Cowichan Estuary Nature Trail - Open Air Classroom
Site Visit by CERCA Members
We used the opportunity of the "unveiling the bronze plaque" event on September 19 to walk the length of the proposed Nature Trail in order to explain its rationale and discuss associated issues and concerns.
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The approximately 1.2 km long open-air classroom trail
will follow the former CN railroad track parallel to the Westcan Causeway in the centre of the Cowichan Estuary. The trail will offer spectacular views of still rather unspoiled sections of the northern part of the Estuary. The construction of wooden platforms along the trail, one viewing tower, and a roofed overview bill-board at the trail-head are planned. The interpretative signs to be placed along the trail will be modeled after the comprehensive CERCA-Royal BC Museum Estuary Exhibition currently on display at the Forest Museum in Duncan. The panels will reflect CERCA's holistic approach to the Estuary, its floodplain and watershed. The panels will focus on the cultural-historic, ecological and economic importance of the Estuary, the goods and services it provides, and the past and current threats to its ecological integrity.
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On August 28 CERCA implemented a stakeholder kick-off meeting prior to detailed trail planning. Key stakeholders are Western Stevedoring, the current Lessee of the Causeway, Cowichan Tribes, the Parks Branch of the CVRD, Ducks Unlimited, and FLNRO. We also have invited the Cowichan Valley Naturalists and the Somenos Marsh Society to take part in trail planning. It appears that two of the key issues will be the removal of the rail-road tracks and disposal of creosoted ties and the rehabilitation of the land-locked 2 acres slough located between the railroad tracks and the causeway.
CERCA Poster - JPEG LOW - Sept 25 2015
Preliminary drawings of structures proposed for the trail have been produced in support of our fund-raising efforts, especially for the invited guests of our fund-raising dinner, and the trail stakeholders. Construction of the trail is being planned for late winter 2015/16 prior to the start-up of the growing season and bird breeding season.
In addition to this wheel-chair friendly trail we are in the early planning stages of a rustic loop trail to connect to the causeway trail. The circuit trail will follow the dyke encircling the marshland of the Ducks Unlimited property north of the Koksilah River. The loop trail, a brain-child of Barry Hetschko, will be constructed in close cooperation with Ducks Unlimited.