Nanaimo's municipal parks: a users' study of nature trails

The purpose of this research is to measure the perceptions and demands placed on Nanaimo's municipal park trails. The present trail users' attitudes, use patterns, views on present and future development, and opinions on dog use and other multiple use issues were analyzed. Three different survey methods-observational studies, person to person interviews, and focus groups-were utilized to help reduce built in respondent and interviewer bias and increase the validity and reliability of the results. These three survey types were undertaken in combination with a recreation inventory of the eight nature trail sites included in the study. Basic results suggest that trail users are happy with the present level of park maintenance and the number of cyclists, but are concerned with safety issues such as vandalism and the large number of uncontrolled dogs in the parks. Recommendations for the future use and development of the nature trails were generated from the data collected and was submitted to the Nanaimo Parks Planning Department. --Leaf ii.