Cheam Lake east of Chilliwack.

Cheam Lake is a pleasant body of water located in a regional park some 15 km east of Chilliwack as the crow flies. The lake itself is off-limits to all forms of surface vessels and is an important wildlife sanctuary. There is approximately 2.3 km of trails that have little slope and are considered easy hiking. I have been there three times now and have seen an impressive variety of wildlife at each outing. Access to the majority of the lake is very limited; the purpose being it is a place where Nature can express herself without being affected by man's influence.

The area was previously a limestone quarry that operated from 1940 to 1990. Once a site of intense mining, the area was returned to nature after being abandoned. Two substances were removed from the site. Calcium carbonate-rich limestone was used for the manufacture of portland cement and marl was used by farmers to sweeten (make less acidic) soil. The once devastated area has been revitalized and for the last 30 years has been a model of ecological succession.

If you venture around the Lower Mainland out towards the Fraser Valley you will find many wild places which have been returned to nature after being exploited by man. Although humans have a knack of destroying wild areas, it seems that Nature can reclaim her own over time. I think of decimated areas left untouched that are still in a state of recovery and compare that to similar areas that have received help in the process of succession. Management of disturbed areas certainly improves the speed and process of wildlife inhabitability. In the process, we can benefit from the educational and recreational aspects of that reclamation. Adulterated land redemption is a win-win scenario.

I photographed this with a Nikon 20 mm lens mounted on a full-frame DSLR camera. The aperture was f/11 and the shutter speed 1/125 of a second.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen

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