FortWhyte Alive

Last updated
FortWhyte Alive!
Formation1983;41 years ago (1983)
TypeNature preserve
Headquarters1961 McCreary Rd.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Coordinates 49°49′13″N97°13′31″W / 49.8202°N 97.2252°W / 49.8202; -97.2252
Region
Winnipeg Metro Region
Official language
English
President and CEO
Liz Wilson
Vice-President
Ian Barnett
Website fortwhyte.org
Formerly called
  • Wildlife Foundation of Manitoba
  • Fort Whyte Nature Centre
Sunset at FortWhyte in the period of geese migration Sunset at FortWhyte.JPG
Sunset at FortWhyte in the period of geese migration

FortWhyte Alive is a reclaimed wildlife preserve, recreation area, and environmental education centre in southwest Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Contents

This 660-acre park is located along the migratory path of Canadian geese, and is named after the surrounding community of Fort Whyte. [1] As of 2022, it represents 20% of Winnipeg’s urban green space. [2]

History

The area that now encompasses the present-day space was given the name of Fort Whyte in 1888 by a top official of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who fought to take control of the site from a rival railway. [1]

Residents of Winnipeg used the area for picnicking and swimming. However, starting between 1907 and 1912, the Canada Cement Company (later known as Lafarge) fenced the area off and began mining the land for clay and gravel to make cement. [1]

By the 1950s, however, floods and other sources of clay made the site obsolete for mining. [1]

At this time, the principals of six schools in Greater Winnipeg sought to establish a nature trail for their students, and approached the director of the Winnipeg School Division’s Science Centre for his help in setting one up. The director referred them to the Chief of the Manitoba government’s conservation education section. After examining several potential sites, Fort Whyte was chosen due to its close proximity to Winnipeg, its relatively intact woodlands, protection from vandalism due to the site previously being privately-owned, and the presence of lakes (formed by the pits excavated for clay) that attracted water birds. [3]

In 1955, employees of Canada Cement formed the Lucky 13 Rod & Gun Club to develop a nature trail. The Fort Whyte Waterfowl Sanctuary opened in 1966 and introduced Canada geese and mallards to the site. [1] [2] [3]

The Province of Manitoba would incorporate the Wildlife Foundation of Manitoba that year to operate the facility and "provide facilities and financing for education in the science and art of conservation of wildlife and its habitat." The foundation saw the old industrial site as a potential habitat and began reclamation work here. [1]

In 1974, the Wildlife Foundation developed the site’s first building—the Fort Whyte Nature Centre—consisting of the Kiwanis Reception Building and a waterfowl building with an incubator room. [1] [2]

By the 1980s, with its focus being shifted from wildlife conservation to environmental education, the organization was replaced by the Fort Whyte Foundation. The new foundation opened its new trail and Fort Whyte Centre for Environmental Education in 1983 at an expanded 200-acre site. Floating boardwalks were added the following year to provide a close-up view of the wetlands and their inhabitants. In 1986, the Kiwanis Touch Museum and beehive interpretive exhibits were added. An interpretive aquarium exhibit was added in 1989. [1]

In 2000, Fort Whyte's land base was expanded from 200 to 640 acres. [1]

Natural features

FortWhyte's 660 acres (270 ha) of prairie, lakes, forest and wetlands include a 70-acre (28 ha) bison prairie and related heritage exhibits; [4] more than 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) of interpretive nature trails; a family treehouse, floating boardwalks, and songbirds, deer and waterfowl in their natural habitat.

Activities and amenities

Year-round fishing is available or visitors can enjoy more contemplative pursuits such as canoeing, hiking or bird-watching. [5] Winter offers unique opportunities to enjoy ice fishing, snowshoeing, skating or tobogganing. FortWhyte's lakes, forest and marsh are well travelled, with over 100,000 visitors benefiting from many programs and exhibits annually.

The 6,700 sq ft (620 m2) Alloway Reception Centre offers a broad range of visitor services including The Nature Shop and Buffalo Stone Café.

