Conservation comes in many shapes and forms and can be as simple as picking up garbage at your favorite beach or as complicated as accessing funding to protect ecologically diverse/unique areas. One of the less frequently discussed tools that are available is accessibility. John Muir, considered “the Father of the National Parks” in the United States, is quoted as saying, “But in every walk with nature one receives far more than he (they) seeks”. But sometimes it is challenging to just get up and go for a walk in the woods – “Who’s land am I on?”, “What direction am I heading?”, and “What if I get lost, and it gets dark?”, and “Is there any cell phone service?” – many end with, “Maybe I’ll just watch Compass instead”. We often associate those out walking in the woods with exercise; however, the love for hiking/walking becomes a true passion once one delves into the educational side of what they are seeing. The exercise becomes the positive by-product of a hobby tied to ecological and historical education. It typically helps one foster pride in their local surroundings – making them interested in conserving them. As we discussed the rejuvenation of Legacy Park this fall, our SAB Directors’ passion for the park’s concept and the need for more awareness of its presence among the general public came to the forefront.
Many times, we’ve heard people state, “Wow, I didn’t even know this area was here” or “I’ve come to the artesian well plenty of times but never went into the woods”. This is tied in with the typical humility displayed by many of the people commemorated in these woods. They weren’t active in conservation for the awards and accolades – it was typically tied to a love for the outdoors. But this area is so beautiful and surrounded by so much Island history it was decided that it needed some additional expansion, which inspired the Legacy Trailhead project. A healthy mixture of trees that make up the Wabanaki-Acadian Forest are present here, at varying stages of life – Yellow birch, Paper birch, Sugar maple, White pine, Red spruce, Striped maple, and many more can all be observed from the trails that exist currently. There are also many different types of plants – Labrador tea, various ferns, Ground hemlock, cattails, and a multitude of animal tracks throughout the winter months. It is also home to McVarish’ s Pond, a feeder to the east branch of the Souris River, and some beautiful pebble-bottomed habitat for Brook trout.
When we began searching for an area to expand the trail system, what jumped out at us was a berm in the middle of the woods that stood out significantly higher than its surroundings and had a perfectly flat top with some young trees growing up throughout. When historical aerial imagery was consulted, it showed a road in this area that was used to access the head of McVarish’s Pond (a dam created for both the use of a mill and to provide water to the steam engines passing through Harmony Junction). This became a natural terrain feature to have a mulching asset come in and make a wide trail with positive footing. What’s next? The next step is to refine this educational area. Funding has been requested for educational signage that will cover topics such as: “Wetland Wildlife and Plants”, “Foraging”, “Stream Habitat Enhancement”, “The History of Mill Dams/McVarish’s Pond”. These will accompany the current signs in place, which also cover a range of topics, including “Acadian Forests”, “Upland Birds”, “Forest Mammals”, “Legacy Park”, “Coniferous Trees”, “Deciduous Trees”, and more. We will also have a second pass over the trail with the mulching asset to ensure excellent footing for users and clear the final 30 meters to the head of the dam. Signage will also be put up with trail quick response (QR) codes and normal visual maps. Lastly, the Souris Wildlife website will host biographies of each commemorated individual in the park and what they did for the Souris and area communities conservation effort.
