Take the Bruce Trail Pledge
Commit to one of five simple yet impactful actions
for the Bruce Trail this October
You can make a difference for the Bruce Trail
The Bruce Trail Pledge is a month-long opportunity for those who care about the Bruce Trail to commit to taking simple actions to support the Trail and the work on the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
With each person who takes the Bruce Trail Pledge, our community grows. With each action, we are making a positive difference in the future of our beloved Bruce Trail and in the conservation of the irreplaceable Niagara Escarpment.
Commit to taking one or more of these simple yet powerful actions this October:
- Leave the Trail better than you found it.
Practice leave no trace principles. Commit to safely picking up litter on your hike. Submit your litter data in our Hike it, Love it, Keep it Clean project. - Share your species sightings.
Collect important biodiversity data as you hike, and learn more about Niagara Escarpment species as a citizen science volunteer. - Be an ambassador.
Share your love of the Bruce Trail and encourage others to support the Bruce Trail Conservancy. - Build an inclusive outdoors.
Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities. - Support conservation with a gift.
Make a donation to the Bruce Trail Conservancy and support the preservation and stewardship of Niagara Escarpment land.
Find tips, ideas and resources for each action by following the links above.
Bruce Trail Pledge Giveaway
Take the pledge and you’ll also be entered to win a pair of BTC Camp Socks or Bruce Trail Reference Guide (winner chooses).
Each week in October, we’ll draw for a prize among all pledge takers. The sooner you take the pledge, the more chances you’ll have to win.
Please note that we will contact winners of the Bruce Trail Pledge Giveaway by email only. Those who take the Bruce Trail Pledge at an in person event must give their email address in order to be entered in the draw.
Leave the Trail
better than you found it
Practice leave no trace principles or commit to safely picking up litter on your hike.
The Need
Litter has been increasing along the Bruce Trail and in natural areas over the last few years. Not only is litter unsightly, it causes issues for local wildlife and can degrade soil and water quality. Bruce Trail Conservancy Trail Maintenance Volunteers work hard to keep the trail safe, clean and passable year-round. But it takes everyone working together to keep the Trail free of litter.
Actions you can take
- Practice Leave No Trace principles: Pack it in. Pack it out. Bring any garbage home rather than using onsite receptacles (some of which are currently overburdened).
- Pack a litter kit with you when you head out on a hike (including a trash bag, gloves and a ‘grabber’ tool)
- Pick up litter, safely.
- Take photos of your leave no trace actions and share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and Tag @BruceTrail_BTC and use the hashtag #BruceTrailPledge
- Submit your litter picking results in the BTC’s Hike it, Love it, Keep it Clean project
to receive this badge!
Resources:
- Hike it, Love it, Keep it Clean Project
- Litter Data Collection Form – complete this for a free Hike it Love it Keep it Clean badge!
- Leave No Trace Principles: https://leavenotrace.ca/the-seven-principles-of-leave-no-trace/
Safety Tips:
- Wear gloves and use a litter grabber (available online or from discount, home improvement or hardware stores).
- Bag the trash and dispose of it properly.
- Do not touch your face. Wash your hands afterwards.
- Do NOT pick up needles/syringes, glass, sharp, heavy or oversized objects, animal carcasses or hazardous waste.
Explore the other Bruce Trail Pledge actions
Share your plant & wildlife sightings
Collect important biodiversity data as you hike, and learn more about Niagara Escarpment species as a citizen science volunteer.
The Need
The Niagara Escarpment is one of the most biodiverse regions in Canada yet it sits within one of the country’s most densely populated regions. The Bruce Trail Conservancy cares for over 13,900 acres of Niagara Escarpment land, and works with conservation partners along the length of the Bruce Trail.
Understanding the diversity and distribution of species along the Niagara Escarpment is essential for making decisions about the stewardship of our natural areas. Observations from Citizen Science volunteers are helping to:
- Catalogue species along the Trail
- Create a visual tool to look for distribution patterns & species movement
- Track invasive species to that we minimize their spread
- Track rare species so that we may best protect them and their habitats
Actions you can take
- Become a Bruce Trail Conservancy Citizen Science volunteer.
All ages and skill levels welcomed. Using the free powerful online tool iNaturalist, you can collect much needed data while you are out hiking the Bruce Trail.
When you take the pledge, check “Share your plant & wildlife sightings” and we’ll be in touch with details on joining the iNaturalist project. - Learn more about Niagara Escarpment biodiversity.
- Share your favourite flora/fauna/fungi photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and Tag @BruceTrail_BTC and use the hashtag #BruceTrailPledge
Resources
- How to participate in the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s iNaturalist project
- Bruce Trail Conservancy project page on iNaturalist.ca
- Niagara Escarpment Biodiversity
- Niagara Escarpment Species at Risk
- Bruce Trail Conservancy Magazine, Fall 2021 issue: Exploring and Preserving Niagara Escarpment Biodiversity
Explore the other Bruce Trail Pledge actions
Be an ambassador
Share your love of the Bruce Trail and encourage others to support the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
The Need
The Bruce Trail would not exist were it not for a remarkable community of members, donors and volunteers.
