The Wye Marsh - Sarah Street
I had the pleasure of introducing Sarah, the Director of the Marsh. She was raised on a farm in Brechin and learned to love animals there so she studied zoology at Guelph graduating with a B.SC honours. She completed an Ecosystem Management Technology Diploma from Sandford Fleming as well. She volunteered at the Marsh, participating in banding efforts and taking on more responsibility, becoming an employee and now is Director.
Sarah said her family used to come from Brechin when she was young so her memories go back. The Friends of the Marsh were formed in 1983 when the government reduced and eliminated funding. The CWF own the buildings and lease it to the Marsh for $1.00 a year. The not for profit Board took over the management in 1985. They receive no government funds other than specific grants. There are 7 FTEs working there maintaining 3,000 acres and welcoming 60,000 visitors. Although she admits this number seems small in comparison with, say, the African Lion park that had half a million she thinks that as a National Wildlife Area, a Provincial Wetland and bird refuge and an area of significant National and Scientific interest that the Marsh is contributing to our ecology and our scientific understanding. The NWA is only about 100 acres of the total, the rest falls under Provincial oversight.
Recently the Marsh has been able to construct a new bird porch, with help from Rotary, that provides daytime housing; it is working on a plan to rejuvenate the display hall; it is working on a new Strategic Plan; it is introducing a point of sale system with the help of a grant and it has recently been accredited by CAZA - Canada's Zoos and Aquariums.
The primary focus is education through school programs, scout and guide badge programs and appealing to the general public with its canoe and kayak tours. Funding comes from donations, membership sales and tourism. The swans and other wildlife are a draw and the Boardwalk is a bonus for ease of access, etc. Volunteers are a big part of what happens there.
The Board is responsible for the stewardship and is conducting a turtle research project with some tagging, the breeding program with the swans focusing on nest locations and migratory paths, the hummingbird tagging project (the opposite of tagging swans) and promoting and protecting a large variety of other fauna and a lot of flora. There they are mostly involved in fighting invasive plants.
Rare occupants of the marsh include the Least Bittern, the Tall White Bog Orchard, the Snapping Turtle, the Blandings Turtle, the Eastern Milk Snake, the Eastern Hog Nose Snake which can play dead, the Map Turtle and the Stinkpot Turtle though that has not been seen for 30 years. The Marsh is evolving - in 1971 Mud Lake was 310 acres and at the turn of the century it was down to 4. Cattails are closing it in, which is natural evolution, but are doing it faster than expected due, maybe, to mitigating changes in evolution or climate. Sarah and her team are trying to mitigate the rate of change and enhance and care for the marsh in a way that maintains or even improves it for future generations. In 2010 they approved a stewardship plan but they have not yeat realized all the goals. Some will be continued in the new plan being written now.
To raise funds they hold special events like Sweetwater, Christmas Santa and Marsh Monsters; they invite sponsorships to fund specific animals or programs; they have been very grateful for Bob Whittam's book and its success has been welcome - they are even thinking about having another print run. The 400 they have left they hope to sell for Christmas.
The MPAC assessment is being appealed and an exemption is being sought. And the dam was actually a Ducks Unlimited project working on a 99 year lease and they do the maintenance on that. Fred congratulated the Marsh on surviving for 30 years and Britt thanked Sarah for her presentation.