Ducks Unlimited's Greenwing Day came back, and it was a smashing success.
On Aug. 13 nearly 100 kids (organizers were expecting between 60 and 65) and 30 volunteers took part in a full day of activities, everything from airboat rides on Stoney Lake to target practice with a pellet gun to sifting through muddy water for snails and frogs.
The events took place at the Humboldt Wildlife Federation building just south of town, with the airboat rides just across the road.
Greenwing Day hadn't been held in several years because the application process for volunteering had become too complicated. To fix that problem, Dave Atamanchuk, a conservation specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), decided to team up with the Humboldt Wildlife Federation to skirt around the endless paperwork.
Watching dozens of kids romp around in the water and come off the airboat with smiles on their faces, it seemed like Atamanchuk's decision had paid off.
"The main thing is to get the kids outside and teach them that there's lots of things you can do out there," he said. "A lot of the kids have never experienced any of this stuff, we showed them that anyone can do it."
Taking a ride on the airboat was an experience in and of itself; the huge fan mounted to the back of the boat whirred to life and skipped the boat across the water, a remarkably smooth ride through water that at times seemed too shallow for a boat to navigate. As it pulled away from the dock a group of boys would stand directly behind the fan, waiting for the inevitable blast of wet air when the motor rumbled to life.
"It's not as bad as it seems," one girl said to a friend with a small smile after she'd climbed out of the boat.
Across the road a group of kids was building birdhouses inside, while outside another group was practicing their marksmanship with pellet guns. They were getting help from RCMP officers and taking their best shot.
"I lovvvvveee it," one boy named Mason said. He and his friends were talking about BB guns and airboats, completely engrossed in what they were doing. It was exactly the kind of scene Atamanchuk was hoping for when he put the day together.
"So many parents called to say the kids just had to put the bird boxes up as soon as they got home," he said with a laugh.
There were also opportunities for education: the kids got a chance to see and touch deer hides and antlers and learn about the differences between species. Atamanchuk said the younger kids were particularly interested, wide-eyed and soaking it all in. Having a positive experience will lead many of the kids to come back, either as participants or maybe volunteers. Atamanchuk said many of this year's volunteers were past participants.
The hope is to do it all over again next year, with a few changes to keep the program fun and fresh. The event was able to attract between 40 and 50 sponsors this year, an invaluable resource that Atamanchuk said was critical to the day's success.
"The town really pulled together on this and it was incredible to see so much support," he said.
The significance of Greenwing Day returning extends well beyond the Humboldt region; according to Atamanchuk, it was one of perhaps two Greenwing events in all of Canada. It's a dying tradition in most of the country, but maybe the comeback starts here in Humboldt.