The 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) Interpretive Centre features exhibits including the Aquarium of the Prairies (Manitoba's largest indoor aquarium), the Prairie Partners Room, the Touch Museum, the Climate Change Greenhouse and Prairie Soils dioramas among other exhibits relating to the environment and sustainable development.

Situated on a reclaimed clay mine and cement factory.

Education

FortWhyte offers curriculum-based educational programs in both French and English to close to 30,000 school children each year; introducing students to the natural world and raising an awareness of their role in sustaining our planet. The FortWhyte Farms [6] initiative allows disadvantaged youth to engage in urban agriculture-based, social and vocational skills training [7] in FortWhyte's beautiful natural setting.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manitoba Museum</span> Provincial human and natural history museum in Manitoba, Canada

The Manitoba Museum, previously the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, is a human and natural history museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as the province's largest, not-for-profit centre for heritage and science education.

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is 915,814 acres (3,706.17 km2) in size. It is the second-largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states of the United States, and the largest in Montana. Created in 1936, it was originally called the Fort Peck Game Range. It was renamed in 1963 after Montana artist Charles M. Russell, a famous painter of the American West. In 1976, the "range" was made a "refuge".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducks Unlimited</span> American conservation organization

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Oregon, United States

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is located in the fertile Willamette Valley of northwestern Oregon, 12 miles (19 km) south of Salem. The valley was once a rich mix of wildlife habitats. Valley wetlands were once extensive, with meandering stream channels and vast seasonal marshes. Today, the valley is a mix of farmland and growing cities, with few areas remaining for wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mingo National Wildlife Refuge</span>

The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is a 21,676-acre (87.7-km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in northwestern Stoddard and southeastern Wayne counties in Missouri. Its southwesternmost portion lies on the shores of Lake Wappapello. Named after the Mingo tribe, it was established to preserve bottomland hardwoods and provide waterfowl and other migratory birds in the Mississippi Flyway with nesting, feeding, brooding, and resting habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Oregon, United States

Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge is in northwestern Oregon, 10 miles (16 km) west of Salem in Polk County. The Refuge consists of 1,173 acres (4.75 km2) of cropland, which provide forage for wintering geese, 300 acres (1.2 km2) of forests, 550 acres (2.2 km2) of grasslands, and 500 acres (2.0 km2) of shallow water seasonal wetlands and 35 acres (0.14 km2) of permanent open water. In 1965, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge was created to help ensure some of the original habitat remained for species preservation. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Prairie Museum</span> Tall grass prairie preserve in Assiniboia (Winnipeg), Manitoba

The Living Prairie Museum is a 30-acre (12 ha) tall grass prairie preserve located between Daisy Road and Harcourt Street, east of Ness Avenue in the St. James-Assiniboia suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horicon Marsh</span> National State Wildlife Area, Dodge and Fond du Lac counties, Wisconsin

Horicon Marsh is a marsh located in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties of Wisconsin. It is the site of both a national and a state wildlife refuge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assiniboine Park Zoo</span> Zoo in Manitoba, Canada

Assiniboine Park Zoo is an 80-acre (32 ha) zoo located in the west end of Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The zoo is known for its polar bear exhibit, which was replaced by the Journey to Churchill in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Hammock Marsh</span> Marsh in Manitoba, Canada

Oak Hammock Marsh is a marsh and a wildlife management area located 34 kilometres (21 mi) north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The WMA is considered to be a Class IV protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. The marsh is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) for its globally significant numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds. It is a designated Ramsar site due to its international importance as a breeding and staging area for waterfowl and other migratory birds. It is 3,578.47 hectares in size.

Delta Marsh consists of an extensive open marsh located near the south shore of Lake Manitoba, approximately 24 km north of the town of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The marsh extends for nearly 30 km along the shore of the lake, and has a breadth of up to 4 km. The marsh consists of a network of interconnected shallow bays separated from Lake Manitoba by a wooded barrier dune ridge of 300m to 600m width.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Manitoba, Canada

St. Ambroise Beach is a 46-hectare (110-acre) provincial park on the shore of Lake Manitoba in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie of Canada. Established in 1961, the park lies in the Lake Manitoba Plain Ecoregion and is surrounded by marshland, which provides a habitat for waterfowl. The park is open to the public for recreational activities and birding. Piping plovers nest on the beach and warblers, geese and pelicans pass through the park during migration season. A boardwalk with a viewing tower extends into the marsh. St. Ambroise Beach is a stop on the international Pine to Prairie birding trail, which runs from Minnesota through Manitoba.

