The eleventh annual Youth Outdoors Day at the Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area last Saturday began with an emotional tribute honouring the memory of two conservation officers who lost their lives on duty at the site in 1965.
Robert Guenther, 42, of Walkerton, and Carl Liddle, 47, of Paris, Ontario, went missing on the waters of the Luther Marsh during a patrol in a propeller-driven swamp boat. They were officers with the former Department of Lands and Forests.
After an extensive search over six days, with more than 200 police officers, conservation officers and community volunteers, the bodies of the men were located on Oct. 11, 1965 by John Davidson, a Grand Valley hay dealer. An autopsy confirmed both men drowned.
Guenther was a married father of four and Liddle was a married father, with one son. The children, all of them now adults, were present for the dedication ceremony, where a plaque honouring their fathers was placed on the conservation outpost, now a Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) training centre, as well as a formal unveiling of the newly-named Guenther Liddle Centre (formerly the Luther Marsh Centre).
Sons Robert Guenther and Parker Liddle both spoke at the ceremony, reliving a difficult day but expressing pride for the honour bestowed on their families by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) and the MNR.
The families were then invited to tour the conservation area and watch as more than 200 youths took part in the annual Youth Outdoors Day, hosted by volunteers from the Wellington Stewardship Council and other community volunteers.
O.J. MacDonald, chairman of the organizing committee, said this year’s youth attendance was the highest to date.
“We had 50 kids the first year, in 2001, and this year 500 people registered for a spot,” MacDonald said.
The free, all-day event is open to youths aged nine to 16, and features a range of outdoor activities, such as demonstrations on canoeing and birdhouse building, learning hunting skills with a bow and shooting range, species identification, all-terrain vehicle safety, fire safety, hiking and birds of prey, to name a few.
“Our goal is to provide the proper introduction to the environment for the youth of today,” said MacDonald.
“This is about getting youth involved in the outdoors for the right reasons. We’re making sure they are not getting out there for the first time with the wrong person.”
Topics such as safety, stewardship and respect for the natural environment are key to the program.
Organizers hope it will de-mystify some of the stereotypes around fishing and hunting by making youths understand the balance of conservation efforts.
MacDonald said the range of activities throughout the day are intended to offer a variety of ways for youth to explore the environment.
“We want to encourage a desire for youth to stay involved in the outdoors in any way they wish,” MacDonald said.
He also points to the need for youth to unplug from their electronic devices.
“There are no virtual tours of the Luther Marsh for a reason,” MacDonald said.
“Our goal is to keep these kinds of events going throughout the year … to make this a lifestyle,” MacDonald said.
“The word is really to get out and kids are looking forward to it every year. When they grow up, they come back and volunteer.”
For more information on Youth Outdoors Day or to plan a visit to the Luther Marsh visit the GRCA website at www.grandriver.ca.
