The Osoyoos Desert Society is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1991 to conserve and restore the biodiversitive area of the British Columbian Southern interior. This area had not been the focus of prievious conservation efforts, even though it contains a large concentration of at-risk species and in fact is one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada.
One of this area's main features is Okanagan Desert, a semi-arid region in the southern part of the Okanagon region of British Columbia, notable for its having some plant species not found anywhere else in Canada. Another one of its features is the Osoyoos Lake, which extends into Washington state in the United States.
Osoyoos Desert Center
The society, as part of its conservation efforts, created the Osoyoos Desert Center in 1998, a "nature interpretive facility where visitors can learn about desert ecology, habitat restoration and conservation of endangered ecosystems in the South Okanagan." It is located 3 kilometers north of the town of Osoyoos off of Highway 97, and is 67 acres in size. Along with the main building, the Center contains a 1.5 kilometer long boardwalk and a "plant demonstration garden". It is open annually for self-guided tours from late April to early October, although group tours of 10 or more people are available year-round.