CARNEY POND

BENCH developed an interpretive master plan for the Okanagan Rail Trail, which sought to cultivate a unique experience through the creation of interpretive sites along the trail that engage and educate visitors through effective design and simple storytelling. One of the first selected sites was Carney Pond, which is located at the trail’s edge, west of Highway 97, and just south of UBCO.

With a series of modest design interventions – subtle trail markers intended to pique curiosity, a bike rail at side of the trail, and the sensitive placement of an aluminum platform at the pond’s edge - a special experience is created. The cells of the open overhead structure reference the experience of being inside a turtle’s shell, yet impact to the wetland is minimized with the use of helical pile footings and open bar grating decking that allows water and light through. The pickets of the guardrail mimic cattails and reeds, while an elbow rail encourages people to lean and rest at the platform’s edge.

Western painted turtles are known to live in Carney Pond; by providing anchored logs for turtles to gather on, this small habitat enhancement also expands viewing and educational opportunities, offering a special stop for trail users and bird- and turtle-watchers alike.