Tiny Marsh is planning a full slate of events as part of waterfowl viewing day.
The Saturday event will feature guest speaker Wayne Simkin, a Waverley resident who’s a world champion wood carver.
During the morning from 10 a.m. to noon, visitors are invited to join guided tours into the wetland and get a good view of returning migrants such as ring-necked ducks.
Led by experts who can identify the birds that are in the marsh and tell the interesting stories of their lives, there will also be scopes on hand to allow for close-up looks. Visitors are encouraged to bring their binoculars, wear closed footwear and dress for the weather.
There will also be children’s nature workshops running at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The event returns after the pandemic and MTM Conservation Association couldn't be happier.
“It’s a great opportunity to find out what’s going on in the world of the thousands of birds that traverse our continent twice a year,” the association noted.
“Some of these species, like the wood duck or the blue-winged teal, spend the summer and raise a family at Tiny Marsh. Others, like the snow goose or the greater scaup, carry on to the boreal forest, or even further.”
Among those who have paid special attention to the waterfowl that visit or make the wetlands their home is Simkin, the winner of two world wood carver championships along with many other awards.
“Wayne's introduction to carving occurred in the mid-nineteen-seventies when he was still a boy of twelve or thirteen,” David M. Gascoigne wrote in his Travels With Birds blog.
“He started to produce working decoys with his father, and quickly displayed a rare talent for creativity and an appreciation of form and function. His moment of epiphany came when he entered some of his work into the annual Sportsmen's Show in Toronto and won thirteen ribbons for twelve birds, a remarkable achievement.”
Some of Simikin’s carvings will be on display at the Tiny Marsh Interpretive Centre at 500 Tiny-Flos Townline. He will be talking about his work at 1 p.m.
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