The Community
Our Audience
The primary target demographic for this tour would encompass foresters, volunteer firefighters, BCWS firefighters, and indigenous knowledge practitioners. These individuals are uniquely positioned to contribute significantly to the educational aspect of the tour due to their specialized expertise and hands-on experience. By engaging with these groups, the tour can provide valuable insights into forest management practices, firefighting techniques, and indigenous perspectives on land stewardship. This diverse audience brings a wealth of knowledge and practical wisdom to the table, making them instrumental in shaping a comprehensive and impactful educational experience.
The secondary audience for our tour comprises individuals who are passionate about environmental conservation, eager learners, and people proactive in making a positive impact on our planet. This inclusive group is enthusiastic about participating in initiatives aimed at restoring and revitalizing the land, such as planting trees and cultivating biodiverse plant species. By joining our tour, they not only gain valuable knowledge and skills but also actively contribute to the collective effort of environmental restoration. Their dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship adds depth and diversity to the tour experience, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose in safeguarding our natural resources for future generations.
Taken in the McKay regions of the fire, located north of Lillooet 2022. This picture shows a natural regeneration of fireweed, pine grass, cheatgrass in moderately burned areas.
Source: Chanvre Oleman
The Opportunity:
The Wildfire Regeneration Tours seeks to physically contribute to the rebuilding of the Thompson Valley’s flora and fauna, bring together the visitors and residents of Kamloops community, and gain a better understanding and knowledge of wildfire protection and Indigenous land stewardship.
The Land:
There is an opportunity to bring in more efforts and collaboration when it comes to the rebuilding of the forest and nature that surrounds Kamloops. Our small tourism enterprise hopes to be a tourist event that aids in the continuous efforts to rebuild after wildfire devastation through tree planning and education.
Kamloops Community:
This small tourism tour is the perfect opportunity to foster a community connection that has been fragile in the past, between tourist and residents. By prioritizing the relationship between visitors and residents, this tour involves tourists in environmental and sustainability efforts in the community. Coming to the region and participating in tree planning, and regeneration, tours are part of helping support the local economy, displaying respect, and contributing to the sustainability of the place all make a noticeable difference for residents. Visitors recognize their agency as a contributor to the community’s cultural sustainability. This connection rebuilding between both the forest and the visitor residences relationship will benefit the community of Kamloops as much as the physical land.
Indigenous Stewardship:
Lastly, this tour has the opportunity to gain a better understanding and knowledge of wildfire protection and Indigenous land stewardship. The tour will strengthen the disconnect between tourists’ fear of the wildfires in the region and not coming to the region because of it. Knowledge and education provided by an Indigenous guest will help mitigate that fear of wildfire. It will create a reminder that wildfires can be controlled, and help tell the general public that these wildfires may decrease in the future if properly mitigated. We want this experience to be part of tangible heritage, which includes the places where wildfires have occurred, which are considered worthy of preservation. These include significant wildfire places, activities of planting a mix of tree and vegetation, gathering, which is Indigenous based restoration. This will strengthen the culture in the Kamloops region by learning the mitigations around wildfire safety procedures, the effects of wildfires and the regeneration of the biodiverse areas of Kamloops.
Some of our primary community members and partners included in this initiative are:
- Garrett Whitworth: Some of his initiatives would include education of the significance of carbon and its advantageous role in community enhancement and restoration. This involves spreading awareness and understanding regarding the pivotal role of carbon within ecosystems, emphasizing the positive impacts. Additionally, he will be pivotal in coordinating and executing strategies geared towards leveraging carbon-related practices to enhance community resilience and promote ecosystem restoration efforts.
- Charlene John from the Secwépemc Restoration and Stewardship Society will ensure the accuracy and reliability of information about our restoration endeavours during tours conducted within the Secwépemc community areas. Her responsibilities extend to verifying facts and data related to our restoration initiatives, ensuring that the information presented during these tours is precise and informative. Through her fact-checking and attention to detail, Charlene will foster transparency and trust in our restoration initiatives, ultimately strengthening our relationship with the community and advancing our shared conservation goals.
