One of the things we appreciate the most at the park is the community of our volunteers and we’d like to introduce you to some of them. Every other month, we’ll interview one of our volunteers and tell you their story — hopefully you’ll see something that resonates with you and will encourage you to get involved!
Volunteer Profile : Suzanne
“Minnekhada is a special place. So close to the hustle and bustle but far enough away to enjoy a quiet trail where you may see birds, toads, beavers or a bear. The variety of trail type let’s you choose your own adventure and the view from the High Knoll cannot be beat! Check it out in all seasons and weather as the experience is different every time.”
How long have you been involved with Minnekhada Regional Park and why did you decide to volunteer?
As my love of Minnekhada has grown, it was a natural progression for me to start volunteering with Minnekhada Park Association. I have met fantastic people and learned about the history of the park and farm and the wild creatures that call the park home. I have participated in bat, western toad and native turtle counts. I attended a guided nature walk and learned about the trees and vegetation. After the fire, a session was held with the GVRD park ranger who was involved in stopping the fire which was very interesting.
In what activities are you involved? How did you get started?
My first volunteer activity at Minnekhada was a bat count. The information provided to the volunteers was so informative. Since then I have volunteered at a guided nature walk, toad counts and more bat counts/monitoring.
What is your favourite thing / hike / location in the park?
I grew up in the area and spent lots of time at Minnekhada, walking the trails with my parents and grandparents and attending events in the lodge. I can remember when you actually walked along a log on the LogWalk Trail. As I got older I often went with friends and eventually started taking my kids.
I like to do the outer loop with a trip up to the knoll. I also really like the fairy tree and often take the mid marsh trail so I can visit the fairy tree.
In your opinion, what makes Minnekhada special?
Covid gave me a greater appreciation for the park in a few ways. The Low and High Knolls were closed to I started exploring the other trails within the park instead of just taking the Mid Marsh trail to the High Knoll and back. I wasn’t working so was in the park several times a week and saw the park transition from spring to summer, all of the greenery returned and filled in, and different birds and animals returned. During that time we were not able to hike with others, so Minnekhada was the first place I hiked alone. It gave me the confidence to hike other locations by myself as well. I still like to hike with friends but when I am alone, I notice more such as the many colours of green, the moss hanging from the trees and clinging to the rocks or the sound of the creeks and birds. I once told myself that I could not take any more photos in Minnekhada as my phone was full of them! That did not last long as the lighting and weather always change and it can look so different season to season.
>I am glad to see and hear that people new to the park and coming to explore the beauty of Minnekhada but I do sometimes miss the solitude of being the only one on the trails.