Transcript Canada’s Far South - Ontario Trails Council

Motivation
• The Lake Erie coast and adjoining river valleys have been
subjected to damaging uses such as mining, fishing,
unsustainable farming, cottaging, boating, transport, urban
and harbour development and waste disposal which
constitute a growing challenge to overall environmental
health and sustainability of a healthy coastline
Vision
• A series of interlocking driving, walking, riding and paddling
stewardship trails along Lake Erie’s north coast and its major
inland river valleys from Essex to Niagara
• Promote better overall understanding and care of coastal and
associated natural communities and the ecological services
that they provide
Goals of the Trail
A trail that will encourage conservation, stewardship,
recreation, & ecotourism along the Lake Erie Coast.
A trail that will: promote education, interactions with
nature, & raise awareness about rare species &
ecosystems, coastal processes, agricultural, historical &
cultural features, in Carolinian Canada
Target Audience
• Aim to engage coastal communities in protecting and restoring
the coast
• The trail is an effective tool since it has strong links to key
community values such as health, economy, recreation and
the environment
• Will include:
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Coastal residents
Community decision-makers
Businesses
Visitors to the area
Youth – especially those in urban and heavily settled rural areas
Partners
• This trail is a model for cooperative heritage stewardship
• CCC will facilitate linkages between groups to help share best
practices and form regional trail linkages, we will not own or
operate the trail sections
• Over the last 3 years we have connected with over 450
stakeholders, including representation from 175 groups
• We have established partnerships for birding tourism,
education and cycle tourism that will be integrated into the
trail, and these will enhance the trail experience
Partners - Trail Hosts
• Organizations and individuals interested in taking a lead role in
the planning, development, implementation and maintenance
of an identified section of the trail
• Includes Conservation Authorities, Municipal Governments,
Provincial and National Parks, land owners, First Nations
organizations, outfitter companies, community groups,
schools and individuals
• These Trail Hosts have also agreed to act as Outreach and
Distribution Centres to distribute materials related to the trail
Partners - Coast Keepers
• Individuals or groups of volunteers who will participate in
testing and reporting on sections of the trail, habitat
restoration, beach clean-ups and species at risk surveys
• Our partners’ actions will be guided by CCC’s Conservation
Action Plans and Habitat Restoration Guidelines
• A measure of the success of the trail in meeting its
stewardship mandate will be in its ability to motivate and
involve members of the public
The development
of a trail
• Preliminary sites of interest have been identified by partners
since the launch of the program in 2009
• 16 workshops have taken place to build awareness and
involvement in the project
• Several online surveys have allowed partners additional
opportunities to provide input
• Research, information gathering and mapping has helped us
locate promising trail routes near the coast
Sites of Interest
Story of Natural
Processes
History of Human
Settlement along the
Coast
Sites of Interest
Features and linkages to include could be:
- national and provincial parks
- existing municipal trail networks
- restoration & demonstration
sites
- sites of historical & cultural
heritage
- agricultural tours
- scenic views
- blue trails/ water routes
- rail trails
- and many more!
Stewardship Themes
• All of the sites fall under one or more stewardship theme
• These are described in detail in the Trail Guide, and will help people
to identify which sections of the trail will be of most interest to them
• Themes
• Coastal Processes
• Birding Hotspots
• Grow Wild – habitat restoration
• People and the Coast
• Carolinian Rarities
• Big Picture Connections
• Save, Steward, Seed
Stewardship Sites
• Some of our sites are non-traditional tourism sites, but offer
examples in the message of using the trail to promote better
understanding and ultimately better conservation, restoration
and more sustainable use of the coast
• These include:
• Stewardship Demonstration Sites offer specific examples of
stewardship best practices, efforts or opportunities, such as a
natural shore restoration project
• South Coast Heritage Sites are major focal points along the coast
that address several stewardship themes, illustrate the evolution
of the coastal landscape, and highlight the interactions between
humans and nature
Trail Route
• To launch the trail quickly, a road cycling route will be
established first, with our partners The Waterfront
Regeneration Trust
• This framework will allow the greatest flexibility to build on
current momentum, and develop off-road experiences over
time
• Since most of the land in Carolinian Canada is privately
owned, it will take time to establish an end-to-end walking
route, but this will still remain a long-term goal of the project
Trail Route
• Preliminary trail routes will rely to a considerable extent on
linking existing off-road trail loops with secondary roads,
including some with long stretches of gravel through relatively
remote countryside
• Opportunities will be included for speed-cycling, mountain
biking, lake paddling and inland tributary navigation
The Trail Guide
The first step in getting the trail on the ground!
• Map with trails, site list and contact information
• Interpretive text on the stewardship stories of the coast
Website
• All info from brochure
• More detailed information on
sites
• Downloadable maps of hiking
trails
• Section for members to upload
content
• Other?
The Trail Guide
• Long stretches of the coast have different geological, ecological and
land use
• We have divided the trail into 3 regions to set the context for telling
the story of the coast, and to assist the users in navigating the trail
• The regions are:
• Western Lake Erie (Essex and Chatham-Kent)
• Central Lake Erie (Elgin and Norfolk)
• Eastern Lake Erie (Haldimand and Niagara).
The Trail Guide
• Hubs
• Western Lake Erie
• Detroit River Mouth –
Amherstburg, Cedar Creek
Watershed – Kingsville, Pelee
Peninsula (Leamington Wheatley), Rondeau Peninsula
(Blenheim - Ridgetown)
• Central Lake Erie
• Port Stanley, Port Burwell, Port
Rowan, Port Dover
• Eastern Lake Erie
• Grand River Mouth (Dunnville),
Port Colborne, Niagara River
Mouth (Fort Erie)
Lake Erie Coastal
Stewardship Trail
Thank you:
Coastal Zone Program Funders
and Partners