The Hilliardton Marsh Research & Education Centre

The Hilliardton Marsh Research & Education Centre provides opportunities for school groups and the general public to learn about birds and wetlands. We facilitate and conduct research about the marsh, birds, & wildlife that make it their home.

So come on out, get your feet wet, hold a bird, and be a part of the migration.

An Introduction

Explore nature at the 1800 acre provincially significant Hilliardton Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area. Home to over 600 species of waterfowl, songbirds, mammals, fish and plant life. The Hilliardton Marsh was constructed by Ducks Unlimited in 1996 and it has been a site for migration monitoring since then.

Prior to the restoration of the marsh the area had lost 85% of its original wetland habitat and. The landscape was dry and provided virtually no habitat for waterfowl or other wetland-dependent species. Now, with more than 550 total acres of wetlands, Hilliardton now offers:

• a diverse shallow water marsh with lots of wetland-loving plant life
• managed upland nesting cover that is used by mallard and blue-winged teal
• nest boxes installed to supplement natural cavities for nesting wood duck, common goldeneye, and hooded merganser
• a mixture of warm season tallgrass prairie and native grasses that are used as nesting cover by a variety of upland nesting birds
• a wide variety of wildlife can now be found throughout the marsh and the surrounding upland areas.

Hilliardton Marsh also serves as an outdoor classroom where elementary and high school students and the general public have the opportunity to learn the value of wetlands.