When the GCA purchased Laughlin Lake, this slope had been completely deforested, and was dominated by thick stands of mature Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius), visible in the photos from 2001 and before. The major disturbance at the site was the result of the construction of Vineyard Way (late 80's, early 90's). This resulted in extraction of gravel and extensive blasting - leaving behind large blasted boulder material and dodgy sink holes all along this slope. Two decades of dedicated annual invasive species removal work, as well as dense planting and caging of native tree and shrub species, have restored the native forest canopy to this site. By 2013, a young canopy was developing. Today, the area is mostly forested, and it takes our summer staff on average half a day to remove the few remaining Scotch broom plants that appear each year.

Restoration treatments for this site included machine de-compaction and planting of native species. In addition, coarse woody debris was assembled and distributed across the site to create habitat, build soil, retain moisture, and provide germination sites for tree and shrub species.

The peninsula you are standing on was once the northern shoreline of Laughlin Lake. This inlet is actually a gravel pit that was excavated to build a nearby road in the 70s and 80s. Once road construction was complete, the pit was flooded.