Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

What Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society does

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FOKLSS) is a community-based non-profit organization founded in February 2012 and headquartered in Nelson, British Columbia. The society delivers stewardship, monitoring, restoration, and education programs focused on Kootenay Lake, the 5th largest lake in BC with a 7,771 km² drainage area. Its four core initiatives are the Lake Watchers Program (citizen-science water quality and wildlife observation including Osprey nest monitoring), Lake Education (presentations, events, and the Kootenay Lake Library digital resource collection), Shoreline Restoration (helping landowners revert altered shorelines and wetlands to natural states), and Lake Planning (collaborative work with the Kootenay Lake Partnership on lake planning processes and the Shoreline Guidance Document).

The underlying technology is a citizen-science data-collection platform leveraging volunteer field reports, Avenza mapping software for invasive-species treatment mapping and species identification, and a growing media footprint including the Voices of the Lake podcast, YouTube content, and a children's colouring book. FOKLSS contributes Osprey nest data to the BC Nest Record Scheme, which aggregates over 12,000 records annually, and has built a 14-year longitudinal water-quality dataset for Kootenay Lake. The organization maintains formal partnerships with Yaqan Nukiy (Lower Kootenay Band) and the Ktunaxa Nation, embedding Indigenous co-stewardship into its governance and program design.

FOKLSS operates as a registered charitable society funded through a diversified mix of individual donations (one-time and monthly "Lake Lover" giving), yearly memberships, merchandise sales (e.g., Kootenay Lake hats at $28, laminated/un-laminated watershed maps at $25/$15), Government of Canada youth-employment grants funding seasonal staff positions at $21/hour, and corporate sponsorships from partners including Teck and Kootenay Co-op. Its go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer programs, community events, educational workshops, a regional partner network (Selkirk College, local schools, Indigenous Nations), and direct digital engagement via website, newsletter, and social media. The society serves shoreline property owners, community members and lake users, students and youth (the 2018 Youth Water Festival reached 430+ students across 8 schools), Indigenous Nations, and volunteers across the Kootenay Lake region.

Name

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

Legal name

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

Website

https://friendsofkootenaylake.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society is a community-based non-profit in Nelson, BC, delivering citizen-science water-quality monitoring, shoreline restoration, lake planning, and environmental education for Kootenay Lake users, shoreline property owners, schools, and Indigenous partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Stewardship Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAK

Water Resources & Watershed Protection

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAE

Marine & Freshwater Conservation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAH

Environmental Education & Outreach

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

Keywords

• Lake stewardship services
• Watershed conservation
• Citizen science monitoring
• Shoreline restoration
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Nelson

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Individual donations (one-time and monthly), yearly memberships, and community support
2. Government Grants and Funding: Funding from Government of Canada for youth employment programs; grants for environmental initiatives
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Kootenay Lake merchandise including watershed maps and hats
4. Funders and Sponsors: Corporate sponsors including Teck, Kootenay Co-op, and other partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 that monitors, protects, and restores Kootenay Lake through volunteer-driven citizen science programs, public lake education, shoreline restoration projects, and collaborative lake planning. The society engages local communities and works in partnership with government agencies and Indigenous nations to deliver stewardship outcomes for the Kootenay Lake watershed.

