Imagine over 200 kids aged of 9 to 16 wandering around hundreds of acres of rough country – and not one single cell phone. Nobody was hunched over with thumbs moving up and down.
Joel Pegg, of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said, almost amazed, “I haven’t seen any kids up here with cell phones or video games. That’s the goal. Give them good outdoor activities and then they can see what they like.
“We’re trying to plant a seed. I hope to develop a passion; develop a whole new generation of environmental stewards.”
While that might be a bit into the future, the lack of new media being used was, as Pegg put it, “a feat in itself. That’s the whole point. Get the kids away from the computers.”
In order to do that, organizers of Youth Outdoors Day, celebrating its 10th anniversary on Sept. 10 (Pegg has been in charge of it for nine of those years), have to come up with activities that can actually pull pre-teens and teens away from video screens and into nature. The indications are they succeed.
Instead of texting friends, 11-years-olds could be overheard while walking into Luther Marsh, “We got up at 5:30 to be here.” Others claimed even earlier rising to reach the site by 8am for an opening demonstration by a handler and trained Ministry of Natural Resources dog.
They came from London, Woodstock, Hamilton, Guelph, Innisfil and even from the general area. One youngster made the trek from New York State.
They all marvelled at handler Sean Cronsberry and his dog, Timber. That duo demonstrated tasks that Timber has to learn, from following scents for missing persons to finding hidden illegal game.
That demonstration lasted nearly an hour, and the attention was rapt. Timber astonished them when his handler put on the dog’s aggression collar. From a friendly pup he became an attack dog trained to stop aggressive people threatening his handler. He ably demonstrated on an MNR member playing the role of bad guy. Nobody envied him that job when Timber was through with him.
It takes 16 weeks of training in Sudbury before such dogs are allowed into the field, and regular periods of refresher courses after that.
The site at Luther Marsh is a big one, and there were hundreds of people there. Over 200 kids were on hand, and they all had to have a parent or guardian with them. In some cases, entire families attended.
After the dog exhibition, they headed to five separate stations, to be enthralled by outdoor activities that included watching retriever dogs hit the water to pick up simulated shot birds, Brittany Spaniel pointers (that threatened to lick to death the laughing kids watching them perform), seeing bird bander David Lamble demonstrate how to hold a bird and listen to him explain why ducks are constantly nibbling at their feathers (ducks can drown if they do not keep their feathers waterproof, and they get oil from a gland at their rear and distribute it around their feathers with their beaks).
The kids were given the opportunities to hold various birds that Lamble had caught earlier that day, and then they released them. They also learned some of those birds will soon be on their way to South America.
Lamble explained tests show that birds see horizontally with one eye, and vertically with the other. They can also remember up to 2,500 locations where they have hidden seeds, which left parents who constantly lose their car keys shaking their heads in amazement.
At another station, kids learned about butterflies from John G. Powers, of the Incredible World of Bugs, based in Cambridge.
They seemed astounded at the distances those insects can travel. Power taught them how to attract butterflies to their yards, how to hold them and he even held a butterfly release with those able to answer his questions doing the honours.
When he said those butterflies would be in Windsor by the end of the day the kids seemed shocked.
They also had a chance to get up close and personal with birds of prey.
The Ontario Falcon Club brought everything from a kestrel (about the size of a pigeon but with a very sharp beak and claws) to a golden eagle from the Middle East, which was a huge bird and a huger attraction.
They demonstrated how the birds learn to fly to a lure, and even from one person to another. One Harris hawk landed on a spectator who didn’t move and was soon relieved of that bird by a handler. No injuries – just smiles.
After lunch, many of the kids lined up for an opportunity to hold one of the big birds, having been supplied by the handlers with a thick, leather glove. The Harris hawks, in particular, showed good temperament. The kids glowed in awe.
After a free lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs, and a number of free draws for some very expensive prizes (Liam Nixon, of Elora, took home a bow worth over $600), the kids still had no time for cell phones.
Instead, they were off over a dozen stations to try their hand at bait casting, fly casting, fly tying, shooting a bow and arrow, shooting rifles (the greatest of safety precautions were taken, but yes, even 9 year olds under careful supervision got to shoot at a target with a gun) or they could visit and identify fish at one station, or build a bird house (with all the materials free) at another.
All of that takes a lot of work.
“I’ve got an awesome committee of volunteers,” Pegg said, adding that about two weeks from now, work will start for next year’s event.
The committee members are: chairman O.J. MacDonald, vice chairman Tony Vanderheide, secretary-treasurer Larry Halyk, station co-ordinator Joel Pegg, publicity person Sharon Grose, volunteer co-ordinator Holly Nadalin, food co-ordinators Mari Beth Pulley and Ted Smith and board member at large Mike Williams.
Pulley said early in the day all the food is provided free, much of it at cost. The group tries to provide a healthy lunch, with apples instead of sugar treats, and gets a discount on the meat and buns, too. The only thing for sale the day of the event was metal water bottles, and there was a water station on site for refills.
“Sponsors allow us to keep this a free event” said a grateful Pegg. “We’ve reached over 2,000 kids now.”
Anyone wanting to attend next year should watch the Advertiser for the annual announcements.
Pegg was saddened that some had to be turned away this year, but the event is popular and even in the large space, only so many can attend.
He added that as an MNR official who monitors hunting and fishing, nothing gives him more pleasure than meeting in the field people who have been through a Youth Outdoor Day. They tell him they discovered hunting and fishing there.
