A 2.5-acre privately owned parcel has been added to Mount Erskine Park on Salt Spring Island, ensuring continued public access to one of the park's most popular trails and viewpoints.
The project was made possible through a unique partnership between BC Parks Foundation, BC Parks, local volunteers and generous donors. Together, we secured the property and protected an important connection between Manzanita Ridge Nature Reserve and Mount Erskine Park.
Mount Erskine Park is home to a rich network of trails that wind through old-growth forests, wetlands and rare ecosystems.
The newly protected property secures an important trail corridor while preserving spectacular viewpoints overlooking the Salish Sea, Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Shepherd Hills and the Cranberry Valley. It also protects habitat that supports species at risk, including provincially threatened Coastal Douglas-fir forests and the red-listed arbutus–hairy manzanita plant community.
This project was driven by the dedication of Salt Spring Island volunteers, especially Charles Kahn and Gary Quiring, who led the fundraising campaign. Betty-Ann Kruger and Sheryl Taylor-Munro also played key roles by supporting grant applications.
"We are happy to announce the successful fundraising of this land in concert with the BC Parks Foundation and donations from Salt Spring Islanders to save a well-loved trail corridor," says Charles Kahn.
"We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to making this happen," says Gary Quiring.
“It is great how everyone worked so closely together to expand Mt. Erskine Park – especially the volunteers and donors,” says Andy Day, CEO of BC Parks Foundation. “Their gift will fill the hearts and souls of everyone who experiences that magnificent view, for generations to come.”
The addition to Mount Erskine Park is a lasting example of what can be achieved when a community comes together to protect a place it loves.
