Gabriola Lands and Trails Trust was formed in 2004 with the stated purpose:
"…to secure, develop and sustain a network of parkland and trails on Gabriola Island for the benefit of the public, and to preserve sites of environmental, historical, and social importance".
GaLTT's constitution specifies many ways the Society can achieve these goals, and we employ them all. We have achieved some great successes and are continuing to pursue projects that aren't finished as well as new ones.
Trail-building and managing invasive plants
Building the Yogi Trail in Cox Community Park was GaLTT's first project in 2004, and trail-building continues to be a major part of GaLTT's work, along with removal of invasive plants. GaLTT holds regular (usually bi-weekly) work parties of volunteers to clear, mark, and maintain trails, to build boardwalks to protect wetlands, and to manage invasive species on public land. We periodically hold special initiatives such as "broom-bashing" sessions, in which volunteers remove invasives on public land and urge private owners to clear invasives off their own properties. The trail-maintenance team led by Randy Young also loans out specialized tools such as "extractigators" to help in this work.
Descanso to Drumbeg trail system
GaLTT has a multi-year plan to establish a continuous system of public trails from one end of the island to the other, running between Descanso Bay and Drumbeg Park. We had hoped to finish the project by the end of 2010, but we didn't quite achieve the whole thing. Some negotiations with private landowners and government bodies are still in progress, and we hope to achieve our goal SOON.
Promoting our ideas and goals
GaLTT strongly supports the formation of parks and the preservation of wetlands and other representative and precious ecologies on Gabriola. We promote these ideas locally and we work with the parks departments of the Province of BC and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) to extend and maintain Gabriola's parkland. GaLTT is very proud to have worked with Islands Trust (IT), the Land Conservancy group and the Snunéymuxw First Nations to help preserve Gabriola's only significant remaining stand of old-growth forest in Elder Cedar (Su'l-hween X'pey) Nature Reserve.
Communication & education
As well as this website, GaLTT's communications team publishes printed brochures, trail maps, and bi-annual newsletters. We organize public speakers, and we offer practical guidance on identification and removal of invasive species on our website, through the local newpapers, and during regular work parties.
Volunteers operate a display table at the weekly summer Gabriola Market and at many other community meetings. Whenever possible, GaLTT works with other local organizations with compatible interests, such as the Commons, Gabriola Land Conservancy, and Sustainable Gabriola.
Management contracts
GaLTT holds two management contracts with the Islands trust Fund to ensure that Elder Cedar Nature Reserve conforms with the official Management Plan, and also to manage invasive species and trail signage.
We are also working with the RDN to help with trailwork, signage and invasive plant control in 707-Acre Park, and hope to be involved with the management of Coats Marsh Regional Park once its management plan is in place.
Covenants & trail licences
In 2010 GaLTT was legally approved to hold covenants and also to issue trail licences and provide insurance to private landowners who allow public trail access across their land. Several trail-licence negotiations are in progress as part of our Descanso to Drumbeg trails initiative.
In March, 2011 GaLTT signed its first agreement as co-covenant holder with the Islands Trust Fund on a tract of forested land near Brickyard Hill. The land remains in private hands but the covenant protects it in perpetuity against development, preserving it in its natural state. GaLTT is also currently in negotiations about two other covenants, and in the preliminary confidential investigative stage of another.
In October, 2011 GaLTT signed its first trail licence allowing public access on foot, bicycle and horse across private land connecting Barrett Road to Rollo Park. A second trail licence was close to completion at that time also, through private land between Cooper and Thompson Roads.