long distance trails building environmental stewards of ......overview i. introduce rod donald banks...

Building Environmental Stewards of the Future

with Sustainable Long Distance Trails

Suky Thompson Manager

Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust

www.roddonaldtrust.co.nz

Overview

I. Introduce Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust

II. Environmental Stewards of the Future

III. Long Distance Trails

IV. Sustainable Trails

V. Te Ara Pātaka (Summit Walkway)

Trust origins

• 1876 - Canterbury Provincial Council endows small Councils with farms

• 2005 - Sold by Banks Peninsula District Council

– Fund an environmental trust

– Leave an enduring legacy

• 2007 – Public Consultation

Trust established 2010

• Christchurch City Council controlled organisation

• Mandate to support – sustainable management

– environmental projects

– recreation

– former Banks Peninsula District Council area

• Name commemorating MP Rod Donald supported by public consultation

Board of 9 trustees

• Board appointed by Council

• Full time manager

• Work independently

• Report to Council

Bob Webster, Maureen McCloy, Paul McNoe, Cynthia Roberts, Simon Mortlock – Chair, Bryan Storey, Richard Suggate, Not pictured- Andrew Turner, Chrissie Williams

Initial Stocktake

• Interviewed organisations working on same topics

• Avoid duplication

• Support their efforts

• Fill the gaps

4 strategic pillars

• Access

• Biodiversity

• Knowledge

• Partnership

Access → Knowledge → Biodiversity protection

Creating Environmental Stewards of the Future

Part II. Building Environmental Stewards of the Future

• Academic Research

• Theoretical basis for our work

1957 – Freeman Tilden

• Interpreting our Heritage US National Parks Service

“Through interpretation, understanding;

through understanding, appreciation;

through appreciation, protection.”

1975 -Dunlap and Heffernan

• Defined Appreciative Recreation – Hiking

– Photography

– Camping

• Positive link between Appreciative Recreation and environmental values

2009 - Nature Deficit Disorder

• Richard Louv

• “Nobody is going to protect the natural world unless they understand it”

• Less than 10% of UK children play in nature – Screens

– Fear of strangers

– Fear of traffic

– Homework

Learning to love the natural world enough to protect it

• What motivates people to take action for the environment

• Outdoor experience combined with understanding

• Importance of adult modelling behaviour and teaching

• Family members or other role models

Louise Chawla

Getting families out

• Front country - minimise travel times

• Graduated range of activities

• Inter-generational affect

Part III. Long Distance trails

• Different types of multi-day routes

• Forces driving their creation and popularity

• Why use long distance trails for building environmental stewards?

Wilderness routes

• Carry own gear

• Camp or huts

• Away from civilisation

• Appalachian Trail

• DOC Great Walks

Kepler Track

Tourism Trails

• Pass through civilisation linking communities

• Tourism services

• Range of accommodation including private serviced

• Central Otago Rail Trail

• Queen Charlotte Track

Why are long distance trails popular

• Response to urbanisation

• Journey becomes the destination

• Low carbon to offset car and plane travel

• Time to appreciate nature

• Slow Tourism

speed has assumed greater importance than in the whole of human history

Fullagar, Markwell, Wilson, Slow Tourism experiences and modalities 2012

Why use long distance trails for building environmental stewards?

• Time to appreciate nature

• Huts capture hearts

IV. What makes a Sustainable Trail

• Sustainable tourism

“economically viable, but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will depend, notably the physical environment and the social fabric of the host community”

(Swarbrooke in McAreavey, 2011 p176)

Intergenerational equity

Triple bottom line

Economic

Socio-cultural

Environmental

Economic community benefits

• Principally tourism trails

Track Users Total

C2C Cycle England

15,000 £1.5 million direct

Queen Charlotte Walking New Zealand

65,000 $5.1 million direct $7.5 million in Picton/Sounds area

Virginia Creeper Rail Trail US

154,000 $1.6 million

(Bowker et al., 2007 Butchers Partners Ltd, 2005 Cope et al., 1998)

