Can we manage our forests sustainably? And what exactly does that mean? Wildwood forest near Ladysmith has been managed by Merv Wilkinson since 1938 keeping ideas of sustainability in mind. The initial concept was an economic one - to harvest only the annual growth rate, but over time ecological criteria were added to the decision making process, so that now the goal is to manage for ecological function first and foremost and see how humans can fit in without diminishing the ecological functioning of the forest. Wildwood is now managed by The Land Conservancy and the Ecoforestry Institute.
You can visit Wildwood for an interpretive tour on Saturdays at 1:30 from March through October.
Call Jay Rastogi at 250-816-1816 or contact him by email: jrastogi@conservancy.bc.ca
Cost: $7 for adults
$5 for students/seniors
Tours are free for members of The Land Conservancy
Group tours and workshop can be arranged by contacting Jay Rastogi.
Heading north (from Victoria):
• Just past Ladysmith, turn right at the set of lights onto Cedar Road
• Drive along Cedar Road for about 5 minutes; turn right at the Husky Station on to Yellow Point Road
• Drive for about 10 minutes (you’ll pass Yellow Point Lodge and Roberts Memorial Park)
• Turn left onto Crane Road
Heading south (from Nanaimo):
• Turn onto Cedar Road at the south end of Nanaimo (Southgate)
• Cross the Nanaimo river and turn right (you will still be on Cedar Road)
• Turn left onto Yellow Point Road and drive about 5 km
• Turn right onto Crane Road