---
title: "Kwikwetlem First Nation study tracks endangered snails at Colony Farm in Coquitlam"
description: "Researchers have tagged 832 Oregon forestsnails across four plots at Colony Farm Regional Park to find out how many survive and what their habitat needs."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/coquitlam-2026/news/oregon-forestsnail-coquitlam-colony-farm-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-12T20:47:11.686Z"
---

Researchers working for the Kwikwetlem First Nation have tagged 832 Oregon forestsnails across four study plots at Colony Farm Regional Park in South Coquitlam, tracking the movements of a provincially endangered species that most trail users do not know is there.

Environmental stewards Cassandra Harper and Francesca Fogliata began the field work in 2022, Freshet News reported. The study covers two 400-metre stretches along Colony Farm Trail and Mundy Creek Trail at ƛ̓éxətəm/Colony Farm Regional Park. Results are expected to be published in spring 2027.

## What the study is measuring

Harper and Fogliata tagged individual snails to follow their movement patterns through the habitat, Freshet News reported. The snails favour areas with stinging nettles, which supply the calcium they need, and blackberry bushes that provide shade.

"Many people don't know they're endangered... many people don't care about them because they're so small," Fogliata told Freshet News.

The Oregon forestsnail, Allogona townsendiana, is provincially Red Listed as endangered. It lives in southwestern British Columbia at elevations below 500 metres. The Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources provided grant funding for the work, and Metro Vancouver is collaborating on parkland management strategies based on what the study finds.

## Threats on the trail

The main risks to the snails are pedestrians and cyclists accidentally crushing them on the trail, bird predation on their eggs, and competition from the invasive European Grovesnail, Freshet News reported.

Warning signs have been placed along the trail to alert users to slow down in snail areas. Cyclists are asked to dismount in marked sections.

Researchers are also proposing two longer-term solutions: careful management of the trailside vegetation and the installation of boardwalks that would lift foot traffic above the snails' ground-level habitat.

## What comes next

When the study is published in spring 2027, its findings will shape the management plan for the park. Residents who use Colony Farm Trail or Mundy Creek Trail can follow the posted warning signs now and check for updates from Metro Vancouver's parks team. The park is on Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station's bus route.

## Sitemap

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