Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!
Group photo at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
It was the Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign Conservation Volunteers event at The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC’s) Fishing Lake property in the Frontenac Arch Natural Area.
We were there, on time, and rearing to go. There were six of us, a dog and Ali Giroux, NCC’s fearless leader for the day.
Trees at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
The goals for the event were to mark trails, clear debris and do our best to make the trails as safe and enjoyable as possible for hikers exploring NCC’s Fishing Lake property. The Fishing Lake property is composed of forests, rocks and lakefront views on 300 acres (121 hectares) of undeveloped land just north of Kingston, Ontario.
We were given hammers, nails, trail markers, GPS devices (for recording the locations of the trail signs) and loppers for cutting away any branches or debris that should impede safe passage along the trails.
Taking GPS coordinates (Photo by Nick Tardif)
After a quick safety briefing and an overview of the day’s activities, volunteers broke off into our groups and began the task of weaving three trails through the Fishing Lake property.
After a couple of hours of trail clearing and marking, we met up at the designated rendezvous point: a small clearing with a floating dock, right on the shore of Fishing Lake. We had some crackers, cheese, apples and avocadoes, enjoyed a little more of the scenery. Before too long we were back at it.
Mapping where the signs need to be installed at Fishing Lake, ON (Photo by Nick Tardif)
Spirits were high and laughter was plentiful, aiding us in making fairly quick work of the task at hand. Come the end of the day, with signs attached and GPS coordinates logged, the Fishing Lake property emerged with three new trails: Green, Purple and Orange. (See map here)
Good weather, nature and good folks; what more can you ask for?
Check out the scenes and highlights from the day narrated by Ali Giroux in the video below.
Video produced and edited by Nick Tardif.
About the Author
Nick Tardif is a freelance photographer and photojournalist specializing in nature and nature related issues, with a special focus on species at risk.
