The South Okanagan Naturalists Club’s latest issue of their journal celebrates the region’s wildlife and landscapes as seen through the eyes of amateur photographers.

Nature in Focus, the South Okanagan Similkameen, was put together following the club’s 2018 photo contest. That contest brought in close to 600 entries from across the South Okanagan Similkameen.

Club president Alex Bodden said the diversity of the photos inspired the journal as a way to showcase the region’s biodiversity and the quality of the images captured.

“The RDOS is home to a wide range of natural habitat and species that are not found anywhere else in BC or Canada,” Bodden added. “The region is also home to the largest number of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals in BC and Canada.”

READ MORE: Okanagan-Similkameen region’s natural beauty subject of photo contest

The nature journal contains 160 pages and more than 80 colourful images – from birds to butterflies, flowers to fields along with education information about the photographs.

Opposite the photos are lined pages for journaling, notes and sketches. The journal is not dated so it’s an enduring volume for whenever the owner is inspired to jot down their thoughts.

Nature in Focus, the South Okanagan Similkameen can be ordered via the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club website: southokanagannature.com. You can also contact club director Bob Handfield at soncbob@shaw.ca

Proceeds from the sale of the $25 journal will be used by the club to support nature conservation and appreciation projects in the region.

READ MORE: Meadowlark Nature Festival returning to the South Okanagan May 2022

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.