Technology in the KNP
The Kimberley Nature Park (KNP) is a jewel in the City of Kimberley, providing habitat for wildlife, opportunities to learn about the natural world, to participate in recreational activities and to reduce stress in people.
All of these are important values of the KNP, but the first mandate of the Kimberley Nature Park Society (KNPS) is to conserve the habitat and ecosystems found there. To anyone who has visited the KNP over the past few years, it is obvious that human use of the area has increased. Walkers, snowshoers, XC skiers and bikers are using the park in increasing numbers through all the seasons of the year. While it is wonderful to see more people enjoying the natural world and finding value in spending time in an undeveloped area, the fear is that the very values of the KNP are being threatened by the amount of use. In order to gain some understanding of how the KNP is handling the amount of human use, the KNPS is undertaking a number of projects to document and quantify use and impacts.
Technology, along with the efforts of all-important volunteers, is playing a role in gaining further understanding of the ecology and impacts on the KNP. The projects that are being undertaken are:
Cameras in the KNP
Since the Wildlife Camera Project began in 2020, over 470 individual animals and 15 species have been recorded by the four cameras set up in the Kimberley Nature Park (KNP). See more details on the project in the blog post "Wildlife Camera Update."
Trail Counters
To get an understanding of how many people make use of the KNP, the Society has recently obtained trail counters that help approximate the total amount of use and an indication of the proportion of foot traffic compared to bike traffic using the Park.
iNaturalist
iNaturalist is a global project that utilizes Citizen Science to gather information about biodiversity on the planet. Sightings in the KNP are added to the Kimberley Nature Park project and will provide additional information about what is found in the Park.
Landscape Photo Documentation Project
Several locations within the KNP have been chosen to document changes in the site over time. Volunteers visit these sites four times/year on the solstices or equinoxes so that changes over time can be noticed and recorded.
Trail Impacts
Increasing use causes increased impacts to the trails. By documenting damage to trails through photos, remedial action can be taken.
Calypso Orchid Count
On a less technology-based note, the Annual Calypso Count takes place in late May/early June. Volunteers count the numbers of Calypso Orchids seen from the trails. Since these counts have gone on for several years, comparisons can be made over time.
The knowledge gained through these projects will help the KNPS be better stewards of the land and conserve the ecosystems and habitat in the KNP. A healthy Park will support the flora and fauna and also provide the opportunities for education and recreation that are also important values of the Kimberley Nature Park.
