A celebration of sustainable action with local waste reduction solutions, live demonstrations, inspiring learning opportunities, regional food tasting and live music. All happening on our beautiful property in Beasley, BC.
Pre-purchase tickets to Kootenay EcoFest and be entered into a draw to win a two night stay in a Stargazer glamping tent during the festival. One entry into draw for every ticket purchased. Festival tickets must be purchased by May 19th, 2024 to qualify for draw. All proceeds from tickets sales go towards the Kootenay Outdoor and Environmental Learning Society to help fund the festival and other non-profit initiatives.
(Some restrictions apply. Winners must stay Friday, May 24th and Saturday, May 25th, 2024. Winners must be 19 years of age or older. Tent accommodates two adults and up to two children under 17 years of age.)
10:00 am to noon
Sinixt History*
Introduction to Herbal Medicine*
1:00 pm to 3:00pm
Introduction to Herbalism*
Bat Habitat Tour*
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Bat Habitat Tour*
Farm Tour*
Noon to 5:00pm
E-Bike Demos and Bicycle Repairs*
Repair Cafe*
3R Market (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)*
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
100 Mile Chef’s Choice Potluck
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Evening Talks
9:00 pm to midnight
Live Music & Dance featuring The Latin Lovers
10:00 am to noon
Introduction to Wildcraft*
Oyster Mushroom Log Inoculation*
1:00 pm to 3:00pm
Oyster Mushroom Log Inoculation*
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Foraged Craft Workshop*
Introduction to Wildcraft*
Noon to 5:00pm
E-Bike Demos and Bicycle Repairs*
Repair Cafe*
3R Market (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)*
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General Admission $40 (Saturday & Sunday)
* included in general admission (dinner tickets sold separately)
Dinner, Evening Talks, Live Music & Dance: $125
"Fundraiser" Potluck dinner featuring 20 dishes crafted by regional chefs, wild foraged edibles and ingredients grown by local farmers. Taste delicious food prepared by culinary professionals at this unique event fostering community connection. Potluck will feature entrees from Pitchfork, The Black Cauldron, Rel-ish, The Hume Hotel and more. Tickets are $125 and must be purchased by May 19th. Ticket includes potluck dinner, one alcoholic beverage, evening talks, live music and dance with The Latin Lovers. (Only 60 tickets).
All fundraiser proceeds going to Kootenay Outdoor & Environmental Learning Society.
A limited number of tickets ($40 Talks and Dance only) will be available at the gate or by contacting Craig at koelsociety@gmail.com.
Craig DeLong
Craig's talk will focus on building community resilience to climate change. Craig is an ecologist at Ecora Resource Group Ltd., Lead at Rossland Refactory, and a Climate Hub co-founder. He has 40 years of research experience in ecological land classification, vegetation competition, natural disturbance-based management, mixed wood ecology, deadwood dynamics, old growth assessment, and climate change related drought stress.
Tyson Ehlers
Tyson will be taking us on photographic journey of the wild, wonderful, rare and beautiful. He is a professional biologist and forest ecologist who has a life-long fascination with the rare and understudied and a love for exploring the biodiversity of unique ecosystems throughout BC. He has built an extensive specimen collection and is also an avid photographer. He's an Emerita Research Scientist with the BC Ministry of Environment and an Associate member of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Botany Department at UBC.
Shannon Berch
Shannon's talk will focus on marvelous mycorrhizas and their role in a changing world. She is an Emerita Research Scientist with the BC Ministry of Environment and an Associate member of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Botany Department at UBC. She is a found-ing member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society and the Truffle Associa-tion of BC.
The Latin Lovers
We are a fiery, wildly entertaining, Latin Band from the West Kootenays, in British Columbia. Our music is Latin Fusion; inspired by a variety of traditional rhythms, like Cumbia, Flamenco, Tango and more. With a mix of original songs and well-known Spanish covers, these beats make you dance. We play an outstanding array of instruments: didgeridoo, pan flute, harmonica, accordion, brass, congas, bongos, alternative percussion, and so much more. Seven extremely dynamic musicians make up THE LATIN LOVERS band, and we promise to light the stage on fire!
Introduction to Herbal Medicine
Join Herbalist Marie Zak to learn about the practice of herbalism. Explore how the local plants can deepen your connection to nature while providing medicine for your body and mind. In this workshop you will learn foundational principles of herbalism and meet a few local plants that you can incorporate into your medicine cabinet.
