Kamloops-area residents and visitors are privileged to live near a stunning ecosystem that’s both rare and under threat. Grasslands, including this region’s Lac du Bois Grassland Protected Area, take up less than one percent of the BC’s land, but are home to nearly one-third of its at-risk species.(1) Anyone who is lucky enough to visit the grasslands in May needs no reminder of the glory awaiting among the native grasses— acres upon acres of golden arrowleaf balsamroot in flower. Breathtaking.

We are also lucky to have opportunities to learn more about the grasslands from local conservation champions and experts.  Here are a few to consider:

Lecture: The Importance of BC Grasslands: Building our Understanding

Dr. Wendy Gardner will deliver her inaugural professorial lecture The Importance of BC Grasslands: Building our Understanding at Thompson Rivers University on February 4, 2025. All are welcome to attend; entry is free but registration is required.

Date & time: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 4:30 to 6 pm
Location: Mountain Room, TRU Campus Activity Centre
To register: visit this website
RSVP by: January 28, 2025

TRU’s Inaugural Professorial Lectures invite recently promoted faculty members to share their academic passions with the community. Dr. Gardener was promoted to professor in March 2024.

Field trip: Be a friend of our grasslands!

Reserve your spot on a morning visit to the grasslands with Kamloops Adult Learner’s Society (KALS) instructor Peggy-Jo Broad on May 30, 2025. Peggy-Jo, who has a background in Forest Ecology, has been teaching students at TRU about grassland ecosystems for over 30 years. 

The morning features stops along the Lac Du Bois Road through lower, middle and upper grasslands, covering the history of each area and changes in vegetation. The tour will also stop to look at the ponds as well as Lac du Bois in the upper grasslands. If there’s time, the group will make one final stop to see if the lilies are in bloom. Find a complete description in the KALS Winter-Spring 2025 Calendar, page 15.

Date & time: Friday, May 30, 10 am to noon
Location: From the parking area beside Batchelor Heights
Cost: $10
Registration: kals.ca  ( registration requires a $20 annual membership in KALS, which you can purchase when you register)

NOTE: KALS has a number of sessions coming up that may be of interest to Transition Kamloops supporters. If you aren’t familiar with KALS, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, the course calendar is worth a look. A few sessions that stand out: 

• Wildfire & Drought: How Tree Rings may Tell the Story
• Stories of Hopeful and Resilient Futures
• Waste is a Global Issue
• Living with an Electric Car – an Owner’s Perspective
• Gardening for Tomorrow: Strategies for Climate Resilience
• Watershed Habitat, Care and Restoration
• Exploring the Natural History of the Shuswap
• Turtles, Birds and other Critters in Pineview

There are many more to choose among. Happy anniversary to KALS!

(1) course description, Dr. Gardener’s TRU Inaugural Professorial lecture   

Photo credit: Lac du Bois Grassland Protected Area, 4 July 2023, Shelley McGuinness