DISCOVERY COAST GREENWAYS LAND TRUST
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Mission Statement
The Greenways Land Trust is a charitable organization that was established in 1996, in order to address the community’s expressed desire to preserve greenspace and develop a pedestrian trail network. The Land Trust’s founding members included staff from the City of Campbell River, the Ministry of Forests, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as volunteers from local businesses, stream stewardship groups, academics, and community-minded individuals. The mission of Greenways is: To restore, sustain and protect natural areas and critical habitats, particularly ecological and recreational greenways, for the benefit of our community.
About This Cause
In our 2014 fiscal year, volunteers through GLT coordination donated over 3100 hours to the community. Our volunteer Board of Directors is incredibly dedicated and spend many hours at the board level and at the community level donating their time and money to fulfill our mission. GLT focuses on three program areas: Community Outreach, the Stewardship Resource Centre, and Natural Areas Conservation. Community Outreach This program provides stewardship education programs and projects for residents of Campbell River, including stream enhancement, volunteer stewardship, workshops/training and public outreach. Many of our public outreach activities are run annually, for instance our Broom Bash. In its 14th year, this one-day event has grown to about 60 volunteers donating about 150 hours of their time. GLT acts as an umbrella group for local streamkeepers in our urban watersheds. Streamkeeping projects like salmonid releases, beaver dam removal, and fish fence monitoring are promoted and managed through GLT. GLT organizes volunteers and school groups who are interested in participating and learning about streamkeeping and local salmonid ecology. In 2015 GLT volunteers and staff worked with over 60 students and teachers on habitat restoration in Millennium Park on the Willow Creek estuary. GLT manages environmentally sensitive areas through volunteer events, working closely with the City of Campbell River Parks Dept. Volunteer events include broom and lamium removal, yellow flag iris deadheading and removal, litter cleanups, trail maintenance, trail building, and tree planting. GLT pitches its tent at local events like Oceans Day to inform the public of its activities and to educate the public on issues like storm water management, invasive species, and yard waste disposal. GLT actively comments on development proposals that have impacts on Environmentally Sensitive Areas, namely wetlands, fish bearing streams, and riparian corridors. Members of our Board have interest, experience, and training in many areas of environmental science. Stewardship Resource Centre: This program is a unique service of GLT. Members and organizations that focus on urban stream stewardship and conservation rely on this centre for tools, analytical equipment, administrative support (bookkeeping and volunteer coordination), natural resource consultation, GIS mapping, and event and project planning. Our centre has been available to the community since 1996; due to this longevity our resources are extensive and specialized, and many of these services are not available through any other agency in Campbell River, including DFO. GLT lends support to these local volunteer groups: • Campbell River Environmental Committee (CREC) • Kingfisher Creek Stewards • Laughing Willow Community Garden • Oyster River Streamkeepers • Nunn's Creek Stewards • Simms Creek Stewardship Society • Storie Creek Streamkeepers • Willow Creek Stewardship Society • Woods and Casey Creek Stewards GLT Board members attend regular meetings of community groups to communicate current information on natural resource issues in our community. For example, a Greenways Director sits on the new Advisory Planning and Environment Commission. This commission provides policy advice and recommendations to City Council on issues related to long-range planning like the Sustainable Official Community Plan, land use and development planning, permitting and development application processes, transportation planning, and environmental and sustainability issues. Natural Resource Conservation: GLT uses licenses of occupation and stewardship agreements to manage ecologically sensitive areas. The management of these properties requires detailed workplans, significant administrative contributions, and volunteer efforts. Currently GLT has established roles in three properties: • Beaver Lodge Forest Lands (MFLNRO Trail maintenance and salvage agreements) • Haig-Brown Property (CCR Stewardship Agreement and Kingfisher Creek Rehabilitation) • Laughing Willow Community Garden (CCR License of Occupation) Beaver Lodge Forest Lands and Haig-Brown Property – We signed our first stewardship agreement in 2006 for the Beaver Lodge Forest Lands. This 415 ha experimental forest is overseen by the Ministry of Forests and is a major recreation feature with extensive biking and walking trails in close proximity to many Campbell River neighbourhoods. GLT has re-negotiated this agreement and extended our role into 2016. The BLFL are the focus of our Adopt-a-Trail program, engaging over 30 volunteers. The second stewardship agreement is with the City of Campbell River for the Haig-Brown Property and associated Kingfisher Creek, which was the homestead property of renowned writer and conservationist Roderick Haig-Brown. GLT contracts the VIHA mental health team for grounds maintenance, and works directly to maintain the grounds and suppress invasive plants. We have also received a grant from DFO to improve fish habitat in Kingfisher Creek. These projects will continue through the next few years, if not indefinitely. By entering into these agreements, GLT volunteers are responsible for maintaining the ecological integrity of the forest and property in the face of recreational and developmental pressures. GLT staff organizes volunteers for trail brushing and maintenance, trail creation and deactivation, yard-waste disposal education, riparian areas rehabilitation, and restoration of fish habitat in urban waterways. In August 2013, with the support of BC Hydro and MOF, GLT launched our Adopt-A-Trail program in the BLFL. This program creates long-term volunteer opportunities in this local trail system, fostering community engagement and an appreciation of nature. In 2014-15 over 788 volunteer hours were dedicated to the BLFL through the Adopt-a-Trail program and a further 469 hours have been dedicated so far in 2015. License of Occupation and Community Gardens - In 2010, GLT formed a partnership with the City Parks Department to facilitate the first public community garden in Campbell River. The volunteers that created the Laughing Willow Community Garden (LWCG) have not formed a society and depend on the GLT for administrative support, i.e. bookkeeping and insurance. GLT signed a license of occupation with the City of Campbell River and assists with the administration of the property on behalf of the LWCG, including developing funding proposals. GLT also supports the garden by assisting with events and educational programming. The garden is available to members of the public and includes an “education bed” for school groups and workshops. It is family orientated and wheelchair accessible. It educates the community in ecological gardening, water conservation, and composting. Within the first year, all of the beds were occupied and a waitlist was established. A recent addition in 2015 includes a ‘pop-up’ community library. Legacy Project for the Natural Areas Conservation Program: GLT and the City of Campbell River are collaborating to develop an Urban Forest Management Plan for our community. In 2011, one hundred and seventy two ground-based sample plots were intensively inventoried along with interpretation of 8500 aerial photo based point samples, completing the initial inventory phase 1 of the Urban Forest Management Plan. In January 2015, Diamond Head Consulting, engaged by the city, completed a draft UFMP for Council and staff to consider. GLT looks forward to working with the city to implement the plan, consulting with the city about consequent bylaws, and seeking out grant opportunities for enhancing our urban forest.