Griffith Woods Park: Fall into the Park
One of the biggest draws to Griffith Woods is its natural setting. Located on the western edge of Calgary, this park feels ‘a little wilder, a bit less manicured’ than some inner-city parks. To borrow from a favourite book of mine, Griffith Woods retains a “dishevelled dryad loveliness” where things are allowed to grow as they will. For all of us who love spending time in nature, there are some ways we can act to make sure our parks stay natural.
Fire is always a threat to our parks, especially one with many trees and a vibrant understory like Griffith Woods. As Alberta Parks reminds us, over 60% of last year’s wildfires were human caused, either through improperly manged firepits, or seemingly harmless actions like disposing of cigarette butts. Preventing wildfires is always in season | Alberta.ca. It’s critical that the community shares the responsibility to reduce the threat of man-made fire. As a reminder, there are no fires allowed within Griffith Woods, and please make sure your cigarette butts are fully extinguished before properly disposing of them.
Pathways are an intentional way for us to interact with nature. While you wouldn’t typically find an asphalt or groomed pathway in the wild, they are a compromise that we make to protect the park and let people connect with nature. Choosing to go off-path increases the damage done to the natural health of the park. Griffith Woods has many rare or localized plant species whose growth is stunted when they are stepped on. Many birds in our parks are also ground nesters, and their nests can be accidently stomped on. By keeping to already marked, existing pathways, we help minimize that damage and preserve the nature of the park. Check out the newly installed signage to be sure you’re on the right trail!
Speaking of pathways, we also want to make sure that we are keeping our existing pathways in good condition. Recently it has been noted that an unauthorized bike course was built under the powerlines west of the main parking lot. This included digging holes, building jumps, and adding obstacles in the pathway. There are designated places in the city for this type of bike usage, but Griffith Woods is not one of them. The damage that can be caused to the environment by this type of use can be extensive and hard to repair. If you do see this kind of damage being done in the park, please notify 3-1-1 so that repairs can be made. Also consider checking The City website at https://www.calgary.ca/bike-walk-roll/pump-tracks.html for more information on where to find a nearby bike track!
As we head into one of the most beautiful seasons in Griffith Woods, I wish you all a great time, enjoy the park and if you would like more information, please go to https://www.calgary.ca/parks/griffith-woods-park.html.
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