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Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail

Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail. Carolinian Canada Coalition’s Coastal Zone Program. A bit about us…. Established in 1984 Not for profit organization with representatives from government, private, business sector

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Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail

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  1. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Carolinian Canada Coalition’s Coastal Zone Program

  2. A bit about us… • Established in 1984 • Not for profit organization with representatives from government, private, business sector • Mission: Protect and restore natural heritage in the Carolinian Life Zone for healthy, sustainable landscapes through stewardship, cooperation and research. • Vision: The Big Picture

  3. The History of The Coastal Zone Program & Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail • May 2007 Windsor Star “Point Pelee National Park Loses Famous Tip” • The Coastal Zone Program started in 2009 • The concept for the Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail was launched at the Caring for Our Coast Forum in Oct 2009 • Currently in 3rd year of planning process • The end products will be a trail plan and a guide to interpret the trail

  4. Goals of the Trail • Connect residents and tourists with the Lake Erie coast • Enhance the ecological integrity of the coast • Enhance enjoyment experiences along coast

  5. Why Stewardship?A Trail and so much more!

  6. Why a Trail? An outdoor classroom An opportunity to experience nature and make personal connections

  7. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail What is it? A trail that will: encourage conservation, stewardship, recreation, & ecotourism along the Lake Erie Coast. A trail that will: promote education, interactionswith nature, & raiseawareness about key themes including rare species & ecosystems, coastal processes, agricultural, historical & cultural features, in Carolinian Canada

  8. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail • Who is it for? EVERYONE! Including… Local residents, day-trippers, vacationers, tourists, school groups and conservation organizations. Providing opportunities for local walks, educational outings, ecotourism, cultural explorations and nature-based volunteer activities.

  9. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail ImportantInformation • Participation in the trail is entirely voluntary • The trail will be developed, owned and operated by others • Community interest is helping determine the route • CCC will facilitate linkages between groups to help share best practices and form regional trail linkages

  10. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Whatwill it look like on the ground? • A multiuse trail that will have cycling, walking/hiking and paddling opportunities all connected by a driving trail • A trail that will promote the natural and cultural points of interest and stewardship demonstration sites which will promote understanding and involvement • A trail that will evolve and improve with time • A trail with conservation, experiential and education goals

  11. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Trail Parameters The area of interest for the trail includes… • Land 5-10 km from shoreline of Canadian coast of Lake Erie • Waterways draining into lake eg. Grand River • Water less than 1 meter in depth and within 1km of shore • Begins in Windsor/Essex and ends in Niagara

  12. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Preliminary Key Coastal Sites Map: Inventory of Sites of Interest • Purple = Sites identified at the 2009 “Caring for our Coast” Forum • Blue = Sites found using internet research

  13. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Selecting Key Coastal Sites to Tell The Story of the Coast: • Themes • Coastal Processes • Birding Hotspots • Grow Wild – habitat restoration • People and the Coast • Carolinian Rarities • Big Picture Connections • Save, Steward, Seed

  14. Features and linkages to include could be: - national and provincial parks - restoration & demonstration sites -sites of historical & cultural heritage- agricultural tours - scenic views - blue trails/ water routes- rail trails- and many more!

  15. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Building on existing trails to make linkages across the coast Draft Trail Corridors & Sites

  16. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail What are the next steps? • Fall/Winter 2011-Present draft trail concept and trail guide to partners and publicthrough workshops • Continue to work with all levels of government, conservation/culture organizations in developing routes and initiating Trail Host program • Continue to build volunteer Coast Keeper program • Continue science based research and the development of conservation and education goals • Launch cycling route in fall 2012 with Waterfront Regeneration Trust • Monitoring for success

  17. Coastal Zone Program Who’s Involved? • Trail Hosts – Coastal leaders • Coast Keepers – active volunteers • Measuring Success – popularity of route, education goals, surveys, ecological monitoring (state of the coast) • Would you like to be involved?

  18. Coastal Zone Program 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?

  19. Coastal Zone Program Three Trail Regions based on Ecological Districts • Western Lake Erie (Essex and Chatham-Kent) • Central Lake Erie (Elgin and Norfolk) • Eastern Lake Erie (Haldimand and Niagara).

  20. Coastal Zone Program

  21. Coastal Zone Program • Hubs • Western Lake Erie • Amherstburg, Cedar Creek Watershed – Kingsville, Pelee Peninsula (Leamington - Wheatley), Rondeau Peninsula (Blenheim - Ridgetown), Pelee Archipelago • 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)

  22. Coastal Zone Program • All of the sites will have icons to identify the stewardship themes, which will help people to determine which sites to visit based on their own interests • Themes • Coastal Processes • Birding Hotspots • Grow Wild – habitat restoration • People and the Coast • Carolinian Rarities • Big Picture Connections • Save, Steward, Seed

  23. Lake Erie Coastal Stewardship Trail Thank you: Coastal Zone Program Funders And our special partner

  24. Measuring Success • How can we develop a mechanism for establishing shared measurables in order to measure improvement of coastal ecosystem, increase in human connection to the coast and an increase in coastal ecotourism? • What can we commit to as Trail Hosts? • What measurement tools currently are effective, efficient and could be implemented on a coastal scale by a wide range of partners

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