Bruce Peninsula National Park is getting top marks from a national Environmental Organization for efforts being made to protect and manage its natural environment.
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is out with its second review of Canadian parks, and Director of Parks Evan Ferrari says the staff at the National Park on the Bruce Peninsula are an excellent job.
He says while trying to make certain parts of the park like Cyprus Lake as accessible as possible, they also are going to great lengths to ensure the wilderness areas remain as undisturbed as possible.
Ferrari says despite the great number of people who visit the park on a daily basis, up to 600 can visit the Grotto in one day, the park staff have done a very good job of controling the impact they have on the environment
He also says the installation of compostable toilets at that site also has lessened the impact people have on a very unique natural setting.
Ferrari says one of the most remarkable initiatives currently underway is the removal of some 120 kilometres of historic roads currently in the park.
He says that does two things — first it prevents use of ATV’s in environmentally sensitive areas and allows the canopy of the forest to close in over head and encourage the growth of natural species of trees and plants.
Ferrari says allowing roads in a park results in the habitat fragmentation of the forest which allows for the introduction of non native invasive species of plants.