Located in southwest Nanaimo near the foot of Mount Benson, the Morrell Nature Sanctuary is a 111 hectare protected rain shadow forest owned by the Nature Trust of British Columbia and leased to the Morrell Sanctuary Society for Environmental Education as a teaching forest. The Society offers a variety of nature interpretation programs for the community, ranging from elementary school children through to seniors. Recognized as a popular retirement town, Nanaimo is attracting an increasing number of seniors each year, many with some degree of disability. The 700 meter Yew Loop is one of the most attractive and best-known nature trails inside the Sanctuary and is the only nature trail in the Sanctuary that people with mobility issues will likely experience, either on their own or with the help of Sanctuary volunteers. However, over the years this trail has deteriorated to the point that extensive repairs and restoration are now needed to ensure the continued safety and convenience of disabled visitors.
Experts from the City of Nanaimo Parks and Recreation department have inspected the Yew Loop and pointed out that tree roots are impeding water flow in several sections of the trail and that the lack of proper drainage is leading to erosion of the trail surface. They suggested bringing in more crushed gravel or sand and hiring a small machine to distribute and grade it. In addition, some of the existing guard rails are failing in their critical function of constraining a runaway wheelchair in places with measurable slope. The building of new guard rails of sufficient strength can be accomplished with our own volunteer work crew. Nevertheless, it also requires a substantial outlay of money for materials.
It is to this end that the Board of Directors for the Morrell Sanctuary Society has created the Yew Loop Improvement Committee to initiate and implement a Yew Loop Improvement Project. The committee’s goal is to seek external funding sources and to oversee the completion of repairs on the Yew Loop trail. To date, we have received a $3,000 grant from the Coastal Community Credit Union in Nanaimo for this project, leaving a budget shortfall of about $5,000. Given the importance of this trail to disabled persons wishing to explore our natural environment, the committee is hoping that the project meets the eligibility requirements of a BC Rehab Foundation grant and our application is being re-submitted again for your consideration for a lesser amount than last year.
