Day 1. Float Trip on the Thompson.
Using large, pontoon platform rafts perfect for all ages, the first day of Kumsheen’s Naturalist Outing introduces you to the natural environment between Ashcroft and Spences Bridge. More than sixty species of birds, a wide array of mammals, reptiles and insects, and a myriad of desert plants are concentrated along the river.
 Watching a few of the 45 bird species spotted in one day Day 2. Botanie Valley Flora & Fauna
Famous for its wildflowers, the Botanie Valley is a treasure-trove of unique plants, some of which are found nowhere else on earth.
 Flowering Death Camus (tall plant) and tsewe’ta
60+ Bird Species
The birding component is a highlight. More than sixty species have been identified along the river corridor, and your heart will soar when a golden eagle lifts off the cliff at 150-million-year-old Black Canyon or an osprey dives into the Thompson, emerging with a rainbow trout in its talons.
 A Dipper along the river Forty years ago, only one nesting pair of osprey lived along the Thompson. The original nest has collapsed, but dozens of their offspring now inhabit the treetops between Ashcroft and Lytton.
 A group enjoys a large-platform raft on a naturalist outing Pokaist Village & Huge Talus Slope
There was once a large First Nations village of at least 800 people near a long talus slope on the Thompson River. Their burial ground was at the base of the slope that is now home to a collection of mammals, birds and reptiles.
 Rocky mountain bighorn sheep
A unique feature of this natural history tour is the exhilarating experience of travelling a breathtaking river by raft. You’ll find it both energizing and stimulating – smiles and laughter are guaranteed. Plus, rafting the river opens up possibilities for us to explore areas that otherwise are nearly impossible to access.
In the evenings and early mornings, when you are not on the river or exploring a side canyon, you have all the amenities of the Kumsheen Rafting Resort at your disposal. We feast on gourmet French cuisine in the Cutting Board Restaurant, recharge in a Teepee or themed Canvas Cabin, and relax around the pool or hot tub.
Click here to view a slideshow of a naturalist trip taken mid May, 2012. It’s three minutes of beautiful photographs.
Leaders
Rick Howie
 Rick Howie Rick Howie is a wildlife biologist living in Kamloops and widely known in naturalist circles throughout the province. He worked in national parks as a Chief Park Naturalist and interpreter and as a nature interpreter with provincial parks in BC. Although birds have been a lifelong interest, it is really the ecology of our world from steelhead to sagebrush and beyond that stirs his passion for knowledge and desire to share this with people.
Jim Ginns
 Jim Ginns Jim is an enthusiastic birder, knows a bit about the wild flowers and really gets excited about mushrooms. He has led natural history trips for Meadowlark Festival, Native Plant Society of BC, and the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club. On the odd occasion, Jim has given presentations to school classes, and mycological, garden and rotary clubs.
Bernie Fandrich
 Bernie Fandrich Kumsheen’s founder and a pioneer of the whitewater rafting industry in Canada, Bernie has a passionate relationship with the Thompson that began in 1973 with his fledgling company, Bernie’s Raft Rides. A former university instructor and author of British Columbia’s Majestic Thompson River, Bernie will join both excursions and share his knowledge of the river.
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