The Mushroom Meander at the George Botanical Gardens offers wheelchair users the opportunity to peacefully explore and enjoy nature
Inspired by his nephew, Ken Gie created an accessible trail for wheelchair users within the serene George Botanical Gardens. He shares: “My nephew had visited us in George on occasions and I became very aware of the challenges he was facing.”
“I wanted to take him to the Garden Route Botanical Garden in George, but realised how wheelchair unfriendly the garden was. This inspired me to build the 800-metre-long mini trail in the indigenous forest part of the garden,” he continues.
It includes a smooth gravel surface and wooden bridge crossings at gentle gradients to align with the SANS 10400 accessibility standards.
The trail earned its name from the variety of mushrooms and fungus that grows on the stumps alongside the path at certain times of the year. Yet, there is much more than just mushrooms to enjoy.
“The trail offers interesting pathways, winding past beautiful indigenous trees that are marked with name boards at easy-to-read wheelchair heights,” Ken shares.
“These boards give the names and different uses of the trees such as medicinal remedies, furniture making and as in the olden days wagon making.”
“The peaceful ambience in natural, green surroundings is food for the soul and the experience can be enhanced by having a picnic at especially adapted tables and benches for wheelchairs. These adaptions are to be made soon,” he continues.
Wheelchairs enjoy free entry and can either park at the trailhead or the main parking lot, which is roughly 700 metres away. The picturesque walk is sure to make anyone feel more connected to nature.
If you are in the George area and looking for more accessible trails, consider visiting the Garden of Eden Big Tree, as Ken notes: “This trail is one of two wheelchair-friendly trails in the region. The other one is a 1 000-metre long, fully boarded and located at the Garden of Eden Big Tree between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.”
There are even more trails being built, which Ken hopes will soon see the area become the hub of outdoor activities for people with mobility impairments.
“A third exciting trail (1 600-metres long) is in the process of being built in Storms River, which will make our region the mecca of outdoor activities for people with mobility impairments,” he concludes. For more information on the Mushroom Meander, visit the George Botanical Garden website.
