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Guests are greeted at the door by a three- dimensional display of the marsh, inhabited by all the usual suspects, above and below the water: resident mammals such as foxes and muskrats, ducks - both dippers and divers, fish and birds!
A trip to the roof offers a bird’s-eye view of the magnificent wetlands, and if you’re hungry stop by the restau- rant, where all meals come equipped with a set of binoculars and one heck of a view. Tis is where the migra- tion dinners are held in the fall. Just imagine sitting down to a wholesome prairie meal while thousands of birds come to rest for the evening. Of course enjoying the wetlands up
close is why you came and with more than 30 kilometres of trails, you just need your water bottle, camera and a little time to explore. Go on your own or schedule a tour. From the tall cattails and reeds of the prairie marsh to a woodsy aspen-oak bluff, artesian springs and the tall grass prairie, there is so much to see and do. Tour the marsh in a voyageur-style
canoe while your guide points out the highlights along the way. Just be prepared to work up a sweat, you’ll be paddling too as you see the marsh from a brand new vantage point.
” Don’t leave before you try your hand
at critter dipping. A net in one hand and bucket in the other will bring you back to the days of your youth. What will you scoop out of the marsh? A damsel- fly, tadpole, leech or freshwater shrimp. Tere are many different critters living
in the marsh; pick out the coolest ones and bring them inside to inspect under a microscope that displays them on two large TV screens. Now that is cool! We dare you to leave without learn- ing something new and having fun to boot.
Cool Facts about Oak Hammock Marsh
• Oak Hammock Marsh is home to 25 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, numerous amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.
• During migration the number of waterfowl that use the marsh can exceed 400,000 daily.
• Manitoba lies within four migra- tory flyways: Pacific Flyway, Central Flyway, Mississippi Flyway and Atlantic Flyway.
• Nocturnal migratory birds use constellations and the North Star for navigation.
• Southwest Manitoba has lost or degraded 70 per cent of their wetlands, and even more in the Red River Valley. We lose on average 15 acres of wetlands every day in south- western Manitoba alone.
The Hub
Fall 2014 • 27
Photos courtesy of Oak Hammock Marsh
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