About Marie
Marie is a Registered Herbal Therapist and Somatic Therapist, and the co-founder of Althaea Herbals. She combines these modalities to offer her community a pathway for deeper connection to themselves and the wild natural world. Her clinical focus is mental and emotional wellness through embodiment and herbalism.
Introduction to Herbalism
Join Patrick and learn some herbalism basics. Reconnect with the natural world growing all around you. In this workshop you will learn foundational principles of herbalism and discover a few common plants growing in our backyard and their uses.
About Patrick
Patrick Kooyman is an herbalist, ethnobotanist, wildcrafter, herb cultivator and educator living in Nelson, British Columbia. He is the owner of Blue Lotus Ethnobotanicals, a small herbal company providing handcrafted herbal medicines, with a focus on using locally cultivated and ethically harvested plants and fungi. He has studied botany at the University of Calgary, and herbal medicine through Wild Rose College and Emery Herbals. Patrick is interested in the beneficial relationships developed between plants and people, the nature of plant consciousness, and how we can communicate with plants by approaching them as living sentient beings. He is an avid forager of wild plants and fungi for use as food and medicine, and loves growing plants in the garden as well.
Sinixt History
Meet Rick Desautal, a member of the Indigenous Nation of the Colville Confederated Tribes and a Sinixt Aboriginal Person of Canada. Rick is a respected ceremonial hunter. Learn about Sinixt history, culture and their fight to be recognized as Indigenous Peoples of Canada in the Desautel Decision.
The decision in R. v. Desautel, handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada on April 23, 2021, was a landmark legal challenge to restore the rights of the Sinixt people in Canada. Declared extinct by the Canadian federal government in 1956, Sinixt people fought for and won the restoration of their rights as an Aboriginal People of Canada, proving that the international boundary cannot divide and change Indigenous identity and culture. The case will have profound consequences for the Sinixt and other cross-border peoples going forward.
Elodie
Meet Elodi, a biologist who started working with bats in 2009 during her studies at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. She did her master thesis about roost selection in forest dwelling bats and became hooked on bats ever since. During 5 years following her studies, Elodie was an active member of the Swiss bat association (CCO) and took part in local action such as nature related events, village prospection, night captures. Since 2018 she has been coordinating the Kootenay Community Bat Project and supporting Kootenay Landowners with bats. She has also collaborated with the Wildlife conservation society (WCS) on different bat projects.
You'll be exploring a bat mine from the outside, along with some other tree habitats known as Brandenbarks and wildlife trees, specifically designed for bats and installed by WCS. These structures play a crucial role in providing shelter and roosting sites for bats, contributing to their conservation. During our tour, we'll explore these habitats, gaining insight into their importance for bat populations. Get ready to uncover some secrets of these mysterious animals and learn about their fascinating lives!
Introduction to Wildcraft
Join this walk with Keith Davis in the local forest and learn to identify up to 20 different plants, both edible and medicinal. Learn how to wildcraft or harvest plants from the wild on a craft level using sustainable methods with a conscience.
About Keith
Keith is a wildcrafter by trade and an expert plant identifier. He is a keen student of nature, with an education in biology and ecology as well as 20 years of experience working in forestry and silviculture and 25 years as a wildcrafter. He is also an enthusiastic presenter and teacher of wild plant knowledge who gets joy from sharing his knowledge with others, especially his knowledge of plants and their many uses. He is an avid researcher and the author of an extensive work on Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest. He is currently writing another work on Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest as a companion book. Keith lives in the Wildhorse Valley, near Ymir, BC.
Oyster Mushroom Log Inoculation Workshop
Rob Macrae, a veteran mushroom grower, will lead you through the steps of inoculating a log with Oyster Mushroom spawn for your garden. All tools and supplies are provided.
About Rob
Robert Macrae has an MSc from the University of Toronto, where he majored in plant pathology and mycology, and a BSc Agr from the University of Guelph. He was a post-graduate student at the University of Tokyo where he studied mushroom cultivation and forest chemistry. Mr. Macrae has taught environmental chemistry and applied microbiology courses at Selkirk College since 1996. He has presented talks on mushrooms, Japanese mushroom cultivation and has led many walks (fungal forays) throughout the region to introduce people to the fascinating world of fungi. Prior to working as a college instructor, Mr. Macrae was a Production Manager on commercial mushroom farms.
There's still room in our 3R Market. Are you a maker creating products from recycled materials? Do you sell second-hand items?
We need fixers! Do you have experience repairing small appliances or outdoor gear? Can you sew and mend?
Join our repair café.
We can't do this without volunteers. Do you enjoy set up and tear down, greeting people, handling money or serving food and drinks?