Mokriys’ love of nature immortalized

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This article was published 06/06/2016 (3646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Olga and Don Mokriy are wild about their next door neighbours.

The couple lives next to a treed lot at the corner of Shaughnessy Street and Aberdeen Avenue, a wooded area they have long advocated for.

In addition to trees, Olga told The Times that the parcel of city-owned property is home to duck, geese, a snowy owl, squirrels, rabbits, a red fox, and even an Eurasian tree sparrow.

“It originates from Missouri. The Manitoba Birders Society were doing their Christmas count and they noticed this bird resides here. It’s only the second sighting in Manitoba,” Olga said.

In 2008, the Mokriys, along with Coun. Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas), were instrumental in establishing the Shaughnessy Ecological Reserve.

In January, the Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee approved a motion to rename the land to Mokriy Ecological Reserve.

On June 2, a sign denoting the reserve’s new name was officially unveiled.

“We need areas like this,” Olga said. “We need the greenspace. We need the trees, they filter our air. We need a home for our wildlife. We continuously keep building and building. The trees get cut down and the animals have nowhere to go.”

Pagtakhan said Olga pitched the idea of an ecological reserve to him in 2008. A nature lover, Pagtakhan said the idea spoke to him and he had to check the area out.

“When I came here, there was a ton of chickadees just buzzing around,” Pagtakhan said.

“I couldn’t believe how much wildlife there was. I saw birds, squirrels, and Olga told me there was a snowy white owl. I thought ‘Wow, if there’s an owl here, there must be something here’ because owls don’t just go anywhere. They go where there’s food and where they feel protected. You don’t see too many owls in the city and the fact that one was here was really intriguing for me.”

In addition to her family, Olga said the reserve is enjoyed by neighbours, young and old.

“The kids from Sisler High School really enjoy this area on their break,” Olga said.

“If you go in there, you’ll notice there are some trees that have come down and they’ve made seating areas in there. Also, the seniors from Fred Douglas Lodge enjoy the area and all the animals that reside here.”

Pagtakhan said it’s important for cities to have natural areas such as Mokriy Ecological Reserve and Living Prairie Museum on Ness Avenue and Bois-des-Esprits along the Seine River.

“We have a lot of parks, but not a lot of natural, untouched areas,” Pagtakhan said. “You can’t drive through it or play sports on it. It’s intact. It’s a remnant of our past and a reminder of where we came from. Before anybody was here, this is what it looked like. We want to make sure we remind people of the natural geography of the area.”