INNISFAIL – Visitors to Napoleon Lake may soon have a better understanding of the area’s flora and fauna with the addition of new interpretive trail signs.
Town council has approved proceeding with the development of four signs at the lake this year at a budgeted cost of $20,000.
The Rotary Club of Innisfail has agreed to contribute $3,000 toward the project and would look at partnering with the Town of Innisfail on the future phases.
Future planned phases include the installation of two interpretive signs at Dodd’s Lake.
The total project cost for the Napoleon Lake phase of the interpretive trail project including consulting services and supply and installation is $40,600 to be funded from the Infrastructure Capital Maintenance Reserve.
While final wording and images on the signs are yet to be finalized, council recently had a look at what has been developed to date by Fuse Consulting Ltd.
“The big objectives we looked at creating this sign set was how to connect guests and visitors as well as locals with their local wetlands and see the importance of these wetlands not only within their own communities but within the local plant and bird and wildlife communities as well,” Fuse Consulting’s Emma Ausford told council during a Sept. 23 delegation presentation.
The birds, animals, and plants that will be featured on the signs are all found within the Napoleon Lake area, she pointed out, and will be aligned along a main theme.
“We came up with the anchor story that wetlands contribute to the health and well-being of the land, wildlife and human communities so looking at these wetlands as places that are beneficial but in many more ways than sort of the one or two you know,” she said.
The signs will highlight mutually beneficial relationships seen in the Napoleon Lake wetland, such as those between pollinators and riparian plants and will also cover all seasons.
Ausford pointed out that every year, many migratory birds flock back to their seasonal home in these wetlands.
“We will highlight a few of these species of birds through an interactive panel showcasing the actual size of their wings. Readers will be able to compare their arm lengths against the panel to gauge how truly impressive some of these bird species are,” the consulting company’s presentation noted.
The draft includes the pelican, Canada goose, red-winged blackbird and swallow.
The signs are also expected to have interactive elements, such as prompts and hidden illustrations, to provide opportunities for whimsy and reflection and better engage visitors with not only the panels but their surrounding environment.
The signs will be 42 inches across and 16 inches high and have an estimated longevity of about 15 years.
