The staff at the UBC Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF) are very excited to be opening a public trail on their Fox Mountain office property.
“Having a year-round, community trail is an idea that’s been in the works for a couple years. Some preliminary clearing had been done on the loop about two years ago, but we lacked the funds to make it accessible to wheelchair users and strollers,” said Mark Gill, the Wild & Immersive education program supervisor.
Wild & Immersive is a program at the AFRF that provides outdoor nature programs to children and families, and the trail will help support this program.
“We were thrilled when we received funding from the Drax Foundation to complete this project. Not only has it allowed us to complete the trail, but we are able to add several play structures, some benches, signage, and public outhouses,” said Gill.
Due to the warm weather, the trail was able to be completed ahead of schedule, while the rest of the project will be finished in the spring.
“We are also thankful to United Concrete for providing free gravel delivery and a bench from Leading Edge Wood Products. It’s always very heartwarming to have the community come together on projects like this,” he added.
“Our vision for this trail is to have a public area where community members can get outside, enjoy nature, and connect with each other,” said Gill, noting the goal was to provide an easy, flat walking trail everyone can access and enjoy.
Not only has the Drax Foundation funded this trail, they’ve also funded a bursary for Wild & Immersive to financially support families wishing to access their programs.
“This will make a huge difference to families who all deserve access to quality educational opportunities but may not have the funds to do so,” said Gill.
Currently, Wild & Immersive offers day camps during the summer, spring break, and winter break, as well as pro-d days. They also run a Forest School each week for ages 3-5, and 6-12.
“We are working hard to continue to offer high-quality, outdoor experiences for families in our third year of programming and want to add even more programs this year to get people connecting to nature.”
More information about Wild & Immersive programs can be found at wildandimmersive.ubc.ca or on social media.
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