Community talks Claremont secondary launches speakers forum Page A5
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SAANICHNEWS Wednesday, January 29, 2014
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Darrell Wick points out that as an urban forest amid a growing city, the park sees a growing number of visitors and is under more threat of erosion year over year. “If we want to maintain this as a natural park, you can’t have trails going off every five or 10 metres,” Wick said. “We want to funnel people to the main trails so we stop this stuff,” he said, pointing to yet another trail veering off into the brush. “There are a lot of little ones. We have no idea why they are there. They’re not deer trails,” he said. “It only takes a few people to walk across the brush to make a trail.” Over the past century, Mount Doug has been abused in many ways. PlEASE SEE: Park users urged, Page A4
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Mount Douglas Park Society president Darrell Wick sits on a split cedar fence blocking the way down an eroding sand gully off the South Ridge trail in Mount Douglas Park. Saanich is using fencing and increased signage to keep park users on established trails to reduce habitat destruction due to unauthorized trail-making.
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Staying on the beaten path
key part of the effort to keep people on the beaten path. “Once trails are marked we’ll look at closing and restoring areas. Some areas we might use fallen trees, and other areas split rails,” Roer said. “In some cases nature will take its course, and other areas will need help along the way. But it’s a bit chicken and the egg. Do we start on restoration before changing people’s hiking patterns? We may need to do some public education on why we are doing what we’re doing. I hope we get quiet compliance.” About halfway up South Ridge trail neighbourhoods of Saanich and Victoria break into view, and a small fence provides a place to sit. Most, but not all, hikers headed to the summit on this sunny winter day obey the trail markers. Mount Douglas Park Society president
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on the steep South Ridge trail. Between the ike up a leg of Whittaker trail on summit and Harrop trail, small fences cut the south end of Mount Douglas across no less than eight spur lines jutting Park, and small footpaths melt off from the main trail, over a into the forest on either span of a few hundred metres. side. This park may be Saanich’s “Mount Doug has a labyrinth crown jewel, but it’s also an of trails. Some are sanctioned endless warren of trails carved and many others were created by bushwhacking. over the years,” said Rae Roer, Unsanctioned trails are starting manager of Saanich parks. “We to take a toll on the park, in are now taking the deliberate terms of soil erosion and habitat step of identifying sanctioned loss. Saanich is taking steps to trails.” keeping hikers steered in the South Ridge trail has signposts right direction using signposts and markers pointing the way, and markers on what can be a Edward Hill and is the second major trail disorienting and confusing trail Reporting to be marked and fenced. This system. summer, Saanich plans to install At the same time, the parks signposts at every major trail intersection department has started blocking offshoot throughout the park, a large project and a trails using split cedar fences, particularly
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