Upcoming Program - Starts May 2026

WILDSIGHT YOUTH CLIMATE CORPS - EAST KOOTENAY

Exploring Resilience and Sustainability

Welcome to the East Kootenay chapter of the Youth Climate Corps. Nestled in the captivating landscapes of the Kootenays, Youth Climate Corps East Kootenay is dedicated to championing environmental action and community resilience.Through collaborative efforts, education, and hands-on projects, we aim to foster a culture of sustainability that will resonate throughout generations to come.

Land Acknowledgment

We gratefully acknowledge that our work takes place on the traditional territories of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc peoples. We recognize their enduring connection to these lands and waters and express our gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to their care and stewardship.

Connect with Youth Climate Corps East Kootenay

Are you excited to be a part of Wildsight YCC East Kootenay? Do you have ideas, questions, or insights to share? Youth Climate Corps East Kootenay would love to connect with you. Visit Wildsight's website, or follow on Instagram.

Focus Areas

Youth Climate Corps East Kootenay has completed a wide range of projects, including:

Theory and Practice of Food Sustainability: Local food recovery and sustainability initiatives that will deepen your understanding of local food systems, food waste and burgeoning solutions.

Wildfire Risk Reduction: A wildfire fuel mitigation and monitoring project developed to spread awareness and increase local wildfire resilience.

Lois Creek Stream and Wetland Enhancement: A small-scale, community-oriented stream and wetland restoration project located in the Lois Creek trail system of Kimberley.

Healthy ecosystems: The East Kootenay crews undertake a range of projects each season that help build a stronger, more resilient ecosystem. Projects include Whitebark Pine Recovery, Native Wildflower Seed Collection, Pollinator Meadow Restoration, wildfire fuel data collection, and more.

Community Engagement: Each cohort has the opportunity to focus on a small-scale, local passion project where the crew is responsible for organization and implementation. The East Kootenay crew has done several Fix-it-Fairs, bringing together skilled volunteers to repair clothing, small appliances and more, as well as working alongside environmental educators to provide outdoor learning experiences to local students.

Hiring: Wildsight's Youth Climate Corps

Wildsight, in partnership with Youth Climate Corps BC, is hiring Climate Action Technicians in the West and East Kootenay regions.

YCC Alumnus Katie Martin Gets Nature Canada Grant

Youth Climate Corps (YCC) alumna Katie Martin has been named one of just seven recipients of Nature Canada’s 2025 Young Nature Leaders Grant. This grant supports youth across the country to design and deliver community-based projects rooted in nature and sustainability.

A Columbia Basin -Based Initiative Fighting Climate Change Through Paid SummerEmployment Expands Province-Wide

Youth Climate Corps BC (YCCBC) has officially launched its 2025 summer season, with programs running in seven regions across the province, including long-standing crews facilitated by Wildsight in the East and West Kootenays.

Within Youth Climate Corps, crew members are between 17-29 years old; they earn wages, gain work experience, build networks, and develop themselves personally and professionally. Meanwhile, they complete projects that both benefit their own communities and support global efforts to act on the climate crisis.

If you or your organization wants to learn more about how to team up with us and move forward on projects in your community, or if you are interested in funding one of our projects related to our different focus areas, we are here to support you.