forest.
• Creston June 10 – this event will take place in the Ka-Papa Cedars trail towards Kootenay Pass. The old growth forest loop is approximately 3 kilometres of on-trail walking through an ancient cedar-hemlock stand.
• Invermere June 11 – location TBD.
• Nelson June 11 – A 2-3 kilometre walk through an old and ancient cedar-hemlock forest. There may be portions of off trail and steep walking. It’s recommended that you wear pants as devils club is a spiny and prickly plant that makes up the understory in these forests.
• Kimberley-Cranbrook June 17 – the event will be a more strenuous hike roughly 3-4 kilometres with some elevation gain through open forest and an old growth Douglas fir/ponderosa pine stand.
• Fernie June 18 – location TBD.
• Revelstoke June 25 – this walk will take place near Downie Creek north of Revelstoke. It will involve a 1-2 kilometre walk through a valley bottom ancient cedar-hemlock forest. It’s recommended that you wear pants as devils club is a spiny prickly plant that makes up the understory in these forests.
*Please note, Nelson and Wycliffe (Kimberley-Cranbrook) locations will require high-clearance vehicles. Wildsight anticipates that they will car pool, so it’s likely that seats will be available if you don’t have a high clearance vehicle.
Kids are welcome but be advised that some hikes are longer and more strenuous than others. In addition some of the forests will require approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour drive times. Wildsight recommends not bringing dogs to the events.
All events will start with a meet up location at 10 am local time and then participants will drive to the old growth locations and trails from there.
For more information contact eddie@wildsight.ca
READ: Finding the Kootenays’ biggest trees: Biologist mapping the region’s forest giants
READ: B.C. appoints expert panel on further old-growth forest preservation