From Ginty's Pond in Cawston to Vernon's Okanagan Landing Elementary, the Okanagan Simlkameen Stewardship Society is celebrating this year's efforts to replant native species across the region. 

More than 3,800 native trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers were used to restore natural habitats across the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. 

鈥淲hile the Okanagan鈥檚 mountain forests are abundant, our valley bottoms 鈥� where wildlife like American Badgers, Tiger Salamanders, and Burrowing Owls thrive鈥攁re under pressure from human activity,鈥� said Lia McKinnon, OSS stewardship biologist. 鈥淲e鈥檙e focusing on grasslands, wetlands, and riparian habitats because they provide essential resources, without them, wildlife cannot survive, no matter how much forest remains.鈥�

The restoration was made possible through the collaboration of more than 200 volunteers and partnerships with landowners, municipal parks, conservation areas and other non-profit organizations.

Project locations stretched from Cawston and Oliver up to 91大黄鸭, Vernon and Lumby. 

Highlights include the riparian restoration at 91大黄鸭鈥檚 Thomson Marsh Park, where 380 native plants now support local bird, amphibian, and reptile populations, and also at Okanagan Landing Elementary in Vernon where Mrs. Troidl's class became stewards of their grassland hillside, planting nearly 150 plants for pollinators and other wildlife.

Riparian areas, which host more than 80 per cent of local wildlife, are a priority for restoration.

By planting native vegetation, these ecosystems not only support wildlife but also combats erosion, filters pollutants, and provides shade, creating cooler water refuges for species like salmon.

Grasslands, covering less than one per cent of the province's land, are another focus. Despite their fragile nature and vital role in supporting 30 per cent of species at risk, they are often overlooked OSS says.