The churned-up dirt is dusted with autumn leaves and the air is heavy with the scent of decaying foliage as fall transitions to winter. Along the winding trails of Kimberley’s Lois Creek, Wildsight’s Youth Climate Corps (YCC) is hard at work.
On this beautiful fall day, the East Kootenay YCC team has invited volunteers to come support efforts to restore this local gem in Kimberley’s Townsite neighbourhood.
Prior to today’s workbee, the crew decommissioned an old trail, which was steep and not built to today’s standards. Volunteers then spent a day working side by side with the small team of young adults to plant native species along the former path, helping to reclaim the land and encourage a more resilient ecosystem. Among the more than 200 native plants planted were thimbleberries, Oregon grapes, and native roses.
Longtime resident Donna Chow expressed her joy in helping return the area to its natural state, sharing, “I learned so much today—I might even plant some of these in my garden!”
Students and teachers from Kimberley’s Purcell Collegiate School also participated, reflecting on the opportunity to connect outdoor learning with respect for the Ktunaxa territory in which we live. Teacher Dawn Hildebrandt said she hopes through experiences like this, students will develop a deeper understanding of their connection to nature and the impact humans have on the world around them.
“You can not only make a problem but also fix one,” Dawn said.
The YCC crew spent countless hours in Lois Creek this year. In total, the team planted more than 2,600 native plants! They also cut and planted approximately 500 stalks from native willow, cottonwood and dogwood trees. Known as live stakes, these small tree limbs will begin to take root and grow next spring, providing stability to the moist soil around the creek and up the sloping former path.
At the heart of this restoration effort is Lois Creek itself. The YCC team, under the guidance of hydrologist Ryan MacDonald, and Mike Robinson, a professional aquatic ecologist, helped to restore the stream’s hydrologic connectivity by removing partially plugged and outdated culverts. These hastily placed and unsuitable culverts have obstructed fish passage and disrupted the natural flow of water in this particular site for almost 25 years. The removal of these culverts not only benefits fish populations but also it’s hoped that it will mitigate seasonal flooding, which had been a recurring issue on the nearby trails.
Love for Lois Creek
Lois Creek has long been a cherished space for recreation, education, and community connection. Tim Chapman, YCC’s East Kootenay manager, emphasized the importance of restoring these smaller, often overlooked landscapes.
“These smaller ecosystems can often be passed over for the desire to have larger scale impacts on the land, but it is projects like these that really bring the community together,” said Tim.
Tim has worked for more than three years to see this project through, from educating community members to fundraising to connecting with community partners, including the Kimberley Trails Society and Friends of Lois Creek.
“We finally did it; the culverts are gone and the typical mountain stream morphology (riffle / pool) has been reconstructed. As our planted vegetation and grass seed begins to take, it will be exciting to watch the site slowly blend itself back into the landscape of the Lois Creek system,” said Tim.
Blake Rawson, one of the founders and longtime directors on the Friends of Lois Creek, visited the site to monitor the progress this fall.
“I was amazed at how detailed the restoration was; they were down in the creek placing one rock at the time to get the exact grade and quality to protect valuable habitat there,” said Blake. “And it’s great to see this group of hard working young adults wanting to get outdoors and work on the land!”
YCC exists to provide paid training and skills development to young adults interested in the environmental sector. Crews take on tangible climate action projects and work with experts in a variety of fields to gain a better understanding of career opportunities in climate-related fields. Lois Creek work was one of this crew’s final projects as they wrap up the 2024 season November 8th.
Wildsight thanks Environment and Climate Change Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Eco Canada, Trottier Family Foundation, Arjay Miller Foundation, and RBC Foundation, for their support of this project.
