Welcome to 2014, a year to make change and make a difference.

I’m proud to share with you Wildsight’s 2013 Annual Report. It is a summary of what we accomplished – together.

Thank you for all that you did to make last year a wildly successful year. The work, accomplishments and successes of Wildsight are thanks to you and all of the committed individuals that make up the larger Wildsight Team. A special thanks to our members – your passion, support, volunteer efforts and dedication fuels us to making bigger, better changes.

I invite you to explore it and share in the successes of 2013. Without you, we aren’t possible.

Last year, we:

– Took 4,101 kids outside to connect with nature through 208 different classroom trips.

– Drew international attention to the toxic levels of selenium in the Elk River and are actively participating with Teck, the Ktunaxa Nation and our communities in the process to right this toxic legacy.

– Hosted the second Annual Flathead Bioblitz – expert conducted bird and bat surveys further demonstrated the Flathead Valley’s high biodiversity, emphasizing the need to complete Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in the B.C. Flathead.

– Rallied to keep the Jumbo Valley wild for yet another year!

– Worked with Canfor, the region’s largest timber company, to identify and protect forests of high conservation value, removing many critical areas from logging plans.

– Co-hosted the Columbia Basin Watershed Symposium in connection with the Ktunaxa’s Salmon Festival. The symposium, featuring keynote John Ralston Saul, ignited discussion on watershed governance at a time when B.C. is re-writing it’s Water Act and deciding whether to renegotiate the Columbia River Treaty.

– Trained 14 additonal people in either Streamkeepers or Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring; 61 people are now professionally trained to monitor their watersheds!

– Connected seed to plate through our ever-expanding Food Sustainability programs across the region. We hosted Edible Garden Tours, hands-on garden workshops, a multi-day Grow for It Conference and linked students to local garden mentors in Golden Sprouts.

– Offered free loan of fruit presses and dehydrators, turning apples into juice, sauce and fruit leather and reducing bear attractants at the same time.

– Offered Wild Nature Tours in Invermere and Fernie, connecting tourists and locals alike to the wonders of their back yards.

– Hosted the first Creston Valley Bird Festival, bringing hundreds together to celebrate the biodiversity hot spot of the Creston Valley Wetlands and flight path of thousands upon thousands of migrating birds.

Thank you for all that you do for the wild.

John Bergenske (Executive Director), for the Wildsight team 

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