FortWhyte offers virtual and in-person adventures

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/04/2021 (1925 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adventure awaits at FortWhyte Alive, in both virtual and in-person formats.

Thanks to Safe At Home Manitoba grants, FortWhyte is offering free virtual programs for all to enjoy.

“We know that through the last year, so many people have found comfort and new hobbies in nature, and we wanted to find ways of bringing those opportunities to Manitobans while they were staying at home,” said Carolyn Townend, communications and brand manager for FortWhyte Alive.

“All our Safe At Home programming is virtual, free to access, and available 24/7. You can learn everything from how to start your own seeds to tips on how to start birding in your own backyard. However you like to connect, you’ll enjoy one of our many educational and nature-based online programs.”

So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and grateful, Townend added.

“So many folks, especially families with young kids, are looking for ways to connect, learn and be entertained,” Townend said. “We hope we’ve done that.”

Videos, information and even recipes are posted online at fortwhyte.org/safe-at-home.
In addition to online offerings, the trails and facilities at FortWhyte Alive remain open at this time — and they’re proving to be particularly popular for bird watching.

“We’ve got tons of opportunities for you and your households to come out and connect in nature. If you’re one of the many people to newly discover birding in the last year, check out our new Migration Mornings and experience an early morning of spring migration magic at FortWhyte Alive,” Townend said.

“Get out on the trails in the early morning and enjoy a self-guided experience at your own pace and witness the abundance of species returning from their winter travels. Even if you don’t feel like you know enough about birding, we encourage you to come out and explore. Free feel to stop one of our roving birding experts to help answer any of your questions.”  

FortWhyte Farms is also gearing up for its Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program called The Goods, which offers healthy food plus a new opportunity to help others.

“FortWhyte Farms is a pretty special place. Not only are we the only farm where you can visit our heritage breed pigs, chickens, rabbits and beehives when you come to pick up your share, we are also an educational farm that uses sustainable agriculture as a platform to build leadership skills and provide employment training for local youth,” Townend said.

“That means when you purchase a CSA share, you’re supporting youth in your community. You’re also part of a group of conscious eaters who want good, fresh food and to make a powerful investment in the local economy. All dollars brought in from The Goods are kept in Manitoba, supporting an essential community social enterprise.”

This year, they’ve also launched The Community Goods program, which helps others to access healthy food.

“When you sign up for your CSA share,” Townend said, “you now have the option to add on a little extra to help lower-income families from the nearby Tuxedo Family Resource Centre, who otherwise would not have access to produce from our farm.”

With spring hours now in effect, the facility is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To keep up to date about FortWhyte Alive and all it has to offer, visit www.fortwhyte.org or check out the organization’s social media pages.