Achievements

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 TRAIL MAINTENANCE & PROJECTS

Ipperwash Dunes & Swales

• Installed 3 snapping turtle protective cages
• Installed two fences and signs to close off side trails
• Cleaned up the old dump off Clemens Line
• Added sign at parking lot to point to Ipperwash Rd.
• Fixed the end boards on a couple boardwalks
• Installed a metal “arrow” sign so that people don’t go onto private property

 'L' Lake Management Area

• Refurbished the bench at the trailhead
• Fixed the bench at the back to address graffiti 
• The brochure holder at the trailhead was replaced with a map holder
• Ground vegetation has been trimmed
• White & Blue blazes have been repainted and overhanging vegetation trimmed
• Added coat of weather protector to bench overlooking pond

 Forested Dunes

• Added 2 benches at the back of the trail
• Replaced the wire handrail
• Installed directional signs 

Lambton County Heritage Forest

• Added two wheelchair accessible picnic tables
• Added an accessible chip dust trail behind the community centre
• Installed a great horned owl carving
• Added a turtle carving 
• Refurbished the Love, Live, Laugh & Hike frame
• Added dirt to raise the level of the Tulip trail where it gets muddy
• Added mulch around trees in the green tunnel
• Added two plant climbers at the trailhead
• Re-stained the carvings and benches around the Circle of Life
• Repainted the signs and plant identifiers with white paint
• Installed “Trail Closed” signs on unauthorized side trails
• Replaced the Story Walk story 
• Installed START/END letters on Story Walk posts
• Remediated the two orange owls at the Heart of the Trails because of an ant infestation. Bases were made for each carving and the owls have been reinstalled in new cement.

Ausable River Valley & Mystery Falls

• Built a footbridge over a large crevasse
• Cleared the vegetation along the river side of the loop
• New map holder installed at Mystery Falls
• Missing blazes along the Mystery Falls loop have been painted
• Added 2 metal directional arrow signs at the back crossing of Mystery Creek 
• Cut downed trees along the Mystery Falls loop trail to create footbridges to cross muddy sections
• Fixed a footbridge in Mystery Falls that was damaged by a fallen tree

 Ausable River Cut Conservation Area

• Installed safety fence to protect dune grass planting area
• Planted dune grass at the first sand dune
• Build new stairs to get to the dock replacing the old tire stairs 
• Rebuilt the split rail fence along Hwy 21
• Added a Port Franks waterway map
• Built a retainer wall at the top of the dune
• Refurbished the bench at the top of the dune
• Installed an 8 ft extension ramp was installed for the floating dock
• Built a deck/platform in front of the bench beside the river to stop erosion
• Installed two fences and signs to close off side trails
• Replaced the washroom symbol sign on the washroom door
• Installed a couple metal “Trail Closed” signs to replace the handmade “Path Closed” signs
• Added wood slats on the ramp to the floating dock to prevent people slipping
• Replaced the Story Walk story
• Installed new plaques on the two benches
• Installed composite boards on top of the handrail next to the stairs
• Repainted the white blazes
• Painted the two cross-over trails blue
• Cut trees along Northville Cres. that were leaning/fell on the split rail fence. Also picked up a bag full of garbage.

 Forest Trails

• Railroad crossing signs installed along the Grand Trunk Trail
• Added 2 additional pollinator boxes
• Four benches were added along the Grand Trunk Trail
• The Forest Trailhead cracks which were filled with wood filler, sanded and stained 
• Speed limit signs added to the service road at the end of the Grand Trunk Trail
• Spread wildflower seeds along the Grand Trunk Trail
• The new pollinator boxes have been planted with Columbine, Bee Balm, Rose Campion, Hysop, and Native Columbine
• Added clear coat to the lettering on the Rail Trail Crossing signs to protect them from fading and chipping/pealing
• Added lawn edging under the trailhead to help prevent the mulch from floating away during heavy rains
• Watered the 6 pollinator boxes due to lack of rain
• New map holder installed at the trailhead (vandalized)
• Fixed the vandalized fence post on the train bridge. Also cleaned graffiti off two of the bollard posts.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

 Trail Maps: We collaborated again with the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce to issue an updated map of all the hiking trails in Lambton Shores & Vicinity. The map is an insert in the Grand Bend Summer Tourist Guide and Lambton Shores Nature Trails distributed more than 1000 maps this year.

Commemorative Patch Giveaway: 2021 marked our 10th anniversary and we created a set of 4 commemorative patches. Throughout the year, we gave out many of these patches to people we met along the trails. This gave us an opportunity to engage the public and let them know who we are and what we do.

Trail Badge Program: The free badge award program was launched late in 2018 and has seen an increased demand due to the number of people on the trails and some social media promotion we did.  There are now fewer than 30 remaining of the original 200 produced.

Adopt-a-Road: We conducted our annual cleanup of the 5.5 km stretch of Bog Line from Hwy 79 to the Ausable River Bridge as part of the Lambton County Adopt-a-Road program. We collected 15 garbage bags, 75 beer cans and a broken flat screen TV.

Youth: We had five youth volunteers come out and help us on the trails this year.  We truly appreciate having young people participate in our efforts to maintain the trails and give back to the community. 

Promotion: We hosted a Holiday Marketplace at the Port Franks Community Centre. This fundraiser also gave us an opportunity to engage the community and raise awareness of who we are and what we do on the local trails.

• Built a volunteer pool' of 55+, an email list of 140+ and a Facebook followers list of 1,400+. Partnered with local Landowners, Municipal Council & Staff, local Community Service Groups and donors.
• Constructed and/or upgrade trails, installed trail signage & painted blazes, and re-naturalized damaged  areas.
• Built substantial trail infrastructure including ATV barriers, boardwalks, benches, floating dock and  portage for canoes & kayaks, small bridges over gullies, and stairs on steep embankments.
• Created extensive public awareness of  the critical need to protect & preserve our remaining 'Gems of Nature' through public meetings, monthly newsletters, newspaper articles, presentations to community groups, networking, brochures, badge programs, website and social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
• Maintaining ~40 km of nature trails on over 2300 acres of the some of the most environmentally sensitive lands in Lambton Shores and vicinity beyond the  confines of our treasured Pinery Provincial Park and Rock Glen Conservation Area.
• Ongoing efforts to protect the  natural diversity of Lambton Shores and vicinity. This includes projects such a tree planting and pollinator boxes.
• Implementing  changes that make trails available for those who use mobility aids. We have laid a packed chip & dust  surface on three trails, totaling more than 3 km in length. This includes one of  the few accessible trails through a Carolinian Canada forest in southwestern  Ontario. We have also built an accessible viewing platform overlooking the Ausable River Cut, in the heart of the Port Franks designated “Important Bird and Biodiversity Area”.
• Being part of the larger community "Beyond the Trails".  We are a proud member of the County of Lambton Adopt-A-Road Program; cleaning Bog Line from Northville Rd. to the county boundary. We have also partnered with the North Lambton Community Health Centre to lead hikes on area nature trails.