Looking for a great way to round out your paddling season? Our Gerald Island Ivy pull starts next week (Sept 25-28), is a great opportunity to meet likeminded paddlers, visit a gorgeous section of the Vancouver Island coast, and make a difference!
Our mission is to eradicate invasive English Ivy and protect this beautiful ecosystem, and we need your help to do it.
Gerald Island is located just a paddle away from Nanoose Bay β join for a day, two, or the whole weekend!
Reader, have you been gathering site information all summer, and just haven't found the time to input your Site Condition Reports? Let this be your sign! Until September 30th, each submitted report is an entry to win. Don't miss out on one of four great prizes, submit your 2025 summer SCRs today!
Men's (Hudson) or women's (Helix) drysuit from Mustang Survival($1599 value)
A 1-Year premium subscription to the Backroad Maps app, mapbook bundle, BRMB cooler bag, and more! ($400 value)
North Water Dynamic Tow Line from CV Kayaks ($136 value)
$50 giftcard, Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Nanaimo
What are you waiting for? Help us provide the most up-to-date information to you and other paddlers through the BCMT map!
There is an exciting opportunity to acquire a key parcel of private property at the North East corner of Desolation Sound Provincial Park, just East of Laura Cove. The BC Parks Foundation has an accepted offer of $2.5 million, half of which will be covered by the Wilson 5 Foundation. To raise the remaining $1.25 million a crowdfunding campaign is underway. This is a similar strategy to that used to purchase the South shore of Princess Louisa Inlet and more recently the infill properties on Saturna Island.
Should crowdfunding be successful, Desolation Sound Provincial Marine Park would expand, one of BC's prized boating destinations. The acquisition would enhance the existing park and be preserved from development and logging, with protected land on three sides. The beach with day anchorage would be a good destination for dinghies and kayaks. The nearby Tlaβamin First Nation supports the initiative located in the Traditional Territory of both the Tlaβamin and Klahoose. Please consider contributing to the acquisition, and forward this message to others who might be interested!
Marine Trails is seeking various volunteer positions, includingadditions to our board. In particular, we are seeking individuals with skills in any and all of the following:
If you are interested in joining a BCMT committee (First Nations Engagement, Stewardship, Communications, Trails Development, IT) please fill out this form. To put your name forward to join our 12-person board, please reach out to president@bcmarinetrails.org
Why volunteer with us?
Give back to the marine recreation community: Your work will directly support the development and maintenance of the BC's marine trails.
Flexibility: Volunteer from anywhere, with a schedule that fits your availability.
Join a passionate team: Collaborate with fellow outdoor enthusiasts who share your love for the BC coast.
Enhance your skills: Gain experience in your discipline.
Inside Passage Paddlers
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In June of 2025, a group of five female kayakers departed from Bauza Cove, Vancouver Island en route to Alaska.
"Planning our trip and paddling from Bauza Cove to Alaska, BC Marine Trails was an invaluable resource to find where to camp for 40 nights this summer! The Member Map was great for knowing where to camp, what resources would be there, and we were grateful for the knowledge BCMT has gathered from each Nation to know we could respectfully camp at these sites.
The Member Map was an incredible resource and made it so much easier to route plan knowing the distances and resources ahead. Site Condition Reports / member comments were great to know what to actually expect based on other recent paddlers experiences! BC Marine Trails is awesome!"
What has been your favourite coastal trip this season? Did you capture a stunning photo or come home with a great story to tell?
At BC Marine Trails, we love sharing the adventures of our community. Send your best on-water or camp photos to scutcliffe@bcmarinetrails.org to be shared on social media or our website.
Have a story idea? Reach out to articles@bcmarinetrails.org! If youβd rather not write it yourself, our editor can interview you and craft the piece for you. Whether itβs a short reflection or a big adventure, weβd love to hear it.
New Logbook Shelters
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Coming to BC Marine Trails sites near you! Recently built and donated by BCMT member Richard Merchant, eight 'birdhouses' will soon be home to log books at West Ballenas Island, and select sites in the Discovery Islands.
Logbooks help us track use and inform management decisions. If you see one in your travels, please include the date, size of party, length of stay, mode of transport, and comments.
A big thanks to Richard, and watch out for these logbook shelters in 2026!
Planned Giving
Planned giving is a meaningful way to support the long-term work of BC Marine Trails. By including a legacy gift in your will, you help ensure that BCβs coastline remains accessible, protected, and responsibly managed for future generations of coastal recreationists.
Coastal Caretakers are those committed to making a positive difference while recreating on the coast. No action is too small: submitting Site Condition Reports, packing out marine debris, sweeping the toilet area, or clipping an overgrown trail. No time commitment is required.
The larger our group, the more impact we have, and the more we can speak to the power of recreationist-led stewardship when engaging with land managers, First Nations, grantors, and more!
Haulin' out debris, Art Skoda, Coastal Caretaker
I do it for the challenge and to keep our spectacular coast as clean as possible. I donβt like the idea that it is my generation that has created this pollution problem and that the garbage we are so carelessly creating has a far longer lifespan than me. Lately, I've been tackling marine debris at the Wya beaches north of Ucluelet.
Copyright (C) 2024 BC Marine Trails. All rights reserved.β You are receiving this e-mail because you either pre-registered as a BCMT member or registered on the Member Central page (accessed by members only). β Our mailing address is 3285 Roper Road Ladysmith, BC, V9G1C4 BC Marine Trails 3285 Roper Road Ladysmith, BC V9G1C4 Canada β Want to change how you receive these emails?
Read this newsletter in browser October 2025 Newsletter Gerald Island Results Annual General Meeting: November 29th KHFN Recreational Use Survey Courtenay River Cleanup with Ace Brewing Marine Debris Removed from Clayoquot Sound Prideaux Haven Is Protected Forever! Ghost Gear Fund Petition Coastal Cafe: Winter Kayaking in the Sea of Cortez Winners! Site Condition Reporting Contest Trail Blazers' Corner Gerald Island Results The calm before the storm Volunteers staying warm & dry From...
Read this newsletter in browser August 2024 Newsletter Gerald Island, September 27-30 BCMT Code of Conduct Videos Be Safe Around Cold Water Painting in the Field Summer Trip Reports Join the BC Marine Trails Team The Ripples of Site Condition Reports SCR Contest Coastal Caretaker's Corner Trail Network Planning Webinar Gerald Island Ivy Pull: September Beautiful Gerald Island Looking for a fall adventure? One that is both rewarding, and fun? From September 27-30 (Fri-Mon), BCMT will be...
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