Every Tuesday At Ferris Provincial Park Rain or Shine
Article by Sue Dickens/Images Friends of Ferris
Campbellford – Carol Robertson has been conducting these walks for more than a decade. The walks are being hosted every Tuesday until Dec. 6.
Those interested meet at the east end of the Suspension Bridge at 9 a.m. and the walk is for about an hour, rain or shine.
The free walks are geared to the abilities of those participating on the day. Each week the group travels a different combination of the many, well maintained trails throughout the park. Join and enjoy the experience….naturally!
Friends of Ferris asks everyone to wear appropriate footwear and follow current Covid protocols.
Carol Robertson, Board member of Friends of Ferris and Organizer of the Guided Walks wrote about her involvement:
“I am not exactly sure when I first started the weekly walks in Ferris Provincial Park. It may have been on a Thursday in May, 2009. My motivation then was to encourage more people in Campbellford to walk in the park to discover the beauty of nature that can be found….just a stone’s throw from downtown.
I was new to the area and new to the group named Friends of Ferris. As a volunteer I learned about the history of the park; its name, the transition from private to provincial to municipal to provincial stewardship and about the various improvements that had been made over the years. I also learned about the, not too distant past, fear of closure. I found out that for one reason or another some residents in the area had never been in the park even though they had lived here all their lives. What a shame to miss the opportunity to enjoy this gem of a park. I hoped to familiarize residents with the myriad of well maintained trails so that they would feel comfortable to venture in with family and visiting friends on their own.
Attendance was sparse at first. Most attendees were either Friends of Ferris Board members, their friends, my own out-of-town family and anyone else I could cajole. We started with a fast-paced hour walk but I realized that we were missing a lot of the beauty that the park offered us. Gradually the pace got slower and we took the opportunity to stop and smell the wild garlic! In the last few years we have welcomed visitors from Kingston, Brighton, Warkworth, Hastings, Havelock, Marmara and even England, Germany and Denmark.
We now meet at the east end of the Suspension Bridge every Tuesday from May until the second Tuesday in Dec. This time line spans all four seasons with each one revealing different features of nature. We also witness the various improvements that Ontario Parks have worked on; Chimney Swift towers, Osprey nests, picnic shelter and the new Gate House. Because the Dry Stone Wall restoration project is one of my favourites, we often wend our way past this site to see the progress made since the previous annual workshop or to just revel in the beauty of the historic structure.
The group consists of several devoted regulars who enjoy the walk but also for the social time; catching up on the most recent book read or vacation destinations. Not only do we enjoy each other’s company but we also learn from each other. If we come across a newly discovered spring flower, one enthusiast will offer to research its identity and report back the following week. 
The turtlehead spring flower has been seen only once in the park so far. Pinterest image
One such example is the turtlehead spring flower that we have seen only once! Nature bathing is another favourite…and no this doesn’t mean we take our clothes off! For this experience we don’t talk but individually commune with nature as we walk silently as a group. It is Zen=like. We generally cover 3.5 kms or the equivalent of 5,250 steps, for those who are counting!
Newcomers are welcomed and introduced and before long have joined in conversations to learn about existing area amenities or upcoming events.
Each week the group is surveyed to determine an appropriate route whether it be flat grade or the more challenging Drumlins, the Ranney Gorge or more inland trails.
There is always a different combination of trails to explore. Last year, in fact, aimlessly engrossed in our various conversations, we happened upon an existing, well-travelled route that isn’t even on the map! A perfect example of how we will never get lost but perhaps we just might not know where we are!
Friends of Ferris Image
There is always a Friend of Ferris guide, rain or shine so you don’t need to stand on your front porch wondering if it is cancelled. We look forward to meeting you.
For more information go to: http://www.friendsofferris.ca/walk.html
Feature image Friends of Ferris
