The Strathcona Wilderness Institute would like to invite the public and people who have been a big part of the success of this organization to a special 20th Anniversary Celebration on Sat. Aug 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Strathcona Wilderness Information Centre at the Paradise Meadows Trailhead. There will be a short slide show, refreshments and a special birthday cake and lots of good conversation!
The Strathcona Wilderness Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire awareness, appreciation and stewardship of the natural world through education and participation. It was officially registered in 1995, the idea emerging from a Symposium “Where the Wild Things Are”, hosted by the Friends of Strathcona Park in 1992. The Institute works through a cooperative agreement with BC Parks at two locations in Strathcona Park – the Wilderness Centre at Paradise Meadows and the Buttle Lake Information Hut – offering a range of programmes and publications for visitors to the Park. The Wilderness Centre came to be constructed through the generous donations of many individuals and corporations. It first opened for use in 2009/2010 and is now the focal centre for nature walks, hikes, presentations and general visitor information in the Forbidden Plateau area. All activities are conducted by volunteers, with some help from the Canada Summer Jobs for Students programme, and so fundraising continues to be crucial. Last year the centre saw over 10,000 visitors, about 70 per cent of whom were from beyond the Valley, including seven per cent from overseas. One of the exciting new projects undertaken by SWI in conjunction with BC Parks is the TrailRider Programme that involves a special wheelchair that allows people with significant disabilities to access trails beyond the Boardwalk.
The celebration will honour the founding directors whose inspiration and planning gave birth to the Institute, and all those who have volunteered countless hours over the years to fulfil the Institute’s mission to foster wilderness values in BC’s first provincial Park, Strathcona. For more information email strathconawilderness@ gmail or WildernessCentre@strathconapark.org or call 250-336-2460.
We hope to see you there.
