NEWS RELEASE
WYE MARSH WILDLIFE CENTRE
*********************************
Friends of Wye Marsh Inc. is very pleased to receive a $100,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) toward the Display Hall Revitalization Project. The Display Hall, located in the Visitor Centre is the indoor hub of Wye Marsh. This project will include new displays, educational signage, and ways for visitors to engage in environmental stewardship at home.
The goals of the Display Hall Revitalization Project are to provide additional interpretation and information for our visitors, while also providing a new and exciting reason for guests to visit Wye Marsh. The project will see the Display Hall completely redesigned to provide informative displays to better help us meet our mandate of interpretation, education, and environmental awareness by creating new captivating, interactive and experiential exhibits, to which families can return as their children grow. The space will provide opportunities for critical thinking, curiosity and exploration for all ages and backgrounds. The Display Hall’s new design will also incorporate translation and content relevant to the local Indigenous and Francophone communities to highlight the culture and stories of our interwoven community.
“When I was a child, a visit to Wye Marsh was not just about walking the trails – it was also about learning everything I could about the species that inhabit the marsh, as well as the importance of the marsh itself,” said Kim Hacker, executive director of Wye Marsh. “Over time the Wye Marsh Display Hall has become a multipurpose space, and this is our chance to revitalize it and bring it back to life with interactive and engaging exhibits that will both spark visitor curiosity, and inspire people to make positive environmental changes in their own lives.”
This illustration is by Tom Goldsmith, Wye Marsh’s Display Hall Curator and lead on this project. It represents a visualization of some of the planned changes.
Friends of Wye Marsh Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization responsible for operating the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. Our Mission Statement is to be a centre of excellence for wetlands research, interpretation, and education based on the principle of stewardship and the importance of environmental awareness. Over 30,000 visitors come to Wye Marsh year-round to hike, snowshoe, cross-country ski, canoe and kayak, more than 6,000 students take part in experiential, curriculum-based educational programs.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
*********************************
