Hay bale: File Photo KDG

Merritt BC has a huge impact on the province because of grasslands. It is the biggest part of the Southern Interior Uplands region (185 thousand hectors  of grasslands in The British Columbia Grasslands Conservation Councils operations.

The Southern Thompson Upland is the rolling plateau area south of the Thompson River and bounded by the Fraser River valley in the west, the Okanagan valley in the east and the Similkameen River valley in the south. Almost 75% of the grasslands occur in the Interior Douglas-fir zone and 20% in the Bunchgrass zone. Over 85% of all the grasslands are found in the Nicola Valley with smaller areas around Princeton, at Tunkwa Lake and in the Mamit valley. Variations in the grassland species throughout the plateau reflect influences from the surrounding large valleys.

Douglas lake cattle company is a major operation with cattle  in the grasslands and is positioned n the watershed above Merritt. The Douglas through Nicola lakes by the Nicola river drains a major highland plateau. The area also supplys a history back to european contact and province building under BCs first British Governor  James Douglas.

The largest area of grasslands is located in the Nicola Basin area east of Merritt and extending north towards Kamloops. This area matches the extent of the Glacial Lake Merritt that drained north towards the Thompson River. A smaller area of grasslands around Princeton covers another former glacial lake that occupied the Similkameen valley. source GCCofBC

The local Nicola Naturalists  have had a serious concern for the grasslands of the Valley. since 2010 they have had fall and winter meeting, spring outings, Christmas bird counts, Frog surveys and many other activities in respect to the land and creatures. They usually meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month starting in September.  Alan Burger contact UVic.

On  this  Day: September 19th 1970

The first Glastonbury festival is held.