FRIENDS OF
WASCANA MARSH

About Friends of Wascana Marsh

The Friends of Wascana Marsh (FoWM) was created in 2003 in advance of the 2004 ‘Big Dig’ project to deepen Wascana Lake. The group was formed with the general purpose of protecting Wascana Marsh, beginning with lobbying for conservation efforts to be taken during the Big Dig project in order to minimize general ecological and shoreline damage to the marsh during this time. The FoWM focus continues to be on the conservation of the ecology of the marsh area and the protection of its species, as well as the promotion, use, and exploration of the marsh. Today, much of our principal activities revolve around education and promotion of the marsh, specifically the Habitat Conservation Area. Originally a separate organization, in 2024 FoWM became a part of Nature Regina. In 2023 FoWM received a Regional Centre for Excellence-SK Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award for the work it has done in the Habitat Conservation Area and the Marsh in general.

Wascana Marsh

There are two main water bodies in Wascana Centre: Wascana Marsh and Wascana Lake. Wascana Lake stretches from Albert to Broad Street. Wascana Marsh stretches from the Broad Street bridge to the Ring Road, and is a thriving 223-hectare marshland. It dates back to 1913 when a planner had the foresight to establish the Wascana Game Preserve. Part of the preserve became a federal migratory bird sanctuary in 1956 and remains an important migration stopover site for over 115 species of birds. There are many species of birds, insects, invertebrates, plants and other wildlife in the marsh and surrounding area.

For resources on wildlife and critters that may be found in Wascana Marsh, visit Nature Links.

Habitat Conservation Area

The Habitat Conservation Area is a 9-hectare fenced off portion of the naturalized area of Wascana Centre near Douglas Park Hill and is intended to protect and conserve birds and wildlife. The site is accessible only by foot, and pets and bicycles are not allowed. Schools regularly use the area as an outdoor classroom to learn about and experience nature in the city. Since the area was part of a commercial market garden prior to being purchased when the Wascana Centre was created, there are some escaped garden plants like asparagus, rhubarb and irises growing among the remnants of the caragana shelterbelts. In recent years, there has been some removal of caragana and other non-native species in an attempt to bring it back to a more natural habitat and to encourage more native species of wildlife. There is only one entrance to the Habitat Conservation Area. It is located south of Wascana Hill on the west side of the fenced area. Bike and walking paths are nearby and there are also parking areas nearby. The area can only be accessed by foot – it is fenced to protect wildlife from bikes and dogs.

Friends of Wascana Marsh Projects

FoWM provides educational material and expertise and organized activities to educate children and adults alike on bio-diversity within the marsh and surrounding area. FoWM participates in activities such as the Wings Over Wascana (WOW) School Day in May, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Science Centre, family-friendly activities such as pond-dipping as part of Nature Saskatchewan’s World Migratory Bird Day celebrations along with organizing nature and birding walks and activities for school groups and the public. Some of the past FoWM projects include sponsoring bird banding, the study of Western Painted Turtles, the Regina Urban Wildlife Project, lobbying for the introduction of black-marginated loosestrife beetles by the Provincial Capital Commission to deal with the invasive Purple Loosestrife, and organizing shoreline clean-ups.

Bird Banding

The Wascana Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program was established in 2010 in Wascana Marsh to monitor the songbird populations nesting in the marsh. The station was part of a network of 400 active MAPS station across North America, administered by the Institute for Bird Populations. Jared Clarke was the Bander in Charge of the station, with assistance from a large team of volunteers with additional support from Friends of Wascana Marsh and Wascana Centre Authority.

Some of the successes of the Wascana MAPS station from 2010 to 2014:

2319 individual birds were banded at Wascana MAPS comprised of 49 different species;
113 of those birds returned to Wascana Marsh in later years;
The data contributed to bird conservation in Wascana Marsh and across North America;
An excellent video of the Wascana MAPS program can be found here.

Western Painted Turtles in Wascana Marsh

If you look carefully on a sunny day, you may see turtles sunning themselves on the banks of the marsh. The Friends of Wascana Marsh financially supported the Wascana Turtle Program research in the marsh with the help of corporate sponsors including Wascana Centre Authority, Nature Regina, Regina Fish and Game League, and Boggy Creek Wildlife Federation and Nature Saskatchewan. This program was done in 2015 and 2016 in cooperation with researchers from the University of Regina and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Among other things, researchers wanted to learn what areas of Wascana Marsh were critical for Western Turtle survival, where they overwintered in the Marsh and how many there were. One female turtle they found may at that time have been the largest Western Painted Turtle in North America.

Removal of Invasive Species

The vegetation in the Habitat Conservation Area should be controlled without chemical means to reduce the impact on other non-target species. There are different ways this can be accomplished. One type of invasive weedy shrub is the caragana. Caragana is not native to the prairies, and was originally planted in the Habitat Conservation Area in order to catch snow and to fix nitrogen in the soil for a market garden that used to be in the area. Over the last 50 years the caragana spread from the single rows originally planted, to a solid block of shrubs 1 hectare in area, continuing to spread out, reducing the biodiversity of the area. Friends of Wascana Marsh wanted the area to include more prairie vegetation native to the Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregion. From 2012-2015 FOWM used a combination of goat grazing, followed up by mechanical removal (machine) to control the caragana. Being browsers, the goats specifically targeted the caragana and weeds over the grass. Each grazing session the goats stripped the leaves off of the shrubs forcing them to regrow their leaves, using valuable energy reserves. After two treatments the shrubs were cut down, and then for many years the area was mowed every fall to help cut back any seedling or re-growing caragana.

Another way to control invasive species is the use of controlled or prescribed burns. A prescribed burn is a controlled and planned use of fire to a certain area of land. Fire can be used to renew vegetation and help maintain healthy ecosystems. After a fire, the vegetation of a burn area quickly regenerates and contributes to the long-term health and function of an ecosystem. The Provincial Capital Commission will be conducting prescribed burns in the spring of 2026 in the Habitat Conservation Area and other parts of Wascana Centre.

Purple Loosestrife

New volunteers to help with FoWM activities are always welcome. If you enjoy working with children, this is for you! If you wish to volunteer with Friends of Wascana Marsh, please complete the Volunteer Sign-Up form.

Find FoWM events in our Event Calendar, or subscribe to our newsletter.

FRIENDS OF WASCANA MARSH