Staying resilient in Kamloops – things to do in Sept/Oct
September 9: Seniors for Climate Action are hosting a webinar with John Vaillant, award-winning author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast. Vaillant will speak for thirty minutes on how critical climate work is today, and how we can fit into that vital struggle, with a Q&A will follow. 3:30 pm (Pacific time). Click here to register. You are also invited to join the local Kamloops Seniors for Climate Action Draw The Line Climate March on September 20 at Riverside Park. Organized in collaboration with Youth of Kamloops Climate Action Network.
September 13:
- The Tomato Festival concludes at the Kamloops Farmers Market (KFM)! Tomato tasting & voting for the Peoples’ Choice Award for tomatoes grown by KFM vendors. Sample tomatoes in the Stuart Wood schoolyard and vote for your favourite. 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, St. Paul between 2nd and 3rd.
- If you are saving tomato and other seeds from your garden (a good idea, because you know these plants have survived a Kamloops growing season), you may also want to head over to Mt. Paul Community Food Council to help with seed cleaning and learn about the process and tools when the FarmFolk CityFolk mobile seed cleaner is on site. 11 am to 4 pm, Mt. Paul CFC, 140 Laburnum Street. Call them if you have questions or to register: 236-421-1011.
- Tapestry Festival at McDonald Park, 11 am to 4 pm. Take the whole family to this event celebrating the wide-ranging variety of foods, traditions, music, dances, history and art that thrive in our diverse Kamloops community. Activities for the kiddos included! Free to attend; learn all about it right here.
September 13, 17 & 18: The Grasslands Conservation Council of BC is hosting two guided walks in Kamloops-area grassland parks in September. On the 13th, join them at the Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park and on the 17th and 18th, they will be talking about grassland fire recovery at Peterson Creek. For more information and to register, click here. Free for members of GCC or by donation.
September 21-28; September 29-October 5: The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) Great Canadian BioBlitz returns! Record observations in the field during the first week of the Blitz, then upload and identify species observed the following week using the iNaturalist app. You can participate individually or get a group together. Scientists have access to the data collected during this event to track and conserve biodiversity across Canada and the world. Help make a difference! For details, click here. CWF also provides general information on BioBlitzing here; and iNaturalist gives pointers here.
October 7: Thompson Rivers University Friends of the Garden (TRU FOG to their friends) are featuring local invasive species specialist Megan Blackmore with an update on the Japanese Beetle in Kamloops at their next regular meeting on October 7, 2025. All welcome! If you are interested in learning more about FOG and their work at TRU, please bring your questions. 7 pm, House 10, 1030 University Drive (parking is free across the street after 6 pm). Visit trufog.org to learn more and/or get in touch.
Ongoing: The Invasive Species Council of BC (ISCBC) has a free, 3-level “Community Science eLearning Course” to inspire and encourage people across BC to participate in community science and take action by protecting biodiversity and reducing the impact of invasive species in their communities, including their own backyards. 13 units, 2.5 hours total, at your own pace. Learn more and register here.
Photo credit: Shelley McGuinness, Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, August 17, 2025
Transition Kamloops
Transition Kamloops is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness. We emphasize a local economy, healthy ecosystems, and grassroots community building, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. We believe in a better way: a community that sustains life in all its diversity, strives for equality and justice and invests in the future.
Transition Kamloops recognizes that we are living on Secwépemcul’ecw—land that was never ceded to settlers, and continues to be home to vibrant Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions. We acknowledge the impact of colonization, forced displacement, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. We commit to listening, learning, and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities as we work towards reconciliation.
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