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Green Scene

by Virginia Rasch

A blog featuring some of the successful sustainable initiatives by Kootenay businesses.

Welcome to Green Scene—a blog featuring environmentally friendly or sustainable initiatives. The Kootenays are a special region in British Columbia with amazing natural beauty. We are looking for stories about people, organizations or businesses that show a fresh, green approach to sustaining this precious environment. Please submit your idea, and we will follow up with you for a possible entry on this page.

Virginia Rasch

Virginia is a writer and copy editor with Koocanusa Publications. She is an avid outdoor recreationist in all seasons and has lived in the Kootenays for 10 years. With degrees in the natural sciences, she has worked as a tour guide, an environmentalist, a writer, and a copy editor of scientific publications. Virginia now brings her passion for everything green to Kootenay Business. View all of Virginia Rasch’s articles

Recent Green Scene articles

The Happy Hills Farm booth at a market.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Agriculture, Environment Here’s a list of Kootenay farmers markets to help with local food security

Here’s a list of all Kootenay farmers markets to help us increase our local food security

by Virginia Rasch and Julie Matchett
Virginia Rasch sitting in garden with dog.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Agriculture, Environment, Health & Wellness 14 benefits of a Pandemic Garden

This year plant a Pandemic Garden to help the dual crises of coronavirus and climate change

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A mother is reading a book to her young son.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Energy, Environment Celebrate Earth Hour by reading aloud by candlelight

Revive the lost art of reading aloud during Earth Hour—Saturday, March 28th starting at 8:30 p.m.

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Students studying an observation bee hive in class.
East Kootenay, West Kootenay, Environment, Financial Funding available for bee projects

The Bee BC Program has funding available to support bee health throughout the province.

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Parents are standing with their three kids on their farm.
West Kootenay, Rossland, Agriculture, Environment Macro-success with microgreens on the Happy Hills Farm

The Happy Hills Farm in Rossland is growing super healthy food year-round

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Group of people smiling and celebrating.
West Kootenay, Castlegar, Kaslo Three more West Kootenay communities vote to go green

Three more West Kootenay communities have signed on to the EcoSociety’s 100% Renewable Kootenays campaign: Castlegar, Warfield and Kaslo

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Shade Sails Canada staff is passing out bags from their second company at their Dragons’ Den appearance in October.
West Kootenay, Revelstoke, Environment, Retail, Small Business Vibrant and stylish bags are created by the Green Bag Company in Revelstoke, B.C.

The Green Bag Company in Revelstoke, B.C., is creating upscale, upcycled bags of all sizes and shapes

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CFO Krystle Seed, CEO and president Ken Kalesnikoff, and COO Chris Kalesnikoff visit Kallesoe Machinery in Denmark to see their new state-of-the-art glulam line in action.
West Kootenay, Castlegar, Environment, Forestry Kudos to the Kalesnikoff Lumber Company

The fourth generation keeps Kalesnikoff Lumber Company a proud and successful enterprise with its forward-thinking approach to forestry

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A group of Silverton citizens hold up signs in support of the 100% Renewable Kootenays campaign.
West Kootenay, Nelson, New Denver, Rossland, Salmo, Slocan, Energy, Environment Five West Kootenay communities are leading the way in renewable energy

Five West Kootenay communities have signed on to the EcoSociety’s 100% Renewable Kootenays campaign. Meet the early adopters of change.

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Darcy Wanuk is wearing one of her creations, a jean jacket with swaths of added cloth.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Environment, Small Business Darcy Wanuk repurposes old textiles into funky, fun clothes for women

Darcy Wanuk started stitch + cloth Ecodesigns in Kimberley, B.C., to reconstruct old textiles into funky women’s clothing

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As manager of Cominco Gardens, Dan Matheson spends a lot of time in the gardens. Here, he is standing next to tall purple delphiniums.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Tourism Cominco Gardens: A floral work of art

While checking out Kimberley’s visitor attractions, don’t forget the flowerful Cominco Gardens

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Attila Lepsis standing in front of distillery.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Cuisine Elderberry Bros. Farms sells schnapps and more

The Elderberry Bros. Farms in Cranbrook, B.C., sells many elderberry delights, including schnapps

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Paul Denchuk and Meredith Hamstead are standing together in front of a home.
East Kootenay, Invermere, Energy, Environment, Small Business thinkBright Homes: A lighter touch on the planet

thinkBright Homes, based in Invermere, B.C., is at the cutting edge of the green building industry

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The two owners, Petra and Tiffany Ware, are standing in their store with body care products on shelves behind them.
East Kootenay, Cranbrook, Health & Wellness, Retail, Small Business Your nose knows the difference in natural body care products

Petra Naturally in Cranbrook, B.C., expanded to offer even more natural bath and body products and loose teas

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Shown is the interior of a tiny house, showing the kitchen in the foreground with lots of wood everywhere.
West Kootenay, Nelson, Environment, Small Business Nelson Tiny Houses are big on charm

Nelson Tiny Houses in Nelson, B.C., proves that downsizing can mean upgrading

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Two female students are wearing warm layers of clothes and are holding a sign that says
West Kootenay, Castlegar, Nelson, Energy, Environment A Cool Challenge

Selkirk College is participating in the BC Cool Campus Challenge to lower its environmental footprint

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The two owners of The Purist Pantry are shown seated: Todd and Melinda Kopet.
West Kootenay, Rossland, Cuisine, Environment, Small Business The Purist Pantry in Rossland offers healthy foods from scratch

Melinda and Todd Kopet create healthy foods from scratch out of The Purist Pantry in Rossland, B.C.

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Alicia and Nicola Herman stand in front of their storefront, Grow Tea & Elixir Corner in Kimberley, B.C.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Environment, Health & Wellness, Small Business Growing a sustainable business in Kimberley, B.C.

Grow Tea & Elixir Corner won the Kimberley chamber’s Environmental Stewardship Excellence Award in 2018

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Jill Bentley-Lobban stands in front of her new store in Kimberley.
East Kootenay, Kimberley, Environment, Health & Wellness, Retail, Small Business Fulfill your shopping needs at fullfill in Kimberley

Newly opened fullfill in Kimberley, B.C., is a green alternative to traditional stores

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A bugling bull elk sits in a forest opening.
East Kootenay, Environment, Forestry National Forest Week 2018

National Forest Week (September 23 to 29, 2018) celebrates the research we undertake in our forests, including studies on our Rocky Mountain elk

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