Our Story

The Wye Marsh Nature Centre was opened in 1969 as a nature centre operated by Environment Canada (EC).

In 1985, EC turned operations over to Friends of Wye Marsh (FOWM) and entered into a lease agreement between FOWM and EC. FOWM have operated the Wye Marsh Nature Centre since 1985 as a registered not-for-profit corporation.

FOWM is committed to connecting people with nature and promoting an understanding of the vital role wetlands play within the environment. Staff and volunteers are dedicated to conserving the Wye Marsh and the natural heritage of the Wye Valley while providing low impact educational, recreational and research opportunities to benefit present and future generations.

As a non-profit organization we rely on the income generated from tourism, donations, group bookings, fundraising (grants/special events), and an active group of volunteers to fulfill the stewardship commitments of the Wye Valley and to sustain the day to day operations of the Wye Marsh.

Connecting with the community is very important to FOWM. Our aim is to continue a year-round fully integrated series of educational experiences to ensure people understand the significance of protecting the environment, specifically the Wye Valley.

The stewardship of the Wye Valley and the delivery of effective programming are dependent upon healthy relationships between key managing partners. These partners include the Ministry of Natural Resources,  Canadian Wildlife Service, and FOWM. All partners play an equal but varied role in managing the Wye Valley to ensure the long term benefit and health of the Marsh.

 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Wye Marsh is located along the shores of the Isaraqui River, (River of Dancing Waters) better known as the Wye River. It is the traditional homelands of many nations including the Anishinabek, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations and Métis people.

This land is also home to many of our animal and plant relations as well as our sacred waters. This includes a wide variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects, as well as century old mixed forest, old field meadows, abandoned farmland and wetland.

As stewards of the land, we are devoted to value life in all of its forms and to live with a more inclusive way of thinking. We honor Mother Earth and her extraordinary balance of all living things.

Wye Marsh is committed to building pathways towards Reconciliation by honoring Indigenous history and culture and turning to Indigenous communities for guidance on conservation, traditional knowledge, and wisdom.

We are dedicated to walking together with First Nation, Métis and Inuit and to support one another in the act of caring for the land. Loyal to the ancestral principle of reciprocity between people and nature, we hope to ensure the health and vitality of the Wye Marsh for many generations of species and people to come.