Earth, Wind, Fire gala raises funds for land
The Nature Trust of British Columbia is working to secure 35.4 hectares of critical habitat for bighorn sheep on the east side of Skaha Lake in the Okanagan.
With flat benchlands interspersed through the steep hills, the Skaha Lake parcel is ideal for bighorn, a species at risk. The lower portions are grasslands, transitioning through mixed forest at the mid-level to rocky terrain at higher elevations.
“This property is one of the last remaining undeveloped benchlands on the east side of Skaha Lake,” says Nicholas Burdock, conservation land coordinator for The Nature Trust. “It takes you only a few steps to recognize how beautiful this location is and why it is so important that it remain in a natural state. There are many rare plants and animals that rely on this landscape.”
The property is surrounded by a 114-hectare conservation area acquired by The Nature Trust in 1988 and 1989.
There’s a June 30 deadline to complete the purchase of the parcel, and fundraising efforts include a gala on June 24 at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, called Earth Wind Fire. It will open with live jazz, bubbly and appies while guests browse the silent auction items, followed by sizzling food stations featuring some of the province’s top chefs, a live auction and dance party.
Tickets at www.naturetrust.bc.ca.
Photo by Audrey MacNaughton.
