Introducing Advocacy in Action Spotlights

- By Monika Bittel, FMCBC Director, Recreation & Conservation Committee - Across British Columbia, FMCBC members and volunteers do far more than participate in outdoor recreation. Through trip leadership, skills training, mentorship, safety initiatives, stewardship, and hands-on trail and hut projects, they become informed and effective advocates for self-propelled outdoor recreation. By working directly on trails and in parks, members gain first-hand knowledge of local recreation areas [...]

Paradise at Risk: Choosing Stewardship for BC’s Backcountry

- By Steven Miros, a member of the Kootenay Mountaineering Club - Have you noticed changes in BC's backcountry? Favourite trails that were quiet a decade ago now see dozens on a summer day. Alpine meadows braided with new paths. Litter appearing. Wildlife scarcer. That special spot you scouted now trending on social media. Trailheads overflowing by dawn. Rising rescues. Hesitation to share locations even with friends. [...]

World Mental Health Day: Why Access to Nature Matters for Everyone

On World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2025), we’re celebrating something simple and profoundly needed: regular time in nature. The science is clear—contact with green and blue spaces reduces stress, improves mood, and supports long-term mental well-being. For the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC (FMCBC), this isn’t just interesting evidence; it’s one of the reasons we advocate so strongly for protecting non-motorized access to BC’s backcountry [...]

Recreation & Conservation Committee Report

- July 2025 - By Monika Bittel, Rec & Con Committee Chair FMCBC’s Recreation and Conservation Committee (Rec & Con) advocates for the interests of public self-propelled backcountry recreation in BC. The Committee tends to focus on issues in southwest BC because, for most Committee members, this is their primary recreation area. However, since changing to virtual meetings, members from other regions participate in the monthly meetings [...]

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