Marsh Monster Magic

“Ready, set, go!”  Off ran two children dressed as a dragon and a cowboy.  They were “riding” broomsticks, wearing witch’s hats and carrying inflatable pumpkins as they raced down the indoor course at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre’s Marsh Monster event.  Other children were busy playing Hallowe’en games such as bouncing ping pong “eyeballs” into pumpkin buckets, Spooky Twister, ring toss onto witch’s hats and reassembling a paper skeleton.  Some were decorating scary cupcakes and then bravely devouring them.  Parents, children and grandparents played together in this low tech, some may say “old fashioned” Hallowe’en event.  I was one of the volunteers working in the game room.  It was delightful to watch children and parents playing together for the fun of it.  Older kids and teens volunteered to create an experience for the younger ones and adults became child-like again.

Outside, volunteer guides took the families on a nighttime mystery tour in search of the Marsh Monster through darkened forests and along moonlit boardwalks through the waving cattails.  Teenaged volunteer zombies lurked along the path groaning and doing the sort of things that zombies do.  Staff and volunteers got into character at the various stations telling the story of the mythical Marsh Monster and advising the kids to use their magic flashlights to re-humanize the zombies.  Together they co-created this unique outdoor family experience.  I almost expected to see David Suzuki leap out from behind a tree.

The Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre in Midland, Ontario is a 3000 acre wildlife preserve that is run by the Friends of Wye Marsh as a non-profit organization.  It depends on admissions, donations, educational events and fundraising for funds and an active group of volunteers to help the dedicated staff fulfill the stewardship commitments of the marsh.  There is also a partnership between levels of government and other agencies for ownership of the once private parcel of land and marsh.  Many people work together to maintain and protect this special place.

And in the marsh itself and the surrounding forest and fen, many species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, insects, plants and trees live together in many different habitats that exist in an intricate, diverse balance.  As the visiting people experience and connect to this natural co-creation and cooperate with it and each other, it is good for all.  The habitats are protected, endangered species have a safe place to build their numbers and some of the harm done by humans can be healed.  Visiting there, we can remember our place in nature.  I try to imagine the web of nature interconnected with the web of all the people that work to protect and maintain this area interconnected with all the visitors that interact with and learn from this beautiful marsh.  It is too complex for me to picture but I do know how it feels to be a part of it all and I am grateful for that.