Photo by Sara Ashpole
Spadefoot Toad
West Kelowna’s Mount Boucherie Estate Winery is restoring up to 15 acres of riparian land on one of their vineyards on the Similkameen River near Keremeos.
The 80-acre vineyard is located directly on the river bank, and the winery is removing all the original posts, wires and vines installed by the former owners, to provide for natural habitat.
Manager of viticulture Brett Thiessen reached out to the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship, and is working with the local experts through their Stewardship program.
“As their 100th Stewards, they have been helping us to restore 10 to 15 acres of a riparian (riverbank) strip on one of our vineyard sites,” said Thiessen. “We're already spotting endangered Spadefoot toads making the most of their new ponds!”
Thiessen said the project is good for both the environment and the winery.
“This whole ecosystem focused approach will help increase beneficial biodiversity all around our new vineyard and return the space to crucial species of the Similkameen,” he explained. “Adaptation of habitat to farmland hurt certain species. This is our way of giving some of it back and benefiting the entire ecosystem.”
For more information on the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship visit