Celebrating Conservation in Action!

Celebrating Conservation in Action

Today SILT’s President Judie Steeves and Vice President Lindsay Lalach joined @bcparksfdn, Honourable Tamara Davidson – Minister of Environment and Parks, and conservation partners to celebrate BC Parks’ permanent protection of a 64-hectare private inholding within Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.

This important acquisition strengthens a critical regional wildlife corridor in the Okanagan and helps safeguard the ecological integrity of the park. Other than a firebreak which is now a trail connecting different park areas, this piece remained largely unchanged by the 2003 wildfire that went through this area, which makes it particularly notable for conservation.

Protecting biodiversity requires more than securing individual parcels, it requires connected landscapes. Connectivity between larger protected areas is critical for wildlife movement and ecosystem resilience. That’s why SILT works to conserve key “stepping stone” habitats that help link these landscapes together, supporting biodiversity and wildlife movement across the region.

Congratulations to BC Parks Foundation, BC Parks, and all the partners and supporters who helped make this possible! Including the persistent volunteers of the Friends of the South Slopes, who lobbied for conservation of this parcel.

Take up this challenge

Take up this challenge

Support the conservation of wild spaces in our region by gathering donations for the Southern Interior Land Trust at your business or office—like Penticton’s IGA did.

We have a warm feeling in our hearts for all the support from customers of the Penticton IGA, who donated $2,285.38 during a barbecue manned by SILT plus IGA volunteers and at the tills during the month of May, to celebrate Earth Month.

These funds will all go toward the third phase of a restoration project at Ginty’s Pond in Cawston. The local store ranked second in all IGA stores in the province in this charitable donation campaign in May.

Hot Dogs Support SILT

Thanks to the generosity of the Penticton IGA store, SILT was chosen as their ‘charity of the month’ and the store is receiving donations at the till all of the month of April toward our work in the community.

On Sat., Apr. 18, the closest Saturday to Earth Day, Apr. 22, 2026, members of the SILT board barbecued hotdogs outside the entrance to that IGA, raising both the profile of SILT and funds to help with our work enhancing wildlife habitat at SILT’s Nʔaʕx̌ʷt – Ginty’s Pond wetland in Cawston.

President Judie Steeves and her husband John MacMillan, along with fellow board member Bruce Hibbard and his daughter Grace, and SILT executive-director Al Peatt, worked through lunch, manning the store’s huge barbecue, serving customers hotdogs and drinks, courtesy of Coca Cola Canada, Grimm’s Fine Foods and Dempster’s Bread, who supplied the food.

It was a fun event in which SILT also involved both store manager Ken Last and his wife Rebecca as volunteers and introduced dozens of people to the work we do acquiring and maintaining habitat for wildlife.

Thanks to all who supported SILT and contributed to the success of the day. Many thanks too, to IGA and its suppliers and customers, who continue to donate throughout April to help SILT in its work for wildlife.

Watershed Security Fund Grant Award

Phase 3 of nʔaʕx̌ʷt  Ginty’s Pond restoration work will get underway this year with the help of a $150,000 grant through the Watershed Security Fund – kłaʕc̓xntm k̓łp̓əlk̓stm iʔ nʔaʕx̌ʷt – To look after and restore Ginty’s Pond.

Read more about the announcement and project partners here.