Oak Bay will place segments of boardwalk and gravel to make Uplands Park winter walking better for residents and more protective of the sensitive ecosystem.
Each spring, the central meadow blooms purple on a lush green backdrop, but in the winter, it’s less clear to see the endangered plants that lurk beneath the muddy field.
Come fall when things are muddy and less visible, Oak Bay closes the field to foot traffic that can damage the endangered ecosystem.
“It floods terribly in the winter and becomes pretty much unwalkable,” said Wylie Thomas, a conservation biologist who has managed several projects in the park over the years. “When it floods in the winter, what happens is, people don’t have anywhere to walk on the trail so they step off the trail into the sensitive habitat.”
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The park is home to 25 endangered plants with 16 listed in the Species At Risk Act. Each fall since 2018, when things start to get muddy and plant life less visible to the average walker, Oak Bay closes the central meadow to foot traffic. The limitations have resulted in a significant reduction in damage to soil and native plants, allowing more meadow flowers to reach maturity and set seed, Thomas said.
“It’s starting to heal,” he said.
But on other paths, as mud and water accrue, walkers attempt to avoid mud and water by walking off-trail, damaging what they can’t see.
Being a popular urban park, it’s important to find a balance to co-exist.
In February, Oak Bay council tasked staff with providing options to improve winter walking opportunities in the 76 acres of natural lands.
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The goal is to create improvements that won’t impact areas of natural or archaeological significance in the park. This fall, council approved boardwalk for areas that heavily flood and gravel aims to reduce impact in other areas.
So this winter with the central meadow closed, work is underway to trail improvement around the perimeter of the park. The goal of boardwalks and gravel is to create the potential for a loop walk, accessed from different entrances to the park. Some work has already started. The modular boardwalk segments are still on order.
The goal, said parks manager Chris Hyde-Lay, is to make the whole winter walking experience in the park more enjoyable and less muddy.
The long-term project to protect – while balancing enjoyment of – Uplands Park, involves a lot of different levels of community groups, schools, federal government and local government, Thomas said.
“Everybody is doing a bit.”
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