Earth Day | 2023

EARTH DAY 2023

8 SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023

See what the buzz is all about

In 2023, Oak Hammock Marsh celebrates a number of milestone anniversaries: 30 years of the Harry J. Enns Wetland Discovery Centre, 50 years of the wildlife management area and 85 years of Ducks Unlimited Canada, which has its national headquarters in the conservation centre.

BY KRISTIN MARAND T his Earth Day, a visit to Oak Ham- mock Marsh will give you a front- row seat to the flurry of spring activ- ities taking place in wetlands. Spring brings life of all kinds back to this vi- brant and thriving feeding, breeding and nest- ing ground. The 36-square-kilometre wildlife management area is located 20 minutes north of Winnipeg. “Spring is a revival,” says Jacques Bourgeois, who oversees marketing and communications for Oak Hammock Marsh. “Everything is com- ing back to life. The migrants are returning to the marsh, the hibernators are waking up, the flowers are blooming, the insects are filling up the air again. It’s a very exciting time of the year.” On Earth Day, Oak Hammock Marsh will of- fer green building tours of the Discovery Centre, home to the first and largest green roof in Man- itoba, 98 per cent of which is made up of prairie wildflowers and native grasses. If you are inter- ested in becoming a volunteer, you’ll be able to find out more at their volunteer drive. They are also offering a self-guided activity called the Wetland Wanderer Booklet, which is perfect for families. “We’ll give people a booklet and they can ex- plore the marsh and learn about the different facets of the wetland by either listening to bird sounds, by mapping what you see, by drawing things, by connecting the dots,” Bourgeois says. He adds that he hopes people will come to the marsh to see it first-hand because there’s noth- ing like being there to learn about and under- stand the importance of wetlands. “Wetlands are often referred to as ‘the rain- forests of the North’ in terms of biodiversity,” he says. They provide a safe habitat and rich feed- ing ground for countless species of fish, birds, insects and other animals. Wetlands also act like the kidneys of the Earth, cleaning the water nat- urally as well as capturing and stocking carbon. They can mitigate drought and prevent floods by absorbing excess moisture, like snow melt, and replenishing groundwater. If you haven’t visited the marsh recently, new features and activities await. There is a new virtual studio used to bring discussions to class- rooms across the province and beyond. The Wil- low Retreat, a new rental facility for sleepovers, camps, school programs, meetings and events, recently replaced the original clubhouse and interpretive centre built in the 1980s. A new self-guided canoe trail allows for more person- alized discovery, with interpretive panels placed throughout the marsh that visitors can paddle to at their own pace.

Photos submitted by Oak Hammock Marsh

During lockdown restrictions, Oak Hammock Marsh’s 30 kilometres of walking trails were heavily used, and Bourgeois suggests that many people found a renewed interest in the nature around them. Online birding work- shops were a big hit, since people want- ed to know what was living in their yard — and how to recognize, identify and attract them. Birding workshops along with many of the marsh’s signature events and activities are back in full swing. They recently celebrated Wetlands Day (Feb. 2) and hosted their annual contest to guess when the first goose would re- turn to the marsh. Their camps, Feath- ers to Fur, a joint discovery program with Fort Whyte Alive, and astronomy nights (September through April) are also fan favourites. In 2023, Oak Hammock Marsh cel- ebrates a number of milestone anni-

versaries: 30 years of the Harry J. Enns Wetland Discovery Centre, 50 years of the wildlife management area and 85 years of Ducks Unlimited Canada, which has its national headquarters in the conservation centre. There are also more renovations coming in the fall. “We are investing between $12 mil- lion and $15 million to upgrade every- thing — the whole conservation cen- tre’s plumbing, electrical, HVAC, but also all of the exhibits, the gift shop, the café, everything,” Bourgeois says. “It’s going to be a brand-new experience for visitors next year.” An Earth Day event will take place on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Oak Hammock Marsh. Attendees can look for- ward to a green building tour, a self-guided marsh tour, exhibits and presentations about the benefits of wetlands, and a vol- unteer drive from 1 to 3 p.m.