Socio-cultural community benefits

• Connecting communities

• Marketing vessel

• Create jobs

• Community pride

• Social renewal

• Many stakeholders

Environmental issues along trail

• Human waste – Issue on wilderness trails

– Often helicoptered out

– Milford track 25,000l per annum

• Erosion – Sensitive alpine areas

– Tracks become drainage paths

Climate change

• Assumption that cycling and walking eco friendly

• Economic benefits fossil fuel based

• Luggage and transport shuttles

• Air travel if reliant on distant tourists

Goals • Create an appealing long

distance trail – Clarity – wilderness or tourism

• Long term sustainable – Economically – Socio-culturally – Environmentally

• Get young people out – Front country easy to access – Graduated range of opportunities

• Develop their environmental values – Adult role modelling – Interpretative information

Part V. Te Ara Pātaka (Summit Walkway)

• Implementing a sustainable long distance trail on Banks Peninsula

• Work in progress

• Joint project Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust and Department of Conservation

Te Ara Pātaka (Summit Walkway)

History 1800s

• Maori ridgeline trails adopted by whalers and pioneers

• Rhodes brothers

• 1853 Provincial Council forms the Purau line

• Connected Purau to Akaroa along tops

Harry Ell 1900-1920s

• Protected Kennedy’s bush

• Link between scenery protection and access

• Recreational route from Christchurch to Akaroa

• Sign of the Packhorse

Cora Wilding 1930s-1950s

• Founder of Sunlight league and YHA

• Tramping for youth development

• Creates first network of Youth hostels in NZ on Banks Peninsula

Cora Wildings Hostel map

Tramping clubs 1950s-1970s

• Tom Cundell Hut

– Port Levy Saddle

• Hugh Wilson

– childhood family tramp

• Ben and Colin Faulkner

– Cora Wilding youth

– Volunteer track work

Rod Donald Trust gets involved

• Comprehensive mapping

• Walking Strategy

• Potential of Summit Walkway identified

• 2013 DOC and Trust sign partnership agreement

Education opportunities

• Stark evidence of pioneering destruction

• Surviving remnant forest

• Verdant regeneration

Existing and potential participation

• Summit Walkway well used by Canterbury people

• Middle aged males

• Support for improving infrastructure

• Second hut needed

Canterbury Youth and Outdoor Recreation

• Participants enthusiastic about Summit Walkway

• Health, safety, cost and accessibility are main barriers

• Create a hut booking system

Serendipity – a hut for sale!

• Private crib close to Port Levy Saddle

• Access to Summit Walkway

• 10ha QEII covenanted property

• Owner sympathetic to Trust

Rod Donald Hut is born

• Trust moves fast

• Purchases after due diligence

• Re-purposed to a 9 bunk serviced hut

• DOC agree to include on their Booking system

Rod Donald Hut opens Nov 2015

Opening event

Education through signage

Sustainability features

• Solar lights

• Rain water collected off roof

• Worm trench for greywater

• VIP toilet

Modelling opportunity

Te Ara Pātaka /Summit Walkway formally opens Nov 2016

• Centenary

Celebration for Harry Ell

• Keynote Speaker Paula Jameson great granddaughter

100 trampers on Mt Herbert

• Waymarking

• Signage

• Track improvements

• Brochure

• Website

Packhorse Hut 100 years old

Matt Clemens, Ell’s great great grandson

Goals recap

• Created an appealing long distance trail – Wilderness Trail

• Long term sustainable – Economically – Socio-culturally – Environmentally

• Get young people out – Front country easy to access – Graduated range of opportunities

• Develop their environmental values – Adult role modelling – Interpretative information

Getting young people out?

• 41% occupancy • 35% under 18s • 25% walk in from Port Levy Saddle

Month Adults Children Total July 60 48 108 August 30 12 42 September 23 21 44 October 58 50 108 November 58 17 75 December 116 72 188 January 136 95 231 February 97 22 119 March 67 17 84 April 89 67 156 May 48 18 66 June 65 21 86 Total 857 560 1307

Rod Donald Hut Usage

Next Steps

• Securing access on private land

• Long term sustainable management

• Shelters and toilets

• Interpretation

• ASSESS IF EXPERIENCE COMBINED WITH EDUCATION IS CREATING FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS!

Questions-Discussion

long distance trails building environmental stewards of ......overview i. introduce rod donald banks...

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