With countless hours of screen-time, indoor time, and disconnection from the natural world, there is one day set aside to head out into the woods for a simple stroll. That day is Saturday, the weekend anchor of National Forestry Week.
The Cariboo Section of the Canadian Institute of Forestry is holding a public walk at the Willow River Interpretive Trail on Saturday, including a free lunch. The Willow River site has been one of the area's primary forestry appreciation locations for decades since the recreational and educational trails are maintained through funds raised by the sustainable logging activity in the adjacent demonstration forest. It is a place where schools come for tours and public walks in the woods takes place on a regular basis.
"[The trail's use] exposes many individuals to a forest environment that they otherwise would not enter on their own," said Bob Baker, one of the tour coordinators. "For the younger generation - who suffer in many cases from Nature Deficit Disorder - this takes them away from their very restricted environment in front of the XBox, cell phone and tablet. It takes them back to the basics of protecting their natural environment and gets them out into the fresh air in the forest. Hands-on learning and life experiences offer so much more than reading books in the classroom and is a way to explain the diverse species of flora and fauna that exist in B.C. on a firsthand basis."
Watching the expressions on the faces of a Grade 3 class as the guides explain the different mushrooms on the trail, or what bear scat looks like, or walking into tree cavities made by woodpeckers is Baker's personal proof that the trail is as much a living library as it is a path in the forest.
He described those young faces as filled with "absolute wonderment" as the walks wend through the trees and bushes. Yet he also sees appreciating, learning expressions on the faces of adults as they take in the same sights, sounds and smells.
Baker said, "The public tours especially provide an opportunity to explain in a one-on-one basis to adults - voters, taxpayers - the impending shortage of resource professionals like foresters to manage our forest resources, especially in light of the increased pressures on our land base that include exploration and development in the mining and gas sectors, growing human populations, urban sprawl, climate change, fire management, forest pests, fragmentation of forest ecosystems."
The guides on Saturday are volunteers who come from many parts of the forestry industry, everyone from field workers who manage the harvesting and silviculture and ongoing health of the forests to those involved in the logging, replanting and maintenance of the forests. There is an array of subjects and many specialist jobs under each of those headings, he said, making forestry one of the most exciting career paths available, since the forests are everywhere in the province and exist right in the community's backyard.
It all starts, he said, with a simple appreciation for a walk in the woods.
"Because the trail traverses so many different ages of stands, different species and all the associated wildlife that use the different habitats, [the Willow River Interpretive Trail] is truly a great learning site. There is always something to learn from and different things to note," he said.
Clocking from the base of the Yellowhead Bridge, the trail is located 33 km east of the city just before the Willow River Bridge.
The trail head commences from the rest area adjacent to the north side of Highway 16. The route goes up a short, steep section (approximately 200 meters in length) with switch-backs and steps. Following the initial climb the trail is a circular route of approximately 1.9 kilometers. It is a moderately easy walk of about 45 minutes. Because of stops along the way, tours are usually about 60 to 75 minutes in length, varying depending on questions, investigations and discoveries along the way.
