Do you know a woman who has made an outstanding contribution to protecting nature or environmental education? Celebrate their commitment to nature by nominating them for the 2026 Ellen Zimmerman Award!
The award winner will receive a $1,000 cash award to support their ongoing work and a commemorative art piece.
Ellen Zimmerman was a key leader for Wildsight and a tenacious champion for nature conservation in the Columbia Valley for more than 40 years until her passing in 2020. Ellen was a friend to the environment and embodied everything we at Wildsight hold dear.
To honour Ellen’s contributions and incredible legacy, the Ellen Zimmerman Award was established to shine a light on conservation heroes working in the Columbia Headwaters region (stretching from Canal Flats to the Mica Dam).
Past recipients have included biologists, water protection advocates, wildlife champions and strong leaders in the local environmental community. The 2025 recipient was Dr. Suzanne Bayley, a Columbia Valley resident who has dedicated her life to water health and protection.
This award is for female-identifying individuals. Nominations are due March 31: www.wildsight.ca/ellenzimmerman
About Ellen
All about Ellen
Ellen Zimmerman was fuelled by a passionate pursuit of the protection of our environment. She cared deeply about conservation up and down the Upper Columbia River watershed.
Ellen was a champion of the Columbia Wetlands for the past four decades, fighting for vital protections for one of North America’s longest intact wetlands and home to more than 300 species of fish, birds and other wildlife. She fought for the birds that flock to our local waters; she fought for the old-growth trees that rise like giants in the mist; she fought for the protection of key places up and down the Columbia Valley, from rainforests north of Golden in the Cummins River Valley to lakeside lands south of Invermere.
She not only battled for environmental protections, but she also blazed a trail of advocacy for future generations to follow. She was recognized for her efforts with an international award, the Femme de Terre. Ellen was a friend to the environment and embodied everything we at Wildsight hold dear.