- The volunteers from Wilson’s Landing Firefighters play a crucial role in sharing their firsthand experiences in volunteer firefighting and engaging in discussions to enhance home and forest protection measures. Their expertise provides invaluable insights into effective strategies for safeguarding our residences. Drawing upon their practical knowledge and experiences, they contribute to developing proactive approaches to address fire safety concerns within our communities. We collaborate to explore innovative methods and solutions to better protect against wildfires.
- BCWS: The British Columbia Wildfire Service will enhance its expertise through its firsthand experiences in wildfire firefighting. With this experience, communities and rural residents will have a chance to hear from these people about how to protect their homes better and learn about the sustainability aspects of these fires.
These partners know Kamloops, and they are willing to support locals and visitors who are curious to learn about the wildfires and restoration. They have infrastructure needed to execute this tour, and are crucial community partners.
Community Partners:
- Innovatree Carbon Group (ICG): Contact, Garrett Whitworth
- Wilson’s Landing Firefighters: Contact, Paul Zydovicz
- Seneca Enterprises
- Covert Farms, Black Sage Butcher, Stock Pot Cafe
- Secwépemc Restoration and Stewardship Society: Contact, Charlene John
- WWF, to help with funding
- New Relationship Trust, to help with funding
Taken in the McKay regions of the fire, located north of Lillooet 2022, one year after the fire. This morel mushroom is often found in coniferous forest, in recently burned areas or disturbed ground.
Source: Chanvre Oleman
The Experience:
Welcome to Wildfire Regeneration Tours! We are a tour company offering locals and tourists a chance to see and feel the impact of wildfire devastation and personally make a difference. We will be running two tours on the first weekend of every month from May-August. One on Saturday from 11-3pm and another on Sunday from 11-3pm. The Saturday tour is designed to be more athletically intensive, participants of this day should be prepared to hike and plant trees for upwards of 90 minutes. The Sunday tour is designed to be much more family friendly and inclusive, the van will visit multiple sites instead of just one, and physical activity will be limited to short walks.
Participants will meet at the Wildfire Regeneration Tours office in Kamloops, BC at 10:30am on their scheduled tour date. The tour will depart at 11am. We ask applicants to come half an hour early in order to sign waivers, meet the guides, and get comfortably situated in the van so we can leave promptly at 11am.
A packed lunch will be provided to all participants and time will be given to eat during the tour. Lunches will be provided from different local BC vendor each month throughout the summer.
Each tour will be joined by two guest speakers. One guest speaker will always be a fire safety representative and educator and the second will always be an Indigenous representative and educator in order to see what both groups are doing to take care of the land.
Saturday Schedule:
10:30: Meet at Wildfire Regeneration Tours Office
11:00: Depart to Site
11:00: Guest Speaker Talk #1
12:00: Arrive at Site / Begin Trek to Lunch Spot
12:45: Lunch
1:15: Head back to Van / Tree Planting
2:00: Begin Return to Office
2:00: Guest Speaker Talk #2
3:00: Return to Wildfire Regeneration Tours Office
Sunday Schedule:
10:30: Meet at Wildfire Regeneration Tours Office
11:00: Depart to Site #1
11:00: Guest Speaker Talk #1
12:00: Arrive at Site #1 / Short Walk to View Spot
12:15: Head to Site #2
12:45: Arrive at Site #2
1:00: Lunch
145: Begin Return to Office
2:00: Guest Speaker Talk #2
3:00: Return to Wildfire Regeneration Tours Office
Possible Site Options – here a the map
| Site | Distance There | Round Trip |
| Flat Lake (South) | 20km | 40km |
| Monte Lake (South East) | 52km | 104km |
| Strawberry Hill / Heffley Creek (North near Paul Lake) | 24km | 48km |
| Elephant Hill (West) | 87km | 174km |
Site options have been strategically chosen by recommendation from our contact Innovatree Carbon Group. Three of the places above are currently under restoration projects with Innovatree and all are within Secwépemc territory. They use the Ministry of Forests guidelines and climate modeling to ensure trees planted are suited for the climate long-term. Types of trees they plant include: pine, spruce, aspen, fir, cedar, larch, and cottonwood. They will typically plant 4-5 species from this list in an area.
