Environmental Initiatives

Since 2009, the RDCK has supported the Wildsight Beyond Recycling program which provides environmental education in local elementary schools.

Created in the Kootenays, Beyond Recycling (BR) is a school-based environmental education program. Educators provide an action-oriented, solutions-focused curriculum, with 27 available weekly lessons for grade 5 to 7 classrooms to address environmental issues, inspire positive action and find creative solutions in living sustainably. All BR lessons are based on scientifically sound knowledge and integrate locally relevant and recent information, particularly around climate change, energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and local food production. Lessons are designed to complement the BC curriculum, with connections to science, social studies, language arts, math and the core competencies.

As part of the program, students visit RDCK landfills and transfer stations to reinforce their lessons in waste management.

The 2022/23 school year was the fourteenth year of BR delivery on a regional scale, offered in communities throughout the Columbia Basin. BR was delivered in four communities, in five schools, to 131 students. Each program delivers 27 lessons, at 75 minutes per lesson for a total of just under 169 hours of programming in the RDCK.

BR educators completed 25 blog posts to share the exciting activities that happened in the classroom at www.beyondrecycling.ca/blog.

The Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society (CKISS) coordinates an invasive species program within the Regional District of Central Kootenay. This includes implementation of the draft RDCK Invasive Species Strategy. An invasive species is a species that lacks natural controls and causes damage to the environment, human economy or human health. The CKISS mission is to protect ecosystems and communities by preventing and reducing the harmful impacts of invasive species.

Invasive species can outcompete native plants and animals – they are one of the five main drivers of biodiversity loss globally and have played a key role in 60 per cent of plant and animal extinctions globally (IPBES 2023). Invasive species impacts go beyond biodiversity and also seriously affect economic activities, livelihoods, food security, and human health and well-being (IUCN 2018).

Take action to prevent the spread of invasive species by visiting the CKISS website. Learn to identify invasive species, how to get involved and how to control invasive species on your land.

Noxious weeds (invasive plants) are accepted at no charge at most RDCK Resource Recovery Facilities for disposal. Noxious weeds must be bagged in transparent bags, unless advance arrangements are made through the RDCK’s Environmental Services Department. Refer to Schedule C of the RDCK Resource Recovery Facilitites Regulatory Bylaw for disposal specifications.

For more information about invasive species please contact CKISS by email: info@ckiss.ca OR call: 1-844-352-1160 OR visit their website: www.ckiss.ca.

Since 2008 the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) has been funding WildsafeBC on an annual basis in its ongoing efforts to provide programming throughout the RDCK. Currently, WildsafeBC provides the following programs within the RDCK:

• 2024 WildsafeBC Annual Report – Castlegar and Areas I & J
• 2024 WildsafeBC Annual Report – Kaslo and Area D
• 2024 WildsafeBC Annual Report – Nelson and Areas E & F
• 2024 WildsafeBC Annual Report – New Denver, Silverton, Nakusp and Areas H & K

This on-going financial support demonstrates the RDCK Board’s commitment to the WildSafeBC program objectives with focus on reducing human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation:

‘WildSafeBC has been successful in many communities, educating and motivating people to adopt and establish new habits towards waste and attractant management. The program strives to prevent wildlife from lingering in urban areas by providing strategies and support for people to prevent, and cope with, wildlife conflicts. This approach is an effective long-term solution for reducing human-wildlife conflict.’