From May 17 to May 21 immerse yourself in the unique natural diversity of the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

In 2011, the Meadowlark Nature Festival was once again voted the ‘Best Annual Community Event in the South Okanagan’ by readers of Okanagan Life Magazine.

The Festival offers over 80 environmental tours and events held under the open sky, which will take people from Canada’s unique desert to the alpine meadows high above the Okanagan Lake. Indigenous cultural tours, canoe trips, horseback riding, guided walks, bird watching tours, geology and history tours, art exhibits, hands-on presentations on astronomy, nature photography, green buildings and more, are all designed to be fun and informative for people of all ages and abilities.

The Festival started 15 years ago and has evolved into one of Canada’s premier outdoor nature celebrations. People from across North America and as far away as Europe now come for the tours, lectures, workshops and other activities led by prominent naturalists, educators, artists and scientists.

The Meadowlark Nature Festival is organized by the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA) to encourage people of all ages to experience, discover and explore their natural environment. The Okanagan-Similkameen hosts a rare mosaic of natural habitats; among them is one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems - the hot, dry shrub-grasslands. A springtime look at these shrub-grasslands, known as Canada’s ‘pocket desert’, reveals a riot of colour flourishing in this seemingly harsh environment.

This popular 5-day Festival is also a celebration of the unique wildlife and habitats found in the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Many distinct types of wildlife habitat are home to some of the most diverse and rare assemblages of plant and animal species in the country.

For further details about this year’s tours and events, and general information about the Festival, visit www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca