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The TETC Gully Project

The Gully Project steering committee, a sub-committee of the Torbay Environment and Trails Committee, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of the Torbay Gully. Due to its location the gully has major potential for education and interpretation. Protection through stewardship and increased awareness is essential to saving the wetland

Our Mission
The Gully
Supporting Partners
Virtual Tour
Guestbook

Our Mission

The Torbay Environment and Trails Committee strives to preserve and protect Torbay’s Gully area as a valuable and fragile ecosystem that has intrinsic value. It also seeks to maximize the contribution that the Gully makes to residents: aesthetic, social, environmental, and economic. The committee undertakes its efforts for the sake of residents of Torbay - in particular its youth and seniors - and for future generations. Through its stewardship, educational, development, and interpretative work, in and around the Gully, the Committee seeks to engender an strong environmental ethic amongst local residents that will inform decisions about the future of the community. The Committee also strives to maximize community participation in its work and to build strong partnerships.

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The Gully

The Gully is an important wetland located in the busiest section of Torbay, one of the fastest growing towns in Newfoundland. Adjacent to both Holy Trinity Elementary and High schools and a number of businesses, it is a critical ecological area. Due to its location it has major potential for education and interpretation. Protection through stewardship and increased awareness is essential to saving the wetland.

The residents of Torbay are fortunate in having a Council who indicated support for preserving the town's wetland resources by signing a Habitat Management Plan in Torbay boasts an intricate tapestry of waterways weaving throughout the town and surrounding areas, many containing populations of Rainbow Trout. These trout are not found anywhere else on the island in such numbers, thus creating a rare situation that needs to be both promoted and protected.

Flora and Fauna

When traversing the Gully Wetland, the first thing one notices is the abundance of lush vegetation ranging from marsh grasses and lily pads to boreal forest.To the casual observer, various types of wildlife can be seen including ducks, trout, and songbirds. Closer observation will reveal the myriad of smaller, critical organisms that make wetlands so attractive to larger animals.

Progams

During the summer, the Gully is promoted by a Green Team working with Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador. This provides an excellent opportunity for our young residents to gain effective employment in their neighbourhood and experience in the environmental field.

Clean-ups

Schools, Community groups, and the Green Team have helped remove large amounts of trash and a wide assortment of discarded items like bicycles, tires, barrels, and almost anything else imaginable.

Presentations

Throughout the life of the project presentations are given to community groups, schools, clubs and other organizations.

Plantings

The planting of willows, spruce, larch, cattails, and other important wetland vegetation was undertaken to restore portions of distributed wildlife habitats. This work was completed by the Junior Forest Wardens, Girl Guides, Scouts and Venturers.

Nesting Boxes

Nesting and roosting boxes donated by the Ducks Unlimited were assembled by Holy Trinity High School and are located on the Gully and throughout the community.

Recycling

The generosity of the Torbay residents and locally owned businsses, such as Bridie Molloys, is alive and well with the proceeds of recyclable items dropped off at Nova Recycling and Evergreen going to the Gully Project. To participate in the program, let Nova know the proceeds with be donated to the Gully Project or give our office a call to pick up your recyclables.

Negative Impacts

Various activities in and around the Gully can impact the natural wetland ecosystem. These include infilling, habitat loss, trash and pollution, deforestation, and water demand. Fortunately most of these alterations can be minimized and even restored with a concerted effort and the Torbay Environment and Trails Committee has begun this task.

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Virtual Tour

Quicktime VR Instructions

To use the virtual tour, once the image loads, place your mouse in the center of the image, click the left mouse button, and while holding the button down, drag your mouse either to the left or to the right. The scenery in the window will rotate in the direction you moved the mouse to simulate the view that you would receive if you stood in one spot in the room and rotated 360 degrees.

You can zoom in and zoom out on the image. By pressing and holding the "shift" key on your keyboard you can zoom in, and you can use the "control" key to zoom out.

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