South Shore Footpath Day launch celebration on June 22

It will be an exciting day Saturday in Prince Edward County when the South Shore Joint Initiative holds its South Shore Footpath launch.

The partnership of groups working to protect Prince Edward County’s South Shore has a grand vision of a footpath stretching dozens of kilometres between Point Petre and Point Traverse.

The project, modeled on the Bruce Trail, will take several years to complete.

One of the project’s leaders, Geoff Craig says because of the natural beauty of the south shore there’s a great desire for conservation and they’ve already received a lot of support.

“So we have the new Monarch Point Conservation Reserve. We have the National Wildlife area run by the federal government and we also have the Nature Conservancy of Canada as people who are working closely. And if we add all those lands together that’s probably about 40% of, as the crow flies, land overall.”

Craig says the benefits of the footpath are two-fold.

“The major one is the protection and conservation of the south shore, which is fantastic. The second one is around personal well-being. And there are studies to back up both of these goals but any time you spend more time in nature, people love it and then they tend to look after it and it’s good for their mental well-being and happiness.”

Phase one of the footpath plan involves working with provincial and federal partners which are contributing some funding.

Craig says they have not approached municipal council at this point.

There will be some direct fundraising for the footpath and they are also hoping to attract some corporate sponsors.

“A lot of the effort is through volunteers which will be, you know, maintaining trails to protect biodiverstiy, cutting trails. And so we don’t see this as a huge budget driver in the short term.”

On Saturday the South Shore Joint Initiative will launch the plan to the public by holding several walking tours and all-ages activities at Mariners Park Museum in Milford from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It is a rain or shine event.

Craig says they are no longer taking online registrations for the guided walks along the south shore but welcome walk-in sign-ups on Saturday.

He encourages people who aren’t necessarily interested in the walks to come out for the events at the Museum.

“There’ll be a number of different booths set up, all nature based, talking about conservation and other things. Of course the footpath booth will be there so we can tell you a little bit more about it. In addition to that there’s all kinds of activity. There’s going to be two live music acts. There’s going to be a bunch of free kids nature activities.”

Chidren’s activities include face painting, nature drawing, making bead bracelets and a drumming circle.

A food truck will also be on site.

Organizers suggest you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring hats, lawn chairs, beverages, insect and tick repellent and sunscreen.

More information about the South Shore Joint Initiative and the Footpath Launch Day can be found here.