By giving our guests the opportunity to plant a tree, we are providing a hands-on learning experience to take home with them. We aim to not only leave our guests with an abundance of new knowledge but also new-found tree-planting abilities that will leave them feeling like they have contributed to our environment and growth. This experience both benefits our tour and the sites we plan to visit, but also allows people who might never have attempted tree planting, or cared a lot about the local environment to reconsider and find a new passion!
The tour aims to provide as much knowledge about our local forests, land, and trees, as we can reasonably fit into people’s brains! Another company we hope to work alongside is Seneca Enterprises. They have been actively involved in reforestation for over 30 years and have planted over 200 million seedlings! Seneca Enterprises has the experience and supplies to complete treks in difficult and dangerous areas and provide a number of training services to their employees and the public. A great guide to start off from is the Replant Youtube Channel which breaks down the basics of tree planting for anyone who wants to learn more before or after a tour with us! To learn more about tree planting check out this guide made by a Vernon company: Tree Planters Online Resource
A packed lunch will be provided to all participants and time will be given to eat during the tour. Lunches will be provided from different local BC vendor each month throughout the summer.
Possible Vendors:
- Covert Farms : Seasonal fruits, veggies, jams etc.
- Black Sage Butcher : Local source, naturally fed meats.
- Stock Pot Cafe : Homemade soups and breakfast, frozen, lasagna, chicken fettuccini alfredo, cabbage roll casserole, beef or turkey shepherd’s pie, and chilli.
- As well as a more expansive list of local vendors we would reach out to.
Finance:
Some of our potential financial funding opportunities would include WWF- Canada and New Relationship trust, we would have to apply to their funding agencies and connect with them. WWF (World Wildlife Fund Canada) is a company franchise for wildlife and restoration projects in natural devastated areas. New Relationship Trust is a company that provides funding opportunities for startup entrepreneurs in indigenous communities.
Cost Breakdown:
- VAN: $150/day rental – 1,200 total
- GAS: $21 for Sunday, $42 for Saturday – $63/weekend – $252 total minimum based on km driven
FOOD: $15/person, 8-9 guests a trip – $250/weekend – $2,000 total - CHARGE: $80/person – Looking at $10,000 in profit depending on number of guests
A forest with active wildfires.
Source: pixabay
The Benefit:
This tour benefits the land, the community of Kamloops and forest Indigenous connection with the Secwépemc Restoration and Stewardship Society (SRSS).
The Land:
What is the importance of Carbon? Carbon monitoring is important to monitor because it plays a vital role in addressing climate change, managing natural resources sustainability, and protecting the health of ecosystems and human communities. Tree planting and regeneration are essential components of effort to address climate change, conserve biodiversity, protect natural resources, and promote sustainable developments. By investing in these initiatives, we can create a healthier, more resilient ecosystem.
The Kamloops Community:
Visitors and residents will be leaving the place better than they found it, and get the benefit of seeing the region as a growing, biodiverse place, not a destroyed fire devastated place. The community will strengthen around hope for a resorted forest.
Community Benefiting:
- Environmental conservationist
- Hikers
- Eager learners
- Foresters
- Rural Residents
Indigenous Aspect:
A connection between wildfire services, regeneration with Secwépemc Restoration and Stewardship Society. This opportunity is a unique benefit where visitors and residents get to see the difference between how the B.C. Government views and deals with fire protection, and regeneration, vases the Indigenous restoration perspectives. This tour will offer the participants a way to see those two perspectives combined, and up close and personal. This will benefit the experience providers, as much as the people on the tour.
This small tourism has the ability to provide assistance and benefit the local communities recovering from wildfires.
FEATURE IMAGE: Kelowna man standing on the foundation of his home after it had burned down by active wildfire. Sourced from Wilson Landing Fire Fighter.