EcoTrails - Join In | Carolinian Canada

What do you want to do in nature?

Join the EcoTrail Network

Immerse your community in local nature.

Celebrate all that is extraordinary in your region.

Grow Wild for beautiful backyards & healthy spaces.

Now, you can create your own EcoTrail at a new or existing trail, tour, street or wayside stop as part of Carolinian Canada’s growing EcoTrail network.

Showcase the unique nature of your community.

Grow a green community hub.

An EcoTrail is a place to connect... with nature, people and a healthy future. Whether you manage a nature trail, want to 'green up' your site or aim to bring people together, try this fresh and healthy community-building approach.

Your trail can be an idea, a hiking path, a cycle route, a city walking tour, a driving tour, a wayside stop, a paddle route, a demonstration garden...

Joining the EcoTrail Network is a wonderful way to build positive connections, green communities and healthy spaces. EcoTrails are win-win-win for environment, economy and social equity.

Why Join?

Grow Your Idea: You can join the network even if you are just starting out with a piece of land or even just a concept. Use the network to explore ideas, see what others are doing, connect with experts, find out about new ways of showcasing nature to grow your idea and trail.

Enhance Your Trail: You can join the network if you have a trail that needs improvement. Plan out what you want to do to make it wildlife and people-friendly.

Grow Your Community: Think beyond the traditional nature brochure and 'text book' signage. Use the network to access new technology, link to new sectors and spark imaginations to grow your community.

EcoTrails connect local to global.

Your EcoTrail can link your community to the Carolinian Canada network from Toronto to Windsor; to local to international visitors; and to a healthy future for the planet. EcoTrails connect along the trail and beyond into the greater ecosystem, community and ecoregion.

EcoTrail Network members

are on the front lines of local nature protection, healthy landscapes and growing green infrastructure
can access advice, referrals, training, assistance and other benefits
link to other groups with to share visions, ideas, experiences and new developments
are part of the Big Picture of a healthy ecoregion

Scroll down to explore the benefits of EcoTrails

EcoTrails support the 3 E's of sustainability.

Environment

create a net gain for biodiversity and climate adaptation
protect rare species and habitats
grow healthy landscapes for air, water and soil protection

Economy

create green jobs
increase ecotourism
support green business

Equity

invite new audiences to connect to the healthy benefits of nature through interactive activities
empower residents from all walks of life to create a green future in their backyards, streets and communities
create green community hubs for experiential, healthy, safe, free public use

Scroll down to explore who benefits.

Who will benefit from the Carolinian Canada EcoTrail Network?

Nature Lovers

Nature supporters who want to reach new audiences
Schools and communities who want to share their love of nature

Adventurers

Tourism, parks, trail groups who want to increase and enhance visitor experiences while improving the local environment
Health sectors who want to boost health through nature therapy
Social sectors who want to provide unique, healthy, vital and local experiences, cost-effectively

Community-builders

Businesses who want to engage employees and showcase their green
Groups who want to grow a greener, more cohesive and active community
Communities who want to cost-effectively enhance local environment, economy and social equity and grow a climate-smart community

Gardeners

Horticultural groups who want to grow beautiful and eco-friendly communities
Landowners or land managers who want to enhance the value of their properties, backyards or ecosystem functions
Neighbourhoods, gardeners, foragers, and local food enthusiasts who want to protect habitat, wildlife, water, air and soil

What do you want to do in nature?

Scroll down to explore if your trail is a good candidate for an EcoTrail.

What makes an EcoTrail?

Join to showcase the unique nature of your site, street, tour or trail.

Use this checklist to explore if you or your group can benefit from the EcoTrail Network.

EXPLORE - Immerse your community in nature.

Your group has a goal to manage or improve habitat.
Your site has public access or by permission or guided tour.
We can help you with a habitat survey, rare species, signage, planning, big picture connections, connecting science to community values, connect to experts and other innovative EcoTrails

SHARE - Celebrate all that is extraordinary.

Your group will work with us to establish a virtual trail head on the Carolinian Canada EcoTrail website with a link to and from your website.
You want to share with your community how you save, steward and seed local nature using best practices.
We can help you engage community with clear communications and interactive programs e.g. workshops, webinars, story trails, web links, youth activities, biodiversity bootcamps, meaningful stakeholder engagement; connect to thousands in the Carolinian Canada network

ACT - Grow Wild for beautiful backyards & healthy spaces.

Your group can promote a message or call to action for local nature e.g. WOW Watch out for Wildlife, Garden for nature, 'Take-home' backyard actions, healthy habitat menus
You can access local networks to build interaction at your site.
We can help you create a call to action, understand who uses your trail, create a demonstration garden, link to a Citizen Science program, find funding and more
We can help you promote your site and your message across the Zone.

An EcoTrail showcases the unique nature of your community.

Your trail may be a vibrant green community hub, need to be refreshed or a vision to be implemented. The Carolinian Canada EcoTrail Network can help you!

Plan - e.g. Create an EcoTrail plan, grow your vision, find funding
Care for habitat - e.g. site assessments, wildlife tips, species inventories, habitat action plans
Story-telling to engage new audiences - e.g. community visioning, story boards, signage, virtual trail heads
Generate green action for healthy communities - e.g. grow wild actions, demonstration sites, citizen science, gardening for a green future, reaching out to new sectors
Connect to a peer network and expert services
Promote to target audiences from Toronto to Windsor and beyond

Click to Explore more EcoTrail Benefits and Host Requirements