A Look Back at the Past Year: Spring 2013
Spring is an exciting time at the Tantramar Wetlands Centre. As the ice melts and animals return and reappear, we start to measure time by which birds we see and how fast the ice is melting.
Tree swallow on a nesting box. Tree swallows let us know that spring has arrived.
Spring is also a very busy time in the marsh. In preparation for our Spring Program, we trained dedicated Wetheads during their enrichment period, helping them become experts leaders for all of our activities. We also hosted the Ducks Unlimited Training Day to help prepare participants from other wetlands sites for the Project Webfoot spring program.
Wetheads learning about cattails in spring training during enrichment.
Ducks Unlimited Project Webfoot Training Day at TWC this spring.
During May and June, over 60 Grade 4 classes visited the TWC from around New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, mostly sponsored by Ducks Unlimited through Project Webfoot. Over 60 Wetheads lead these students through various fun activities and games that teach about the importance and biodiversity of wetlands, invertebrate and bird identification, and our relationship to our natural environment.
Students on the critter dipping dock searching for invertebrates and other critters in the marsh.
Students learning about what they found in the marsh while critter dipping, such as snails, leeches and dragonfly nymphs.
Students participate in a relay race while learning about the benefits of wetlands.
Students learning about biodiversity by playing touchboxes.
Students learning about duck populations, conservation and migration after playing Migration Headache.
Wetheads assist students in using binoculars to see and identify various birds in the marsh.
We always enjoy the annual visit from MASSIE students (Japanese university students participating in an exchange program at Mount Allison University). Even though it was too windy to canoe, we went bird watching and critter dipping.
MASSIE students critter dipping in the marsh.
Japanese univeristy exchange students searching for insects in the water.
You can view more pictures in our Photo Gallery or on Flickr.