The Kokanee Creek Nature Centre is marking a major milestone this summer.
The centre is celebrating 50 years of outdoor education programming at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, a legacy staff say has connected generations of visitors with nature.
Kokanee Creek Nature Centre head naturalist Joanne Siderius said the anniversary is about more than the building itself.
“It’s a legacy of teaching nature and letting people in nature meet each other.”
The centre will celebrate its golden anniversary throughout the summer with a birthday party on July 1, photo displays highlighting its history and opportunities for visitors to share memories of the facility.
Siderius said the centre has become a place families return to year after year.
“What makes it special is we have people who come here who are grandparents, who brought their kids here, and now they’re bringing their grandkids here. So there’s an investment of love in this place, of love of nature,” she said.
“People associate good times in their lives with this building.”
The building opened in the mid-1970s as the park’s Nature House before becoming the Visitor Centre and eventually the Kokanee Creek Nature Centre.
Over the decades, Siderius said it has grown from offering a small number of programs into a hub for outdoor education, children’s activities, evening presentations and community events.
Siderius has worked at the centre for about 18 years and said one of the things that makes the facility special is the people who have dedicated years of their lives to helping visitors connect with nature.
“There’s an investment of love in this place, of love of nature.”
Today, the centre hosts naturalist talks, guest speakers, workshops and children’s programs while continuing to welcome thousands of campground visitors each summer.
“We’re a place that attracts people that want to share their knowledge and their love of, not just the outdoors, but just a place to be where you can be quiet and be a part of, not just an ecosystem, be part of nature and remember that you’re part of everything living,” said Siderius.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, staff are assembling historical photos from the centre’s early years and inviting the public to help identify people and share stories connected to the facility.
“We’ve got lots of photos that we’re going to do a montage throughout the Nature Centre. And people can come and see if they recognize anybody. And any suggestions are welcome,” said Siderius.
She added that she hopes former visitors, volunteers and staff will stop by and reflect on the role the centre has played in their lives.
“We’d like to see a lot of people come here and held us enjoy. Come and tell us about the memories that they have of the place. Tell us about the people that maybe they’ve lost, this was important to them,” she said.
“Just come and be part of the Kokanee Creek Nature Centre Society. Be part of that family.”
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