A Southern Vancouver Island non-profit society and registered BC charity
Nature Trails Society Nature Trails Society
  • Home
  • About
    • About the Organization
    • The Board
    • Resources
    • Benefits of Nature Trails
  • Our Trails
    • Our Trails
    • All Maps
    • Coastal Connector Trail
  • Donate Here
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer With Us
  • Our Partners

About the Organization

Home / About the Organization

Nature Trail Society (NTS) is a not-for-profit and registered charity based in Victoria, southern Vancouver Island, BC. 

NTS currently consists of an Executive Director (1), Board of Directors (13), members (~50), and volunteers.

Past work has been focused on creating effective trail systems to accommodate all users: hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, dog walkers, horseback riders, commuting cyclists, and families. NTS has experience working with landowners, municipalities, Parks & Recreation departments, the CRD, and industry partners to secure access and authorization.

We advocate for an interconnected nature trail network across the Greater Victoria Region that connects existing trails and different greenspaces.  If the various existing nature trails were to be coordinated and connected, this could be a huge opportunity to create a world-class network of trails suitable for hiking and mountain biking.

Currently, we are in the initial phase of consultation and engagement with various stakeholders associated with the proposed Coastal Connector Trail.

Connecting these trails has been likened to building an “arena” for sporting events such as Canada Cup Mountain Bike Races, XC trail running races, the multi-stage BC Bike Race, and Cross on the Rock Cyclocross. These events bring in hundreds of participants as well as their spectating families for multi-day stays and the larger more international events bring international exposure to our destination.

The Nature Trails Society works to help facilitate the development of such a trail network for a range of potential users (hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, dog walkers, horseback riders, commuting cyclists, and families). We look forward to collaborating with stakeholders such as landowners, First Nations, municipalities, Parks & Recreation departments, the CRD, and other industry partners to secure access and authorization to specific cross-regional trail corridors and connections.

Check Out Past Newsletters Here ✨

Winter 2022 Newsletter

Fall 2021 Newsletter

Plans for the Future 🌱

See the organization’s

2020 Strategic Plan here. 

This plan is to be active for 2020-2023.

Annual Reports

2021 Annual Report

Our goals revolve around:
  • Building and maintaining nature trails on southern Vancouver Island.
  • Promoting safe, sustainable trail building design and techniques through education.
  • Encouraging the use of existing parks and trails, while respecting the natural environment, cultural heritage, and diversity.
  • A collaborative effort between stakeholders to develop, maintain, and advocate for shared-use nature trails and trail networks in southern Vancouver Island.

http://naturetrailssociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Nature-Trails-Society-FINAL.mp4

Vision

A world-renowned network of multi-use trails with abundant access, that inspires people to engage with the natural world and respect the environment.

Mission

Champion, build, and connect safe, enjoyable, and sustainable nature trails, by collaborating and working closely with diverse partners.

History

Established in 2015, the society set out with goals to optimize outdoor recreation options by improving shared-use natural surface trails in the Greater Victoria Region on southern Vancouver Island.

NTS was founded in 2015 by Victoria locals, Daniel Cammiade and Rob Fawcett, to optimize local recreation opportunities and support the sustainability of natural surface (dirt and rock) multi-use trails. They noticed that many trails exist in isolation and are managed by various different groups. NTS is an impartial third party that can advocate for nature trail connectivity across municipal borders.
There are many unauthorized (rogue) trails that are “worn in” over time through continued use. Consequently, these trails are typically made without considerations of environmental sustainability and tend to induce erosion. NTS build on this demand for trails by finding opportunities to legitimize such frequented trails by working with landowners and assessing how to remediate the area to advance environmental protection.
  • Home
  • About
    • About the Organization
    • The Board
    • Resources
    • Benefits of Nature Trails
  • Our Trails
    • Our Trails
    • All Maps
    • Coastal Connector Trail
  • Donate Here
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer With Us
  • Our Partners
Southern Vancouver Island Nature Trails Society | Registered Charity Number: 8919351792 R0001 | Contact naturetrailssociety@gmail.com |
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