More Than Removing Thistles: A Community Comes Together in the North Okanagan
Sometimes stewardship begins with a simple observation: Someone should really do something about these thistles.
This spring, hundreds of people decided that someone was them.
The inaugural North Okanagan Scotch Thistle Bash brought together volunteers, community organizations, stewardship groups, First Nations partners, schools, and individuals with one shared goal: reducing the spread of Scotch thistle before it could set seed. What began as a first-year initiative quickly grew into a region-wide effort that exceeded every expectation.
Throughout the spring, volunteers organized community work bees, incorporated thistle removal into existing stewardship events, and tackled infestations independently in neighbourhoods, parks, trails, wetlands, and natural areas across the North Okanagan.
Because reporting was voluntary and not every event submitted final numbers, the results presented here represent minimum confirmed totals. Several organized events did not return removal numbers, and many individuals removed Scotch thistle on their own without reporting their efforts. As such, the true impact of the 2026 Scotch Thistle Bash was almost certainly substantially greater than the numbers presented here.
Confirmed Outcomes
| Measure | Total |
|---|---|
| Volunteers | 201 |
| Youth Participants (under 30) | 120 |
| Community Organizers | 18 |
| Partner Organizations | 11 |
| Stewardship Sites | 20 |
| Bags of Flowering & Seeding Plants Removed | 37 |
| Rosettes Removed | 6,363 |
Together, these volunteers removed thousands of Scotch thistles before they could mature and produce seed, helping protect native grasslands, wetlands, parks, trails, and community greenspaces throughout the North Okanagan.
In addition to removing 6,363 first-year rosettes, volunteers collected 37 bags of flowering and seeding plants before seeds could disperse. Because a single mature Scotch thistle can produce thousands of seeds, this effort likely prevented hundreds of thousands—and potentially well over one million—new seeds from entering the landscape.
Learning Together
Supporting volunteers was just as important as removing thistles.
To help participants feel confident identifying and managing Scotch thistle, the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC partnered with the Invasive Species Council of BC to create educational resources before the season began. These videos introduced the Scotch Thistle Bash, demonstrated effective management techniques, and remain available for anyone interested in organizing similar stewardship efforts in their own community.
Scotch Thistle Bash Overview
https://youtube.com/shorts/eEJJiB4jwS8?feature=share
Scotch Thistle Management Techniques
https://youtu.be/deIET5nSQBQ
Together with social media outreach, promotional materials, and guidance from local organizers, these resources helped ensure volunteers could participate safely, confidently, and effectively.
Stewardship Across the North Okanagan
Confirmed Scotch Thistle Bash activities took place throughout the region, including:
- Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park (north of Comin’ Round the Mountain Trail; Braeburn Trail and Beach Trail; multiple satellite sites)
- Above 15th Avenue
- South Otter Lake to O’Keefe Ranch Marshall Fields
- Grey Canal (McLennan Road to Rugg Road; Cypress Road to Warren Road)
- BX Ranchlands Park
- Allan Brooks Nature Centre
- Thomas Hayes Ecological Park
- Adventure Bay
- Kilometre 0 of the Okanagan Rail Trail
- Point Sage Drive
- North BX
- McKergow Meadows
- Middleton Mountain
- College Way / Kickwillie
- Graystone Park
- Swan Lake Nature Reserve
- Crane Road–Jordan Park Reserve
- Cools Pond
- Goose Lake (Okanagan Indian Band)
- Conservation covenant at 7203 Coldstream Creek Road
- Black Rock and 39th Avenue
Powered by Community
The success of the inaugural Scotch Thistle Bash was made possible through the dedication of local volunteers who organized events, recruited participants, coordinated logistics, identified treatment sites, and reported results.
We gratefully acknowledge the leadership of:
Greig Crockett, Brenda Couture, Linda Ensing, Kim Fulton, Sue Ghattas, Eric Kowalski, Kathy Jenkins, David Lilly, Bev Lyons, Ainsley Mutrie, Judy Mossat, Daryl Nolan, Melanie Piorecky, Marge Sidney, Sharell Watts, Pam Van Kleeck, and Marnie Williamson.
(Alphabetized by last name.)
The initiative was further strengthened through collaboration among community groups, stewardship organizations, educational institutions, and government partners, including:
- Allan Brooks Nature Centre
- Armstrong Spallumcheen Trails Society
- BX/Swan Lake Community Association
- Friends of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park
- Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail
- Grasslands Conservation Council of BC
- Invasive Species Council of BC
- Kalamalka Secondary School
- Nature Conservancy of North Okanagan
- North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club
- UBC Okanagan Sustainability
- Vernon Outdoor Club
Looking Ahead
The enthusiasm surrounding the inaugural North Okanagan Scotch Thistle Bash was inspiring.
What began as a wish that “someone would do something about the thistles” quickly grew into a network of stewardship events spanning parks, neighbourhoods, trails, conservation lands, and wetlands across the region.
The response exceeded expectations—not only in volunteer participation, but in the excitement generated around the initiative. Throughout the season, members of the Scotch Thistle Bash working group received inquiries from individuals and organizations in both the North and Central Okanagan interested in organizing similar events in their own communities.
Building on the success of this first season, the Grasslands Conservation Council of BC plans to continue supporting and coordinating the Scotch Thistle Bash in 2027. By strengthening partnerships, sharing resources, and expanding the network of local organizers, we hope to see even more communities working together to reduce the spread of Scotch thistle and care for the landscapes we share.
The inaugural Scotch Thistle Bash demonstrated that invasive species management is about more than removing plants—it is about cultivating stewardship. Every volunteer, every organizer, and every conversation helped grow a community committed to caring for the places we call home.
A Personal Thank You
Thank you to every single person who gave their time, energy, and care to this project.
Every rosette removed and every seed head collected represents so much more than a number in a spreadsheet. It represents someone who paused to notice, a neighbour who chose to help—perhaps for the first time—and a community coming together to care for the landscapes we all depend on.
The numbers in this report reflect only what was recorded and returned to us. We know the true impact extends far beyond what can be captured in a spreadsheet over a few short months. It lives in the conversations sparked, the understanding grown, the laughter shared, the connections nurtured, and the countless acts of stewardship that continue across the life-giving North Okanagan year-round.
If this inaugural year showed us anything, it’s that stewardship is contagious. We can’t wait to see what our community accomplishes together in 2027.
Report compiled by:
Heidi Wismath
Education & Outreach Coordinator
Grasslands Conservation Council of BC
Connect with me: heidi@bcgrasslands.org
