Wetland Centres of Excellence — Ducks Unlimited Canada
Skip to main content

How our work impacts conservation across Canada.

Impact Areas

Approaches

Services

Read some of our Stories

Where we’re working on the ground from coast to coast.

Regions

Provinces

We need your help to protect our water, wildlife, and wetlands. Here’s how you can make an impact.

Ways to Give

Get Involved

Show Support

Find more ways to help
DUC
Initiatives

Wetland Centres of Excellence

The Wetland Centres of Excellence form a national network of schools and community partners, recognized by Ducks Unlimited Canada, for their efforts to engage young people in wetland conservation. They are large and small, rural and urban, and each is unique.

Together, the Wetland Centres have accomplished amazing things for conservation:

  • planted over 196,837 trees and seedlings including Carolinian species, western yellow and red cedar, hardwoods and boreal species; as well as wetland plants, fruit- and nut-bearing trees and shrubs; plants native to tall grass prairies in Ontario and Manitoba; and wetland buffer strips of native plants
  • banded and provided records for over 70,000 birds
  • constructed, installed and monitored waterfowl and songbird nest boxes long-term
  • planned and provided mentored wetland field trips and public tours to over 100,000 individuals and shared their commitment to wetland conservation with politicians and the media
  • restored and maintained wetlands, built bird banding huts and an outdoor centre; constructed toad houses, shelters to protect turtles, and students sewed customized “bird bags” to calm and hold birds awaiting banding; wrote, designed, and installed interpretive signs; planed logs, built boardwalks, trails, dipping docks, a wheelchair accessible hunting blind, osprey and eagle nest platforms; carried-out inventories of plants and animals, sampled waterfowl for avian flu, removed invasive species, produced videos, developed websites, and, most recently, experimented with drones for low impact water testing.

Visit and like our Wetland Centres of Excellence Facebook page for regular updates on their activities.

Recognized Wetland Centres of Excellence:

BRITISH COLUMBIA

  • Clarence Fulton Secondary WCE

MANITOBA

NEW BRUNSWICK

  • Daly Point WCE
  • Fredericton High School WCE
  • Tantramar Wetland Centre
  • Simonds High School WCE
  • École Secondaire Népisiguit WCE

NOVA SCOTIA

  • Somerset Elementary School WCE

ONTARIO

  • Bluewater WCE
  • Cambridge WCE
  • Durham Region WCE
  • East Elgin Secondary WCE
  • Hilliardton Marsh WCE
  • Holy Trinity School WCE
  • Luther Marsh WCE
  • Ottawa WCE
  • Royal Botanical Gardens WCE
  • Sir John A. MacDonald WCE
  • Toronto WCE  – 2016 Living City Award

QUEBEC

SASKATCHEWAN

  • Mossbank WCE