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.

Provide information, assistance and advice about local species and spaces including tailored habitat assessments prepared by our local biologists.	Provide assistance and support to landowners as stewards in conservation, restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitats on their properties while maintaining other land use practices such as agriculture and eco-tourism. Develop best management practices and management plans for coexisting with wildlife on your property.
Develop and lead habitat enhancement projects, such as native plant enhancement, exclusion fencing along shorelines, and invasive plant management. We have planted almost 33,000 Indigenous trees and shrubs!	We are partnered with over 150 stewards of over 10,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat

Meet our Team

BLOG: NATURE NOTES

Quills on a Porcupine

North American Porcupine quills have microscopic barbs that make them difficult to pull out, but penetrate skin easily! Porcupines are covered almost entirely in quills, which are a type of large, spikey modified hair. These quills act as an extremely effective defense against would-be predators. The tiny scale-like barbs on the tips of their quills are being studied as a model for new types of innovative medical equipment! The North American Porcupine has little relation to

An Unexpected Swimmer: Moose

Moose can dive up to 20 feet underwater?! Moose love aquatic vegetation, and foraging is the main reason for their diving behavior. Moose spend so much time underwater that they have developed specialized nostrils with internal valves that allow them to stay underwater for long periods of time while foraging. Moose can stay completely submerged for up to a minute, enough time to grab ample vegetation!

International Vulture Awareness Day!

Did you know that buzzards and vultures are different species? Buzzards and vultures are often mistaken for one another but they play very different roles in the ecosystem. Buzzards are birds of prey that actively hunt small mammals, reptiles, and other animals using their talons and excellent eyesight. Vultures, on the other hand, are primarily scavengers. Rather than hunting live prey, they feed on carrion (dead animals), which helps to recycle nutrients and reduce the spre

A rare butterfly special: Mormon Metalmarks

The end of August is a great time to look for one of our endangered butterfly species, the Mormon Metalmark. This butterfly is quite small, with a wingspan of only about 3cm in length. Mormon Metalmarks are only found in the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys of BC in Canada. If you are looking for them, the best way to start is to find a plant called Snow buckwheat. Snow buckwheat is a larval host plant for Mormon Metalmarks, meaning they need this plant for their cater

Mysis Shrimp in Okanagan Lake

Did you know that we have shrimp in the our lakes in the Okanagan? Sadly these are not the tasty shrimp you can order at a restaurant. In fact they are not even true shrimp. These are Mysis shrimp, an introduced species that has caused problems to many of our aquatic species, especially Kokanee salmon. It was first brought to the lakes as a mean to help feed the salmon, but things did not go according to plan and instead the shrimp started competing with the salmon for zoopla

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