Although people may be familiar with the Bruce Trail, many do not realize:
- The Trail cared for by a charitable organization, the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC)
- The BTC cares for over 1,300 km of Trail (main Trail and side trails), stewards over 13,900 acres of Niagara Escarpment land, and actively works to bring more land into conservation.
- Roughly one third of the Bruce Trail corridor is still vulnerable to development.
Actions you can take
- Commit to telling at least 5 people about the Bruce Trail and encouraging them to support the BTC.
- Make a post with your favourite Bruce Trail photos encouraging others to take the Pledge.
- Write a piece for “Your Bruce Trail Story” which we may feature in Bruce Trail Conservancy Magazine or on our social media.
- Wear your “2022 Bruce Trail Pledge” button.
- Download the #BruceTrailPledge shareables and share them in emails and on social media.
Resources
- Your Bruce Trail Story – submission details
- Bruce Trail Pledge images you can share
Download and share these images. Use #BruceTrailPledge when you share on social media and tag the BTC @brucetrail_btc (Instagram & Twitter) or @TheBruceTrailConservancy (Facebook).
Explore the other Bruce Trail Pledge actions
Build an inclusive outdoors
Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities.
The Need
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is committed to preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
To make that a reality, we must do all that we can to help make the Bruce Trail and our organization a welcoming and inclusive space.
Yet, we know social inequities impact all aspects of our lives, including engagement with the outdoors, and that significant barriers have prevented many people from hiking, exploring nature, and engaging with conservation organizations.
Everyone has a right to enjoy and to conserve our natural environment and should be free to do so without experiencing discrimination. Everyone should feel represented and able to participate in outdoor leisure and activity. But we know that these are not the realities for many, and that discrimination and systemic marginalization is real in the outdoor and environmental sectors.
We call upon all who care about the Bruce Trail and a just society to help us build an inclusive outdoors.
Actions you can take
- Learn & Listen: Listening to voices beyond your usual circle is a good first step. Below is a selection of resources that reinforce values of diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. We encourage you to explore them and seek out others.
- Reflect: Take time to look internally. Consider how your experiences and background affects your experiences in the outdoors. What might your unconscious biases be?
- Share & Amplify: Help change the narrative. Share stories from an underrepresented identity so their perspectives and experiences can be heard.
- Identify and share resources with the BTC: Help us find and connect with new voices and learning opportunities. Let us know what or who you’d like to see featured in our resources
- Share your Bruce Trail Story: Help us feature a range of voices and perspectives in our communications. Submit a story and photo via our “Your Bruce Trail Story” page, or send it to communications@brucetrail.org, or tag us in your Instagram, Twitter or Facebook posts.
Resources
These resources are a good start to understanding different points of view and some of the systemic challenges faced by under-represented identities in the outdoors. This is by no means a complete list:
- Shaking up the stereotypes about Ontario’s outdoors: All Out Canada is filling a knowledge gap for racialized people who want to experience Ontario’s natural world firsthand (The Narwhal, July 2021)
- A lack of representation in the great Canadian outdoors and how we change that. (This Matters Podcast, July 2021)
- 3 Ways to Build a More Inclusive Outdoor Culture (melaninbasecamp.com)
- The Melanin Base Camp Guide To Outdoor Allyship
- Toronto organization makes outdoor activities more accessible to BIPOC women
- How the Founder of Disabled Hikers is Advocating for Accessibility in the Outdoors
Explore the other Bruce Trail Pledge actions
Support conservation with a gift
Make a donation to the Bruce Trail Conservancy and support the preservation and stewardship of Niagara Escarpment land.
The Need
Many do not realize that the Bruce Trail’s corridor is not fully protected. Roughly one-third of the Bruce Trail’s conservation corridor is still vulnerable to development and access it not assured.
The Niagara Escarpment is one of the most biodiverse regions of Canada, and lies within the country’s most densely populated region. Due to its unique ecological, geological and cultural features, the Niagara Escarpment has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere. Yet, habitat loss and fragmentation due to development and misuse, threaten its future.
The Bruce Trail not only connects us to the natural wonders of the Niagara Escarpment, it gives us a way to protect it.
Actions you can take
- Make a one-time donation: Support our latest conservation efforts
- Become a Monthly Donor: When you set up a monthly gift, your support will make a difference year-round.
- Become a member of the Bruce Trail Conservancy
- Give a gift in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one
- Leave a gift in your will. You can take steps today to forever protect this ribbon of wilderness, while still supporting those you love. Learn how >
