CSISS Updates

| Summer Season | From the Field | Engagement | Whirling Disease Survey | Species Spotlight: Goldfish |

| Summer Online Workshop Series | Staff Updates for 2025 | Captivating Content | Upcoming Events |

It’s been a busy and rewarding summer for our team out in the field and at community events across the Columbia Shuswap. Between sampling, surveying, and connecting with folks, we’ve also been tackling our team Strava challenge—cumulative we have travelled 1 853.5 km in the last 8 weeks. Our team truly MOVES Mountains—on foot, bike, rope, and even horseback.

The slightly cooler summer has made for some beautiful days outdoors, and we’re excited to share a glimpse of what we’ve been up to in this newsletter.

Whirling Disease Public Awareness Survey

Both CKISS and CSISS have been working on outreach for whirling disease. A key part of this work involves gauging and understanding public knowledge of whirling disease in our region.

We are currently sharing our Whirling Disease Public Awareness Survey at events, on our websites, and through social media—and now we’d like to invite you to participate. Your feedback will help us better understand awareness levels and inform future outreach efforts.

Take the Public Survey: Click here
Take the Business Survey: Click here

Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts and support healthy waters in our region!

The CSISS field team as been working hard this summer travelling all across the CSRD for our Aquatic and Terrestrial Programs. Rain or shine, we’ve been diligently conducting early detection monitoring for Zebra Quagga Mussels at 17 different waterbodies across the region at 26 different sites and have collected over 130 samples! The work doesn’t stop there though, as we are only halfway through our aquatic sampling program this year.

We’ll be out sampling with our trusty nets all the way into October. On solid ground our staff have been busy identifying, surveying, digging, pulling and monitoring invasive plants at over 250 sites across the region as part of our Terrestrial Program!

Field Technician Marlee Verleih facing her scotch thistle fears.

Field Technician Emma Wiebe on a wet Zebra Quagga Mussel Sampling day.

This summer we had the pleasure of having two additional seasonal positions, filled by Jessie and Bishop!

Over the last few months they have been helping in both the field and on the ground performing inventories, removals, weed pulls, educational walks, and outreach booths across the CSRD.

CSISS Volunteers and Nature Trust Team on the SABNES Trail

For Bishop, highlights included tackling a pesky patch of yellow flag iris at Maguire Lake, co-leading the invasive plant ID walk with the Adams River Salmon Society and pulling 380kg of invasive plants at Cress Creek. The last event was particularly inspiring for him as it saw our highest volunteer turnout and the most plants pulled at a weed pull this season.

Jessie’s highlight was, getting to visit lakes all throughout the CSRD for ZQM water sampling, working in a new location every single day.

This summer, our free online workshop series brought together plant enthusiasts, crafters, conservationists, and curious minds across the Columbia Basin to explore innovative ways to manage and repurpose invasive species.

Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society

June 4 | From Invaders to Ingredients – Tilia Botanicals

Registrants learned to identify invasive plants and turn them into medicinal and edible resources.
Watch the recording here

Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society

July 2 | Crafting Tinctures and Salves – Ashta Funk – Created healing salves and tinctures from species like burdock, mullein, and dandelion, while learning responsible harvesting practices.
Watch the recording here

East Kootenay Invasive Species Society

August 6 | Problem Plants to Paper (EKISC & Jane Kramer) – Explored eco-art techniques to transform invasive plants into meaningful, environmentally focused artwork.
Watch the recording here

We loved seeing so many participants engage, create, and take action to protect local ecosystems. Thank you for joining us and helping turn invasive challenges into opportunities for learning, creativity, and stewardship!

Jessie Booker

We want to give a huge thank you to our Program Assistant, Jessie, for her incredible contributions to CSISS this summer! As a late addition to the team, Jessie brought wonderful energy, enthusiasm, and passion that truly lifted our spirits and inspired those around her. Her diligent, detail-oriented work ethic added so much value to the team.

Thank you, Jessie, and good luck at school in the big city!

Bishop and Jessie treating Yellow Flag Iris.

Fun fact: In our CSISS Strava Activity Challenge, Jessie has covered an impressive, 455.2 km of distance and 20, 115 vertical m!!! Since we began the challenge in July.

September 13 – Revelstoke Garlic Festival

September 22–25 – Regional Invasive Species Organization Tour

September 25–26 – Columbia Mountains Institute Research Forum

September 26 – Kokanee Salmon Festival

September 28- BC Rivers Day: Weed Pull at Tsutswecw Park-1pm-4pm

Wildsight Columbia River Watershed Field Tours

Revelstoke Area

Sept 5–7
Join a journey into the heart of the Columbia River watershed this September! Camp at Blanket Creek Provincial Park and explore the Upper Columbia region with interactive field tours. Highlights include guided walks along the river, a visit to the Stories Beneath the Surface exhibit, a custom BC Hydro tour of Revelstoke Dam, and discussion sessions on watershed topics such as water levels, the Columbia River Treaty, and salmon reintroduction. Connect with fellow enthusiasts, share meals, and learn from the land and each other.

Columbia Mountain Institute of Applied Ecology

Researchers’ Forum & 30-year Celebration

September 25-26, Revelstoke BC

Celebrate 30 years of CMI’s work and connect with the local research and stewardship community! This informal gathering features updates on restoration projects, ecosystem monitoring, field trials, and land stewardship initiatives.

Kootenay Conservation Project- Fall Gathering

Fernie, BC

October 3-4

Join KCP in Fernie for their 2025 Fall Gathering! The event kicks off with the AGM at 11 am, followed by a catered lunch and an afternoon of presentations and the Conservation Café. The day concludes with a banquet dinner and Conservation Leadership Awards. On Saturday, explore the Elk Valley on a guided field tour of local restoration and conservation projects.

Thank You to our Funders in 2024-2025

We acknowledge the financial support of: the Province of British Columbia(through the Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, BC Parks and the Community Gaming Grant); the Columbia Shuswap Regional District; The Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Columbia Basin Trust, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (Invasive Mussel Lake Monitoring Grant and Community Grant); The Nature Trust of BC; The City of Salmon Arm; Parks Canada; BC Hydro (including Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and Broad Impact Grant); the Shuswap Watershed Council; Employment and Social Development Canada (Canada Summer Jobs); Eco Canada (Science Horizons Wage Subsidies); the City of Revelstoke; the Golden Rod and Gun Club; the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail; and Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) Green Jobs Initiative(funded by Government of Canada through Parks Canada, as part of their commitment to the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program). We acknowledge the in kind support and partnership with several other organizations across the region.