Celebrating nature
Kentville holds a Miner’s Marsh celebration
Do you know what a yellowlegs or a kingfisher look like? There’s a new wildlife book to show local readers how to tell these birds apart.
On Aug. 13, Kentville celebrated one of its natural assets, Miner’s Marsh, with a familyfriendly afternoon that included the launch of a new children’s book, Miner’s Marsh ABCs, written by Pamela Fairn and featuring her sister Sheila Levy’s photography.
Levy is a frequent visitor the marsh. She can recall following a monarch butterfly for 45 minutes to get the image she wanted.
“I’m honoured to be part of this celebration and am happy to give back to the marsh for all the joy it has given me over the years,” said Fairn, who teaches at the Booker School in Port Williams.
The collaborative effort aims to highlight plants and animals that are common to the park.
“We want kids to see new things in the park, in the water, in the sky and hidden in the grasses,” said Marina Myra of the Wild Roots Nature Education Centre.
An early proponent for the marsh, Gren Jones called it “a beautiful site that was built with the community in mind.” He is the Ducks Unlimited senior director for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Six years into the history of the public space, Jones said, the day was a celebration of how the marsh is used, how it is owned and was restored and “how it connects people with nature in the heart of Kentville.”
Mayor Dave Corkum called the marsh “a jewel right in our backyard.”
The former farmland was last owned by the Miner family and served as pasture. Ducks Unlimited acquired the land in 1994. The trails around the park opened in 2010.
The Aug. 13 event also included nature walks and games like critter dipping.
Kentville Recreation promotes nature play
Parents sometimes see barriers to their children playing for long stretches outdoors, says Andre Bouchard, Kentville community outreach co-ordinator.
“It’s true of my own kids,” he adds. This summer, the town aims to provide as many safe outdoor play opportunities possible.
Working with the Kings County Family Resource Centre, town staff has planned something for all ages. The Trail Blazer camps for six- to nine-year-olds are largely taking place in the Gorge off Park Street, but Miner’s Marsh is another important resource.
Wild Roots programming caters to nine- to 14-year-olds and Bouchard says the topics each week range from filmmaking to scooter skills. The Jump Start program makes all the town camps affordable.
Meanwhile, the former tourist information building at Memorial Park acts as the creative base for camper activity. It has been renamed the Makery.
Jennifer West notes the structure, while not winterized, can be utilized for adult workshops as well.
Bouchard says the Learn to Lead program has proved a success at fostering youth aged 12-15 as potential day camp leaders.
Organizer Aaron Cumberland nurtures the interests and skill sets the youth come with. They also get access behind the scenes, Bouchard said, to the planning that is required to pull together positive programming.