Meadowlark Festival coordinator Jayme Friedt encourages everyone to take part in the five-day event starting May 14.
Keith Lacey photo
Conservation Alliance keen on people touring the local region
Nature lovers from Osoyoos – and the entire South Okanagan – will have the opportunity to experience Mother Nature at her finest as the popular Meadowlark Nature Festival is only days away.
For the 18th consecutive year, the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA) have organized a festival featuring dozen of nature tours stretching throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, said festival co-ordinator Jayme Friedt.
“This year we have over 70 events taking place throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys,” she said. “Each and every tour is interactive, which means participants can get up and close with nature, and each will be led by expert guides.”
The festival began 18 years ago when a group of nature lovers from across the region came up with the concept of showcasing the natural beauty that has made this region of British Columbia one of the most stunningly beautiful and diverse in all of Canada and comparable to any region in the world, said Friedt.
The festival focuses on guided tours, but also features bird watching, children’s programs, canoeing, film screenings, art exhibitions, astronomy gazing, writing and photography workshops, aboriginal events, cycling and more, said Friedt.
“It all came together through a group of nature lovers who wanted to put on a festival that really showcased the beauty and wonder of our natural surroundings across the South Okanagan and Similkameen,” she said. “From Osoyoos to Peachland and Summerland, Princeton and Cawston, Keremeos, Oliver, Okanagan Falls and Penticton, we have tours for everyone during this year’s festival.”
The festival kicks off on May 14 and continues for five days.
The Meadowlark Festival has become so popular that it not only attracts residents who live in the region, but also hundreds from across British Columbia as well as many from Alberta, Washington State and Oregon, she said.
“We’re proud to say it has become one of the largest festivals of its kind anywhere in North America,” she said. “It’s very unique to have a festival that concentrates solely on natural beauty, but that’s what our festival is all about and that appeals to a lot of people.”
While there are a handful of events that don’t cost anything, most of the guided tours range in the $20 to $30 range, she said.
To make each tour a memorable experience, the number of participants is often limited, so those who want to be part of a specific tour are asked to sign up in advance to ensure their spot, she said.
The keynote speaker at this year’s opening gala – which will take place on Friday, May 15 from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre – will be Chris Tuner, an acclaimed author and expert on sustainability of natural habitat .
Turner is considered one of Canada’s most engaging voices in sustainability and is known for his boundless optimism about the future and is refreshingly pragmatic about the path that leads us there, said Friedt.
Rather than lending his voice to the chorus of climate change doom and gloom, Turner has travelled the world in search of hope for a sustainable future, first chronicled in his national bestseller The Geography of Hope.
His energetic presentations empower audiences to embrace solutions that will enable mankind to not only survive, but to thrive with renewed prosperity in the 21st Century economy, said Friedt.
The opening gala is a fundraising for the Meadowlark Festival and includes a three-course dinner and live and silent auctions of many fabulous items nature lovers will be proud to own, she said.
Some of the tours taking place close to Osoyoos include:
Sage and Sparrow Conservation Area Tour on May 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exploring the Ecology of Mount Baldy on May 15 from 8:30 to 2 p.m.
Birch Trail Tour on May 15 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Newton Observatory Tour on May 15 from 1-2:30 pm. There will be a second tour on May 16 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Guided tour along Osoyoos Desert Centre’s boardwalk on May 15 from 3-4:30 p.m.
Kobau Mountain Mapping Adventure o May 16 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Snakes of the South Okanagan tour at the Nk’ Mip Desert Cultural Centre on May 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Explore the Okanagan Nations tour at Nk’ Mip Desert Cultural Centre on May 17 from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Kilpoola Lake Important Bird Area (IBA) Tour at Kilpoola Lake. Participants will leave Husky Gas Station in Osoyoos and head to Kilpoola Lake. Tour takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 18.
In the Oliver area, check out bats of the South Okanagan at Vaseux Lake kiosk on Friday, May 15 from 7:30 to 10 pm.
On May 16, join Dick Cannings for a birding adventure from 7 am to 2 pm. Meet at the Penticton Visitor Centre.
For an Okanagan Valley hike on May 16 (from 9 am to 2 pm), meet at the Okanagan Falls IGA parking lot .
For each tour, it is recommended the participants bring good walking footwear, water, a snack, sun protection, a hat and all-weather clothing. Things like binoculars, cameras, sunglasses and field guides are optional.
People from Osoyoos are more than welcome to join any tour in any of the other communities involved in the Meadowlark Festival, said Friedt.
For more information or to sign up for tours and other events, contact Friedt at 1-250-492-5275 or go online and visit www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca.
