Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/117969
D i s co v e r N at u r e 38 Take a stroll that's both International & Inspirational >>International Peace Garden — A place where nature serves as a living symbol of strong neighbourly relations, this exquisite expanse of landscaped gardens straddles the Canada-U.S. border just south of Boissevain. Visitors can wander the garden freely from one country to the other, while enjoying brightly coloured flowerbeds, serene reflecting pools and stunning international landmarks. Visit the working floral clock — made from up to 3,000 flowers, and featuring a newly-designed "face" each year — or gaze up at the International Peace Tower, a 120foot symbol of the soaring ambitions of our nations' early immigrants. Check out all-flower flags of both countries or swing by the year-round Interpretive Center, which houses a restaurant, retail store and horticulture library, plus a conservatory that features more than 6,000 specimens of exotic trees, succulents and cacti. The site's Peace Chapel features walls of fossilembellished Manitoba limestone, inscribed with quotes International Peace Garden from the likes of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., while the formal garden's 9/11 memorial incorporates twisted steel girders pulled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. There's a sunken garden where mosaics of plant life border a picturesque octagonal pond, and the Carillon bell tower that sounds every quarter hour from 14 chimes. Elsewhere, you can visit the one-of-kind Masonic Auditorium, or tour the North American Game Warden Museum, which pays tribute to those who lost their lives while protecting natural resources. For more on calendar information, camping opportunities and ID requirements, see www.peacegarden.com. OAk Hammock Marsh – A Migration Must >>Go back to nature at Oak Hammock Marsh north of Winnipeg, a wildlife management preserve with restored wetlands and over 30 kilometres of trails. Tour the marsh, go canoeing, or take advantage of opportunities for wildlife and bird watching. In fact, Oak Hammock is one of North America's birding hotspots, home to more than 300 different species, and up to 400,000 waterfowl a day during spring and fall migrations. www.oakhammockmarsh.ca. Oak Hammock Marsh