Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society commence wildflower festival with a hike

With a bit of rain and a few dedicated wild flower enthusiasts, the Revelstoke Wildflower festival started yesterday with a light hike starting at Kovach Park to identify invasive species, hosted by the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society.

This is third consecutive year of the festival, which runs from Aug. 3–7. The festival includes several events like a photography workshop, a shuttle to Mt. Revelstoke, and painting at the summit.

The shuttle departs from the Parks Canada Office in Revelstoke each day of the festival at both 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and drops riders off at the summit of Mt. Revelstoke at the Balsam Lake parking area. The shuttle is free, but participants must purchase and show a Parks Canada day pass in order to enter the bus. The shuttle takes roughly 45 minutes to reach Balsam Lake parking area.

At the peak, participants will have time to take part in an Alpine Adaptations Wildflower Walk. Registration for the walks should be done beforehand and can be completed over the phone no later than 6 p.m. the day prior to the walk. The shuttle spaces are first come, first served, so arriving early is recommended.

There are set departure times for the shuttle to head back to the town. Morning riders should be ready to depart the summit at 12 p.m. and afternoon riders should be ready to depart at 4 p.m. Riders are expected to take the same shuttle there and back, unless they stipulate otherwise to the driver.

There will be two Alpine Adaptations Wildflower Walk sessions on Aug. 4th and 5th. The first will start at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m., both days.

Also at the peak, participants can look forward to a “do it yourself” painting station. Painting supplies, blank postcards, and colouring pages of alpine wildflowers will all be provided.

Participants heading up to Mt. Revelstoke are encouraged to bring clothing appropriate for the alpine climate. They should also note that there won’t be food at the summit, so packing a snack is recommended.

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