Greenwood and the surrounding area was literally crawling with visitors last weekend as the 33 people from the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club came for a weekend interpretive tour.
According to tour organizer and club immediate past-president Fiona Flook, this was the first time the club had chosen Greenwood as a destination and they were not disappointed.
The club is quite active in the Kelowna area with birding, botany, hiking and conservation as their major points of focus. “We have a motto: Know nature and keep it worth knowing,” explained Flook.
“We always have one outing in June, which we call Mid-Summer Madness,” she said, adding that the group fell in love with Greenwood. “We are left with the feeling that Greenwood has a lot to offer and, in fact, is a nice place to live.”
The club worked with Greenwood City Councillor Barry Noll to organize tours and activities over the weekend while they were in the Boundary. Joining Noll in helping club members get around and understand what they were seeing were Al Donnelly, Jack and Eileen Ritchey and Fred Marshall.
“We saw more than just the heritage buildings,” Flook said. The group came in on Friday afternoon and had activities scheduled through 4 p.m. on Sunday.
“The lead hand was Barry Noll,” Flook told the Times in a phone interview on Monday. “He was just outstanding. All of our leaders were just outstanding— they were just so knowledgeable, friendly, welcoming and enthusiastic in bringing their history alive for us.”
Saturday, Fred Marshall led a tour of Boundary Falls and his ranch and woodlot that showed the visitors how land can be managed in a truly sustainable way.
Sunday found the visitors walking on the slagheap in Anaconda, looking at Hell’s Bells and the flume; after that they drove up to the Motherlode for lunch.
Visits to the Phoenix Cemetery, Greenwood Museum and courthouse and many other venues helped bring the city and regions’ history alive for the visitors.
“I didn’t really appreciate it before —what it had to offer,” observed Flook. “I had never had the chance to explore around.”
The group spent two nights at the Boundary Creek Motel and enjoyed an evening together over dinner at the Pacific Grill.
“I don’t know where the next tour will be,” said Flook. “But I kind of wish it was back in Greenwood I think it has more to offer.”
In an email sent to Noll following the visit Flook reported, “Everyone had a great time—I kept getting thanks but I replied it was all about Barry and your enthusiastic knowledgeable team. History came alive with Al and the tour of Fred’s woodlot and ranch made a great impression on all. We now know Greenwood has a lot to offer and we will be singing its praise to many.”