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High Park represents a rare and fragile example of Oak Savannah right in our own backyard, and while I applaud efforts tightening regulations regarding dog walking, it is futile to propose any regulations without proper enforcement. I visit the park on a daily basis and everyday I see people completely shunning the rules currently in place in regards to keeping dogs on leashes, picking wildlife, and not biking on nature paths. This is despite the clear signs informing visitors of the rules.

Are people dumb, apathetic, or ignorant of the damage they are causing? I'm going with choice number three. After all, anyone can see upon revisiting the Park that the plants still grow, the birds still sing, the hills still stand. What's the harm of letting a dog run around in the plants, or riding a bike down an already used trail?

Park visitors don't seem to understand that the damage caused by unleashed dogs, illegal biking, and off-path walking is happening at a scale too slow to be seen with the naked eye. But bit by bit, year by year, the birds are dying, the native plants are being usurped by invading weeds, and the fragile soils that make up the hills and support all the trees and plants are crumbling away into a useless pile of dirt, all because on a daily basis Park visitors do not follow simple rules.

I have seen people picking flowers of rare almost endangered species, owners letting their dogs scamper over crumbling soils that subsequently become useless for plant growth, and I have seen people riding bikes through nature trails thereby loosening the soil more efficiently than any foot or paw. I have even seen parents riding bikes with their children through nature areas, and while they may be instilling a sense of appreciation for nature, they are also passing on some very destructive habits.

So please, if you visit the park, take heed of the rules. Keep your dogs on leashes except for the area designated as off-leash. Do not pick flowers. Do not let dogs approach the wildlife or dig up the fragile soil. Please do not ride bikes over any trail without concrete. And don't litter.

Chris Damdar