The Kootenays includes the Kootenay River—one of the largest tributaries of the Columbia River—and forms part of the headwaters of the Columbia, the fourth‑largest watershed in North America.
The Kootenays are known for rushing rivers, the Rocky Mountains, and large and diverse wildlife populations.
The lush mountain forests, alpine meadows, grasslands, dry forests, shrub-steppe, and wetlands are home to more than 200 of Canada’s most iconic wildlife species, including deer, elk, moose, bears, and cougars.
The Columbia River Basin has been dramatically altered by dams and reservoirs, flooding low-lying habitat and creating barriers to fish migration. Nevertheless, it hosts a wealth of biodiversity. The Columbia wetlands form one of the largest intact wetlands in North America. Elsewhere, large stretches of connected wildlife habitat still remain, spanning areas of wetlands, grasslands, dry Ponderosa pine and interior Douglas-fir forests, and inland rainforests.
In the Kootenays, we focus on creating large conservation complexes and wildlife corridors to ensure that the many species living here can thrive. We’ve protected over 30 conservation complexes in this region, encompassing 30,058 acres.
At the Bull River Grassland Corridor, we’re restoring a landscape that wildlife has relied on for generations. By opening up dense forests and bringing back the natural grassland–forest mosaic, we’re improving habitat, supporting wildlife movement, and reducing the risk of severe wildfires. This work, happening across nearly 500 protected acres, is helping bighorn sheep and other species thrive once again.
The Hoodoos spans over 10,000 acres in the East Kootenays, protecting abundant wildlife habitat including significant wetlands, grasslands, and winter range for deer, elk, and moose. This area provides habitat for at-risk species like the American badger, rubber boa, great blue heron, Lewis’s woodpecker, and white-throated swifts.
As a second‑generation land manager, Chris has spent his life not only working on the landscapes he cares about, but exploring them, learning from them, and building a deep connection to place. He first joined NTBC as a seasonal employee from 2005 to 2009, and the organization’s mission — and the landscapes themselves — eventually drew him back in 2017 as the Kootenay Conservation Land Manager. His career has taken him through roles with Indigenous, local, and provincial governments, giving him the broad experience he sums up with a smile as being a “specialist at being a generalist.”
Originally from southern Ontario, Chris has been happily rooted in the Kootenays since 2003. He lives in Kimberley with his partner and daughter. Whether he’s working on the land or out recreating in it, he continues to appreciate the places he helps steward. Chris holds bachelor’s degrees in Geography and in Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism from Lakehead University.
We gratefully acknowledge that our Vancouver office is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, who have been stewarding this land since time immemorial. Our work and conservation areas encompass many lands throughout the province, and we humbly acknowledge the First Nations communities who live on and steward these lands.
Stay connected to the landscapes you help protect. Receive updates from the field, stories of conservation in action, and opportunities to support and experience BC’s natural places.
Stay connected to the landscapes you help protect. Receive updates from the field, stories of conservation in action, and opportunities to support and experience BC’s natural places.