While we were visiting Steve's parents in Ontario, we took a day trip to Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, in Midland. It was a short, 40 min drive from where we were and we arrived at around 10 in the morning. It was pretty quiet that day, given that it was fairly overcast and we had the boardwalk pretty much all to ourselves. Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre is located on 3,000 acres of wetlands and forests. It is home to many species of birds, amphibians and reptiles and there are activities all year long (kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and more). There is also a birds of prey exhibit, where Oscar loved looking at the hawks and owls, a bee house and a swan treatment centre you can visit (sadly, we didn't spot any trumpeter swans on our trip because it was mating season!)....
We had brought some sunflower seeds to feed the chickadees, Oscar tried holding his hand open to feed some but much to his disappointment, none landed on his hand(though one actually did on Nana's!). We also spotted a few turtles, frogs and a few chipmunks from the boardwalk. Papa and Oscar also had a go at using the provided nets to catch some marsh critters while River spent the whole time just toddling up and down that boardwalk like a drunken sailor (that just-starting-to-walk baby sway is my favourite).
We had a lot of fun at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, I'd definitely recommend it as an activity for kids and nature lovers. We'd love to go back one day in another season or to try out the canoe/kayak tours!
Some tips for your trip:
- If you're visiting on a hot summer day, bring sunscreen and/or hats! We were lucky with the cloudy weather that day but there isn't much shade on the boardwalk so make sure you load up.
- There is a birds of prey show that we missed (but heard great things about), you can call ahead to check the schedule for that and time your visit as such if that interests you.
- Bug spray, lots of it!
- Bring some seeds for feeding the chickadees.
- If you like, you can also pack a picnic, there is a covered pavilion on the boardwalk where you can sit and enjoy a bite (and it comes with a great view).
- Downtown midland is a short drive away if you're looking for a bite after visiting the marsh (we stopped at Ciboulette et Cie for a simple, tasty lunch). There are also lots of cute shops along the downtown strip if you fancy pottering around.
