- Working in partnership with private landowners. Photo by Lucy Reiss.
What is private land stewardship?
Stewardship is the voluntary conservation of natural features, including fish and wildlife habitat by individual landowners or community groups. Conservation offers personal satisfaction and helps to ensure lasting natural legacies for future generations. Stewardship programs are tailored to meet the needs of individuals or communities. The South Okanagan-Similkameen (SOS) Stewardship Program and The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) are here to support you in your stewardship efforts. Our work with you is confidential and carried out in a respectful and cooperative manner.
- White-headed Woodpeckers depend on stands of open ponderosa pine. Photo by Jason Stuck.
Why care about the Okanagan-Similkameen?
The south Okanagan and lower Similkameen valleys have a rich diversity of habitats and wildlife, including some plant and animal species found nowhere else in Canada.
Channelization of the Okanagan River in the 1950’s, rapid urban development and an expanding agricultural industry have resulted in the substantial loss and fragmentation of wetlands, riparian areas, grasslands, cliffs, talus, and low elevation forests.
Private landowners play a vital role in protecting wildlife habitat and biodiversity in this area because a large percentage of critical habitat is on private land. Partnerships with farmers, ranchers and other rural landowners can lead to the restoration and conservation of natural landscapes for future generations to enjoy.
 The Great Basin Spadefoot burrows in the grasslands and breeds in the wetlands of the Okanagan. Photo by Sara Ashpole. |
 Responsibly stewarding grasslands will make a difference to declining populations of badgers. Photo by Richard Klafki. |
The Mission of the SOS Stewardship Program
To promote voluntary securement & stewardship of priority habitat on private lands; and to assist private landowners with habitat conservation, restoration & enhancement in the south Okanagan and lower Similkameen area.
We do this by:
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Delivering a landowner contact program in focal areas determined by priority habitats, species at risk, connectivity, existing stewardship projects, size of property, proximity to existing conservation areas, and threat of habitat destruction. |
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Supporting and facilitating community stewardship initiatives intended to raise awareness and help communities take ownership of habitat and species conservation in their backyards. |
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Providing key landowners currently involved in stewardship with further information on habitats and species, and environmentally sustainable land management practices. |
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Promoting habitat enhancement and assisting landowners with enhancement projects (e.g. planting native vegetation along a stream or wetland, fencing livestock out of sensitive habitat, re-vegetating an eroding grassland, etc). |
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Publicly acknowledging stewards through articles, signage and award ceremonies. |
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Offering a range of voluntary land securement options, either through TLC or other conservation organizations (e.g. stewardship agreements, conservation covenants, land acquisition). |
- Organizing work parties to pull invasive weeds (purple loosestrife in this photo). Photo by Paula Rodriguez de la Vega.
- Habitat enhancement of riparian (creek-side) areas. Photo by Paula Rodriguez de la Vega.
For more information, please contact:
Alyson Skinner or Paula Rodriguez de la Vega
South Okanagan-Similkameen Stewardship Program
#201-262 Main Street
Penticton, BC, V2A 5B2
Or call: (250) 809-8802 or (250) 488-8870
The South Okanagan – Similkameen Stewardship Program is administered and coordinated by TLC The Land Conservancy. It is supported by TLC members and donors as well as:
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