Celebrate the environment and Canada at 150 at Ken Reid Conservation

A free family event at Ken Reid Conservation Area on Oct. 14 will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and the environment.

The event, organized and hosted by the Kawartha Conservation Foundation, will feature hands-on environmental displays, guided hikes, and two live animal shows.

“This is going to be a really fun way to come out and celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday by exploring our natural heritage spaces and local wildlife, and discovering our watershed’s environmental issues, initiatives, and organisations,” explains event organizer and Foundation Chair Julia Taylor.

The free event will open at 1 pm with ‘Hands on Exotics’ where people will have an opportunity to get up close and personal with a variety of Canadian and exotic animals from around the world.

From 2 to 3:30 pm there will be a series of guided hikes through Ken Reid Conservation Area’s diverse trails and a fun and interactive environmental fair.

At 3:30 pm ‘Matt the Birdman’ will begin Birds of Prey, a fantastic, interactive live show.

The event is made possible in part to a grant through the Kawartha Lakes Community Partnership and Development Fund Program for Canada 150th Celebrations.

“The Birds of Prey show is really exciting,” said Taylor. “You really get up close and personal with a variety of interesting birds, people will get a chance to fly the falcon, and may even have a bird use your head for a perch. You are guaranteed to take away a ton of interesting info because Matt is so knowledgeable.”

“One of the goals of the Foundation is to engage families and children, and provide education and learning opportunities about the environment and the local ecology, explains Taylor.

The Environmental Fair will offer a number of educational and interactive booths including vermicomposting, bee keeping, water pollution information, and how landfills are engineered, with displays by Green Up, Kawartha Lakes Waste Management department, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, Bee City, Kawartha Conservation and more.

“Autumn is a beautiful time to enjoy Ken Reid Conservation Area and what better way to spend time with friends and family than by spending time in nature and getting a front row seat to some of the remarkable animals and birds that make our environment truly special and worth protecting,” adds Taylor.