Meadowlark Festival celebrates the natural environment of Okanagan and Similkameen

PENTICTON – The Meadowlark Nature Festival is a spring ritual in the Okanagan and Similkameen, as it enters its third decade of educating, engaging and inspiring participants about the natural environment.

The festival has been presenting a broad array of interactive, multi-disciplinary events exploring the natural side of the South Okanagan and Similkameen valleys since 1998, with this year’s festival taking place May 16 to 20, according to the Meadlowlark Nature Festival website.

This year’s events include tours to Naramata’s rock ovens, KVR trail tours, visits to the old Dusty Mac mine site near Okanagan Falls, a horseback tour near Oliver, birding tours, star gazing and a canoe tour on Vaseux Lake, to name but a few.

The festival is geared to appeal to a wide variety of people and interests. Each event is led by an expert in their field, including biologists, botanists, historians, geologists, naturalists, aboriginal knowledge keepers, astronomers and others. Groups are kept small to provide guests with an entertaining, education and up-close experience.

This year’s featured artist is Alex Fong. Meadowlark Festival participants will be able to join the famous Okanagan artist in a fun and informal art workshop using watercolours and acrylics.

Check the Meadowlark Festival webpage for tour dates, times and ticket information. For a comprehensive look at all the events, check out Meadowlark’s festival at a glance web page.

The Meadowlark Festival is presented annually by the Similkameen Conservation Alliance.


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Steve Arstad

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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