NCC: The Ralph Wang Trail: A family legacy
The Ralph Wang Trail sign (Photo courtesy of Ashley Greenley/NCC)
Growing up, I always enjoyed being outdoors and exploring nature. From a young age, I recall picking flowers, going for walks and birdwatching with my grandparents, Ralph and Mary Wang. They had a farm in southwest Manitoba where I got to enjoy exploring as a child. My grandfather was an avid birdwatcher and used to lead the Lyleton Christmas bird count, which my father and then my older brother AJ also participated in.
My grandparents were the 2003 Manitoba Conservation District Association Conservation Family (an annual award). I remember visiting Fort Whyte and Oak Hammock Marsh on trips to Winnipeg and learning about Ducks Unlimited Canada and all the local waterfowl. As the Reeve of Pierson, Manitoba, my grandfather’s involvement with conservation led to a partnership between the Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Two Borders (formerly the R.M. of Edward) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). My grandfather helped secure a conservation agreement on a municipal property not far from the farm they used to own. Since then, an interpretive site and trail have been developed on the property, the Ralph Wang trail, a NCC Nature Destination, that allows visitors to explore native prairie and learn more the grasslands, birds and other species that use it.
While my focus shifted away from birds and toward plants, as I studied botany in university, my appreciation for nature and conservation, which I gained from watching my grandparents, never changed. I was aware of NCC through my grandfather’s work with them. After completing graduate school, I accepted a job as an intern for the NCC’s Manitoba Region and continue to work with NCC today.
Me and my nieces by the trail sign (Photo courtesy of Ashley Greenley/NCC)
I still enjoy getting outside, for work, recreation and connecting with nature. I have really come to appreciate the escape it offers from being stuck at home during a pandemic. I can get out of the house, explore, take a break from the day to day, and connect with others in a safe environment when restrictions allow. Whenever I have the opportunity, I like to get back home and walk along my grandfather’s trail along Gainsborough Creek. I often visit the property with my sister Margaret and her three children. I get to pass on my knowledge of plants and to be outside with my family.
My grandfather passed away in 2019, but he was so proud of the birding trail, as I refer to it with my family. The trail is a great place to birdwatch and a very fitting legacy for my grandfather. The property was made even more special to me this past March.
My grandmother out on the trail (Photo courtesy of Ashley Greenley/NCC)
My grandmother, Mary, celebrated her 80th birthday in the middle of the pandemic, during a time that visiting indoors was not possible. Thankfully, the weather and provincial restrictions at that time, allowed us to meet out at the trail and have a socially distanced visit after months of not seeing one another. Being able to celebrate with my grandmother on her birthday out on a trail named after my grandfather was a special time. I will always connect nature and conservation with family, and the trail holds a special place in my and my family’s lives.