Pioneers Park Nature Center, established in 1963, is a 668-acre (2.70 km2) nature preserve located within Pioneers Park, which is located at the intersections of South Coddington and West Van Dorn Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska. Both Pioneers Park and the Nature Center within it are operated by the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge</span> National wildlife refuge in Minnesota, United States

Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge was created on October 12, 2004, the 545th National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. Its creation was the result of cooperation between at least 30 agencies or governmental entities. The creation of the refuge was spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy, and the initial endowment of 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) of land was donated by the Conservancy. In light of its planned final size of 37,756 acres (153 km2), it is described by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as "the largest tallgrass prairie and wetland restoration project in U.S. history."

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) is an international plan to conserve waterfowl and migratory birds in North America. It was established in 1986 by Canada and the United States, and expanded to include Mexico in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</span> Nature reserve in northwestern Grayson County, Texas, United States

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (HNWR), a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife, lies in northwestern Grayson County, Texas, on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma, on the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. This National Wildlife Refuge is made up of water, marsh, and upland habitat. Visitors can hike, observe wildlife, hunt, and fish throughout the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve</span> Conservation area in Manitoba, Canada

The Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve is located in southeastern Manitoba near Gardenton and Vita, this is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Steinbach, Manitoba. It is one of the last remaining stands of tallgrass prairie in Manitoba and is part of the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland conservation area in Manitoba and Minnesota. Several groups and organizations help in land preservation in the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Nature Manitoba, Environment Canada, Manitoba Conservation and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Settlers, Rails & Trails</span> Historic Regional Museum in Manitoba, Canada

Settlers, Rails & Trails Inc. is a community-run, non-profit museum in Argyle, Manitoba. It exhibits local history, railway and agricultural artifacts and historical information, and it is also home to the Canadian Flag Collection. Argyle is governed by the Rural Municipality of Rockwood, and is approximately 28 km northwest of Winnipeg, within the Manitoba Capital Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitewater Lake, Manitoba</span> Lake in Manitoba

Whitewater Lake is a lake in the Canadian province of Manitoba located between Boissevain and Deloraine. It is an endorheic basin and more marsh than lake. Whitewater Lake was previously called White Lake due to the color of the salt flats exposed during dry periods. Whitewater Lake covers approximately 22,000 acres on average and only reaches depths of about 2 metres (6.6 ft). The lake is fed by several small streams which flow into it from the Turtle Mountains but has no natural outflow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducks Unlimited Canada</span> Canadian conservation organization

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is a Canadian non-profit environmental organization that works to conserve, create, restore and manage Canadian wetlands and associated uplands in order to provide healthy ecosystems that support North American waterfowl, other wildlife and people. They work with industry leaders, government agencies, landowners and other non-profit organizations to collaboratively protect critical habitats. DUC is a separate organization from Ducks Unlimited Inc. (DU) and Ducks Unlimited de Mexico (DUMAC). However, the three organizations collaborate on conservation projects that benefit the wide variety of species that migrate across the continent during their annual biological cycle.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Our Story". FortWhyte Alive. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. 1 2 3 "FortWhyte Alive's journey from clay quarry to urban green haven". sustainablebiz.ca. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  3. 1 2 "Manitoba Organization: Wildlife Foundation of Manitoba / Fort Whyte Nature Centre / FortWhyte Alive". www.mhs.mb.ca. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  4. "EcoTours". FortWhyte Alive. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
  5. "Manitoba's Pine To Prairie International Birding Trail" (PDF). Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship. May 7, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  6. "Youth build self-esteem at Fort Whyte Farms". Metro News. August 8, 2013. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013.
  7. "Fort Whyte youth program gets $30K boost". CBC News Manitoba. July 13, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2019.

Further reading