Okanagan Nature Nut Blog
April 17, 2026
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Nature’s Living Archive
Admission by Donation • Open seasonally • Experiences for all ages
Have you ever visited an agricultural park? Well now you can, right here in Vernon. The sncəcmałqtn (Okanagan/Sylix word for “place of small crops or gardens”) Agricultural Park is an inspiring unique living example of how history, ecology, farming, environmental restoration and community effort can all come together. The focus is on regenerative farming and gardening — restoring the micro organisms and health of the soil while providing healthy habitats for birds, bees, bats and people.
Alongside native and pollinator plantings, the park is home to organic community food gardens, riparian and creek restoration, land rehabilitation and wildlife enhancement projects, food forests, composting zones, and educational spaces where people can visit, learn, share, and reconnect with the land. There’s even work
happening to preserve the historic BX barn and weave the area’s ranching and agricultural heritage into this new chapter of stewardship.
A fabulous 4km level BX Ranch Trail with expansive views surrounds the park and passes through the Agricultural Park’s highlights. There’s interesting interpretive signs describing the park and its history. It starts from the parking lot at 4122 East Vernon Rd. Come walk the trail and visit the park. It’s free and open year round. The BX Ranch Tr is also accessed from behind the Mutrie Dog Park, or across BX Rd along an uphill trail from the BX Dog Park. Walkers with dogs on leash are welcome on the trail, but no dogs are allowed in the agricultural park though. Please!
Take your binoculars and watch Great Blue Herons catch mice. Birds of prey like Kestrel falcons, Red-tails and other hawks, and owls help control rodent populations. Killdeers nest near the creek. Listen and you’ll hear lots of other birds, especially now in the spring. Right now you’ll see people busy gardening, visiting and working on the many park projects. Then, as the summer progresses, plants grow ’til by autumn the whole park is alive and filled with flowers, vegetables, berries, nuts and busy gardeners.
Go visit this inspiring progressive project that’s creating a better, clean and healthy future for our whole community. Enjoy this sensational showcase of land rehabilitation and stewardship In a park.
