ABNC’s Grassland Blog Series
BC’s grasslands: a very special 1%
By Heidi Wismath
Quick takeaway: BC’s native grasslands cover less than 1% of the province, but they hold an outsized share of biodiversity, beauty, and story. The North Okanagan sits right in the middle of that living web.
If you’ve ever stood on a sun-warmed hillside in the North Okanagan and watched the wind ripple through bunchgrasses, you already know grasslands are not “empty” places.
They are living, irreplaceable ecosystems.
How grasslands happen here
BC’s interior grasslands mostly form in rain shadows. As moist air rises over mountain ranges, it cools and drops much of its moisture on the windward side. The air that descends into valleys like the Okanagan is warmer and drier. That’s what creates the low-precipitation conditions that favour drought-tolerant bunchgrasses over closed-canopy forests.
Grasslands are also shaped by fire. Historically, frequent, low-to-moderate intensity fires helped:
- keep grasslands open by limiting young conifers and shrubs
- recycle nutrients
- maintain the sunny conditions many grassland plants and animals depend on
When fire is excluded for long periods, grasslands can become overgrown and gradually shift toward shrubland or forest. That reduces native grassland biodiversity and can make ecosystems less resilient.
Why they matter (even though they’re small)
In British Columbia, native grasslands cover less than one percent of the provincial land base. Even so, they support an extraordinary range of plants and animals, including many species at risk.
Grasslands are also deeply important to people. They are part of the long-standing relationships that First Nations hold with these lands. They are working landscapes for ranchers and producers. They are research and learning places for scientists, educators, and land managers. They are places of joy and connection for hikers, birders, and anyone who relies on clean water, healthy soils, and resilient ecosystems.
Okanagan grasslands: where conservation gets complicated
The Okanagan is a biodiversity hotspot shaped by heat, drought, and steep elevation gradients across three connected valley systems: the Okanagan, Similkameen, and Kettle.
Because many grasslands occur at low elevations on warm, dry benches and valley bottoms, they overlap with some of the most sought-after places for:
- orchards and vineyards
- housing
- roads and transportation corridors
The result is a conservation challenge that is both ecological and cultural: how to care for small, scattered, highly productive habitats in a landscape where human use is intense, and land is heavily fragmented.
The big tension
The most biodiverse grasslands are often the most vulnerable.
In the South Okanagan, near-desert conditions support Great Basin–influenced plant communities like antelope-brush grasslands. They are among Canada’s most critically endangered ecosystems.
At the same time, those valley-bottom sites have been the fastest to convert to agriculture and urban development, and they recover slowly once disturbed.
Many sites also depend on living soil crusts and deep-rooted bunchgrasses that:
- stabilize soil
- store carbon
- help the land manage water
These benefits are easy to lose and hard to rebuild.
Land ownership matters
Conservation in the Okanagan happens in a complicated land-tenure reality.
Roughly a third of grassland area in the Okanagan Basin and Boundary has already been lost to development, and much of what remains is privately owned. Additional areas fall within First Nations Reserves, and only a very small portion is Crown Land.
That means progress often depends on relationship-based work: collaborating with landowners, ranchers, and local governments to support practical management, reduce pressures like invasive species and unmanaged recreation, and keep remaining patches connected.
Connectivity is the other big story
The Okanagan Valley is an essential corridor linking the Great Basin grasslands north toward the Thompson and Cariboo-Chilcotin regions.
Keeping connected, low-elevation routes for wildlife movement is becoming even more important as the climate shifts. The last remaining connected pathways on parts of Okanagan Lake’s east side are increasingly precious.
In that context, conservation is not only about saving special places.
It is about keeping a working, living network intact—one that supports birds, reptiles, insects, and mammals, and also supports the human communities who depend on clean water, resilient soils, and landscapes that can adapt.
About the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC
The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC is a registered charity founded in 1999.
We bring together people who care about grasslands across the province, including ranchers and producers, Indigenous communities, scientists, educators, land managers, and conservation advocates.
Our work focuses on grassland conservation and restoration through education, outreach, and collaboration. We share practical resources and local stories, support community-led efforts, and help strengthen the relationships that make long-term grassland care possible.
Over more than 25 years, our work and our organization have grown and changed in response to what grasslands need, and what communities are asking for.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are planning to expand landowner outreach across grassland regions.
One of the best ways to understand grasslands is to see them up close and talk about what is working.
Our private land tours create space for honest, grounded conversations about grassland values, challenges, and innovative management approaches. These tours help us learn from one another and build the trust that lasting conservation depends on.
We are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship in this work. It reflects a shared understanding that BC’s grasslands are precious, and that relationship-based collaboration is key.
I’m Heidi Wismath, and I love the Allan Brooks Nature Centre
My name is Heidi Wismath, and I am the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC.
My work is about connection: helping people see grasslands clearly, care deeply about them, and feel equipped to take meaningful action.
Why youth experiences matter
One of the most important parts of this work is reaching young people.
Many youth are growing up with fewer chances to spend time outside in their local ecosystems. When people feel less connected to the living world, it can show up as lower well-being, more conflict over land use, and fewer community members who feel confident taking part in caring for the places they love.
Creating meaningful, hands-on experiences in grasslands helps build ecological identity, curiosity, and a sense of responsibility that can last a lifetime.
A shared dream for the North Okanagan
My dream for the North Okanagan is that it can be both:
- the trail capital of BC
- home to a new generation of grassland professionals and grassland champions
People who know these landscapes, love them, and have the skills to support long-term conservation and restoration.
Why ABNC is such a powerful partner
I am beyond excited to be partnering with the Allan Brooks Nature Centre in the North Okanagan.
ABNC has a long-standing, local presence and a powerful way of helping people notice what can be easy to miss—from native plants to grassland birds to the small relationships that hold an ecosystem together.
I have been supporting ABNC’s Nature in the Classroom program with students across the North and Central Okanagan.
Sharing the wonder of grasslands and hearing students’ thoughtful questions are among the best parts of my work.
When I talk with kids about badgers, I sometimes share that badgers can hunt alongside coyotes. Each animal is good at different things. Together, they are more effective.
That is how I see partnerships like GCC and ABNC.
When local organizations, landowners, educators, and community members come together, we can build a shared sense of place, responsibility, and possibility. We pool our gifts and resources, and we find friendships along the way.
Want to learn more or connect?
If you would like to connect with GCC about grasslands in BC, landowner outreach, or upcoming opportunities to learn together on the land, we would love to hear from you.
Connect with me at heidi@bcgrasslands.org.
Learn more at bcgrasslands.org.