Kelowna's deer, elk, moose, bear, cougar, lynx and badger are happy

It was dubbed the 'missing puzzle piece'.

It was the 64-hectares of private property within Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park that has now been acquired and protected as a wildlife corridor.

The official announcement and dedication was made Wednesday in the Day Use Parking Lot of the park by BC Environment & Parks Minister Tamara Davidson at a ceremony attended by local politicians, conservationists, donors, community partners, members of the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program and Friends of the South Slopes and school kids participating in the BC Parks Foundation's Learning by Nature program.

Members of the Bauer family, who owned and stewarded the 64 hectares well for nearly 30 years before selling to BC Parks Foundation, were also there.

The forested plot, which is also home to streams, wetlands and ponds, wasn't burnt in the 2003 Okanagan Mountain wildfire.

As such, it became a refuge for wildlife and part of a corridor where deer, elk, moose, bear, cougar, lynx and the at-risk American badger live and move around seasonally.

"Conserving land like this is about protecting what people and wildlife rely on every day," said Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation.

"It's about making sure no puzzle piece is missing so the full picture of the park can be whole and enjoyed over time."

At 64-hectares, the newly acquired land is a small fraction of the overall 7,741-hectare park.

But, it's an important piece, an integral part of the puzzle, as has been previously mentioned.

The park encompasses much mountainous terrain, dramatic Myra Canyon, historic forest and sub-alpine meadows.

The park trailheads at Stewart Road and Myra Station lead to 100 kilometres of trails that are used for walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, wildlife watching and sightseeing.

One of those trails is the former route of the Kettle Valley Railway through Myra Canyon, which includes trestles spanning deep gorges that are popular with hikers and cycles in search of jaw-dropping views and time in the outdoors.

"Myra-Bellevue Park is a true gem in the Okanagan," said the provincial parks minister Tamara Davidson.

"This acquisition strengthens protection of wildlife habitat while deepening people's connection to nature."

The acquired plot was owned by the Bauer family, who moved to Canada from Germany in the early 1980s.

"My dad loved this land," said Karin Bauer.

"He built a small cabin up there, photographed the moose and their calves and spent hours watching wildlife move through the property. It was his happy place. When we made the difficult decision to sell, we knew we didn't want to see the land developed. When BC Parks Foundation stepped in, we were absolutely thrilled. Knowing the land will stay as it is -- and that future generations can experience and enjoy it as we did -- means everything to us."

Money for the acquisition came from donations made to the BC Parks Foundation, Wilson 5 Foundation, Cynthia and Paul Rodgers and the Climate Change Canada's Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.