Product overview

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society operates as a community-based non-profit offering four interconnected environmental stewardship programs: the Lake Watchers Program for water quality monitoring and wildlife observation (including osprey nest monitoring), Lake Education through presentations and the Kootenay Lake Library resource collection, Shoreline Restoration helping landowners restore natural shorelines and wetlands, and Lake Planning in partnership with the Kootenay Lake Partnership on watershed governance. The society also produces the Voices of the Lake podcast series and educational materials including a children's colouring book. All offerings support the organization's mission to improve ecological health through citizen science, habitat restoration, education, and community empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lake Watchers Program
• Lake Education Program
• Shoreline Restoration Projects
• Lake Planning and Policy Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• 430+ students educated at Youth Water Festival 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yaqan Nukiy (Lower Kootenay Band)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Yaqan Nukiy, the Lower Kootenay Band, are the original stewards of the lands and waters surrounding Kootenay Lake. They are dedicated to ongoing wetland restoration and stewardship. FOKLSS collaborates with Yaqan Nukiy on film production projects showcasing traditional knowledge and cultural values connected to Kootenay Lake.
• Kootenay Lake Partnership (KLP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership working on lake planning process and developing Shoreline Guidance Document. FOKLSS works with KLP on the Lake Planning Process and Kootenay Lake Community Values Study.
• Ktunaxa NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous partner for cultural collaboration in lake stewardship initiatives. The Ktunaxa Nation is involved in fisheries-related monitoring and cultural storytelling projects with FOKLSS.
• Selkirk CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Selkirk College Recreation, Fish & Wildlife students on ecosystem enhancement projects and student learning opportunities.
• Kootenay Co-opminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and community partner supporting FOKLSS initiatives.
• TeckminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting FOKLSS stewardship activities.
• Biodiversity Centre for Wildlife StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOKLSS contributes to the British Columbia Nest Record Scheme, the largest and most active program for nesting birds in North America, which receives over 12,000 nest records per year.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Watershed Watch Salmon Society: BC-based nonprofit working on salmon habitat, water quality, and watershed governance. Comparable to FOKLSS in its citizen science monitoring, advocacy, and freshwater ecosystem focus, but fish-salmon-centered rather than lake-centered.
• Okanagan Basin Water Board: BC-based inter-regional body governing water quality and aquatic ecosystem health in the Okanagan. Comparable to FOKLSS in its focus on lake monitoring, milfoil/invasive species control, and watershed planning, but operates as a government-established body with taxing authority.

Broad incumbents

• Nature Conservancy of Canada: Canada's largest land conservation organization, working on habitat protection and biodiversity. Comparable as a major environmental nonprofit in Canada, but operates at national scale with land acquisition focus rather than single-lake stewardship.
• Living Lakes Canada: National Canadian freshwater stewardship network working on lake monitoring, conservation, and watershed health across multiple provinces. Directly comparable mission of citizen science lake monitoring and policy advocacy, but operates at a national rather than single-lake scale.

Others

• Columbia Basin Trust: Regional development organization delivering social, economic, and environmental benefits to the Columbia Basin (which includes Kootenay Lake). Comparable because it funds and supports environmental stewardship in the same geographic region where FOKLSS operates.

Emerging players

• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative: Large-scale conservation initiative with overlapping BC/Alberta geography to FOKLSS. Comparable through regional conservation focus and Indigenous partnerships, but operates at landscape/connectivity scale rather than single-lake.
• Canadian Freshwater Alliance: National coalition advocating for healthy lakes and rivers in Canada. Comparable to FOKLSS through shared freshwater advocacy, but operates as an advocacy/policy coalition rather than a single-lake on-the-ground stewardship organization.

Direct peers

• Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation: Canadian non-profit dedicated to protecting the Lake Huron shoreline through monitoring, education, and stewardship. Direct peer by structure, mission, and program mix (citizen science, shoreline restoration, education) though serving a different lake.
• Lake Windermere Rod & Gun Club / Lake Windermere Ambassadors: Volunteer-driven lake stewardship organization in the BC Columbia Basin focused on water quality, shoreline restoration, and community lake monitoring. Closest functional peer to FOKLSS in mission, programs, and regional scope.
• Friends of the Lake (Ontario): Volunteer-based Ontario lake stewardship organization focused on water quality testing and shoreline health. Closest structural and programmatic peer to FOKLSS - small nonprofit, citizen science monitoring, community engagement - but on a different lake.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=PBzATYqOTDM
• Facebookfacebook.com/Friends-of-Kootenay-Lake-Stewardship-Society-508860102462448
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofkootenaylake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-kootenay-lake-stewardship-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society