taking care of nature

BLOG: NATURE NOTES

What winter is like for Insects

Did you know that many insects will go through diapause to get through the winter? Diapause can act as a form of hibernation that is genetically pre-programmed into certain species. This can happen during certain times of the year or certain periods in their life cycle. During this time, any development of the organism is put on hold in order to save enough energy for the creature to survive. It is normal for all reproductive functions to stop completely and for the organism

Happy World Soil Day!

Unless you're a farmer, a gardener, or maybe a worm, you might not be thinking of soil on the regular. But maybe that should change, as soil is EVERYTHING. Soil is a mix of minerals, organic matter, water, gases and living organisms. It provides us with most of the food we eat, filters the water we drink, stores carbon and helps to regulate the atmosphere. Healthy soils protect us from flooding, help to mitigate drought, and increase biodiversity. Healthy soil contains billio

Helping Western Screech-owls and other Feathered Friends

Female Western Screech-owl and her babies in a nesting box Western Screech-owl When you first think of owls, it is normal to picture the big ones, like Great Horned owls or Snowy owls, but in reality most owls in the Okanagan are small to medium sized. One such owl is our local Western Screech-owls, which is one of the smaller owls in the region, only being about the size of a medium to-go coffee cup. Their name is quite misleading since they don't actually screech. Instead t

Cultivating Conservation and Collaboration

Nestled on the Naramata Bench, local growers are proving that agriculture and nature can thrive side by side. Along Aikins Loop, Elephant Island Winer y and JoieFarm Winer y are blending the art of winemaking with the science of stewardship—planting native vegetation, attracting beneficial insects, and strengthening their vineyards. Through the Farming With Wildlife initiative, a project led by Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship (OSS), the two vineyards partnered to install

How You Can Help Wildlife At Home

You can do many things to help wildlife around your home and garden. Some are very simple and others are a bit more complicated or take a...

WHAT IS STEWARDSHIP?

Stewardship is the act of taking care of fish and wildlife habitat by people like you

WHAT WE DO

OSS works directly with local residents in order to support and assist them in caring for important natural areas. Over the past ten years, since our inception in October 2013, OSS has undertaken an array of initiatives including outreach and neighbourhood initiatives, one-on-one contact with land managers, community and government partnerships and collaborations, and has made significant contributions to wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys.

Meet our Team

WHERE WE WORK
OSS works in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, primarily on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan and Secwepemc people, throughout the Regional Districts of Okanagan Similkameen, Central Okanagan and North Okanagan. This region is an exceptional place, known for its spectacular landscapes, iconic wildlife, amazing outdoor recreation opportunities, world-class wines and diverse agricultural products. The region is also home to some of the greatest concentrations of species diversity and species at risk in Canada and is one of Canada's most endangered natural systems.

Map showing locations of over 125 wildlife habitat stewards