Next Wednesday, April 24, nature lovers will be joining forces to offer the Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook AGM and Nature Appreciation Extravaganza in Cranbrook.

The day seeks to connect participants with their natural surroundings in celebration of United Nations International Mother Earth Day.

All activities for the day will be taking place within the Cranbrook Community Forest and Aboriginal Gathering Place located next to the College of the Rockies Main campus in Cranbrook.

For participants who are able to partake in daytime activities, the first starts at 10 a.m. with Randy Harris in the Cranbrook Community Forest. Randy will discuss pertinent topics including historic fire regimes, indigenous land management practices and ongoing research.

Starting at 1 p.m. participants can join Gretchen Whetham to discover what bird species are residents year round, passing through on their long journey home, or arriving back after a winter away.

Starting at 2 p.m., Sharon Cross will be offering a unique chance to try Forest Bathing, which leads participants through a mindful appreciation of the forest (with clothing on), unburdened by expectations yet oriented towards simple pleasure.

For participants able to join in after work, Randy Harris will be offering a second Forest Tour of the Cranbrook Community Forest starting at 5 p.m.

At 5:50 p.m. Sharon Cross will be leading a Hatha yoga class that explores the Tree pose. And at 6 p.m. Brooke Leyenhorst will give kids an opportunity to form a strong nature connection through a free kids’ only activity.

Topping off the evening, Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook will welcome everyone back to the Aboriginal Gathering Place for the free Annual General Meeting, snack and social starting at 8 p.m. Members and non-members are welcome to attend the meeting to vote in the 2019/20 directors, find out what the local branch has accomplished in 2018, as well as what to look forward to in 2019.

The diverse activities being offered on April 24 have been made possible through efforts by the East Kootenay Humanity Network, College of the Rockies, Cranbrook Community Forest Society and Rocky Mountain Naturalists.

For those who are interested in participating, online registration will be open until the afternoon of April 23 at Wildsight.ca/events, through the Wildsight KimCran AGM + Nature Appreciation Extravaganza listing. Most activities have a $5/person/activity fee, which goes directly back to the sponsoring non-profit, and all have limited spaces. Register early to avoid disappointment. The AGM is free and does not require registration.

Lead image by Dean Chatterson

Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook

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