PHOTO CREDIT: WES BRAUN

Greetings from the Board President

This past year, the Foundation experienced some challenges, but also had many successes. During our Annual General Meeting in October, each of the board committees reported to the community on what they had achieved.

Grants, donations and our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization. Our main source of funds for staffing, the Canada Summer Jobs program was reduced nationally, so our summer staff was reduced to four staff for eight weeks. Staff maintained 180 newly planted trees and shrubs, provided lawn care for the Interpretive Centre grounds, removed invasive species and ensured the Park was well maintained for visitors, but it was the additional efforts of our volunteers that helped fill the ‘gap’.

There are numerous groups and individuals who deserve a special THANK YOU in 2023.

• Board and committee members for planning and organizing activities to educate visitors and maintain the Park.
• The City of Winnipeg for providing funding for trees and shrubs, as well as rough cutting the grass, removing waste, and snow clearing.
• The Federal Governments’ Summer Jobs Program for funding summer staff.
• TD Friends of the Environment for startup funding for the planned ‘Food Forest”.
• Private donations to support numerous Park expenses.
• Terry Duguid, Rochelle Squires and Markus Chambers for supporting the annual tree planting event and in securing grants.
• Broadview Academy and Travelers Canada for their tree planting events.
• Ecole St. Germain for offering several educational events.
• Sherwood Property Management, The Waterfront and the St. Vital Evangelical Mennonite Church for providing meeting and parking spaces to support Board events in the Park.
• Urban Retreats Garden Tour for conducting a spring tour.
• Finally, a big thank you to the many volunteers for their ongoing commitment to the Park.

Community engagement continues to be the main reason behind our success. I want to thank everyone who contributed to making the Park the experience what it is today.

John Borody
President, Henteleff Park Foundation

Why I volunteer

A year-round oasis for wildlife

Your generosity makes a difference  

Did you know that Henteleff Park is owned by the City of Winnipeg and managed in cooperation with the City by the Henteleff Park Foundation? Our non-profit, volunteer-run registered charity employs summer staff, plants trees and shrubs, maintains trails and provides interpretive programs. Thank you so much for your generous donations that help us fulfill our stewardship of Henteleff Park.Your donations have:

• Purchased a voice amplifier unit to improve our interpretive walk experience.
• Topped up summer employee salaries above minimum wage.
• Supported hiring an employee to water new plantings in September.
• Purchased gas for Park maintenance equipment.
• Maintained and repaired that equipment.
• Rented the portable toilets at the Interpretive Centre and across from the Tall Grass Prairie.

None of this would have been possible without your financial gifts and support. We truly appreciate your commitment to the Park and gratefully accept new and ongoing personal donations. The WAYS TO DONATE article below has more information on how you can support and donate to the Henteleff Park Foundation.Terri Ashcroft, Volunteer Coordinator

WAYS TO DONATE

The Henteleff Park Foundation acknowledges that we are on Treaty One land and that Manitoba exists on lands and waters that have long sustained the peoples and cultures of the Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, and the Red River Métis. Through this acknowledgement, we hope to deepen our understanding of the past and the present, to decolonize the ways we think and act, and to contribute to reconciliation and healing.

[SPRING IN THE PARK. PHOTO CREDIT: WES BRAUN]

Greetings from the Board President

It looks like spring has finally arrived: the snow is gone; the river has crested; leaves have appeared on the trees; seasonal birds have returned; and vole damage appears to be everywhere!

Along with the spring renewal in colour, song and the sweet scent of the forest foliage, comes a time for the HPF Board to begin implementing its annual maintenance program. This winter we welcomed new Board and committee members.

I want to thank those past board members who resigned from the Executive, but decided to remain on the Board, to share their knowledge and expertise. I also want to thank our volunteers who put in countless hours, weeding, and cleaning the Park for all to enjoy. With the help of many public donors, and our dedicated board and committee members, it looks like another productive season.

I am excited about the two new initiatives the Foundation is embarking on this year: the food forest and the arboretum. A special thank you to our sponsors the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Canada Summer Jobs program for their financial support to assist us in making this ‘dream’ a reality.

Stay tuned to learn how we plan to enhance the Henteleff Park experience and how you can participate in the planned activities over the summer season starting with the annual tree planting on Saturday, June 10^th.

Through working together we are developing a natural urban oasis that benefits people and wildlife.

John Borody
President, Henteleff Park Foundation

In the fall of 2022, at its strategic planning session, the Board of the Henteleff Park Foundation revisited its founding documents, which call for “establishing an arboretum as part of the park” and to “provide the public with….educational opportunities in the park.” (Henteleff Park Foundation Bylaws, Article 2.01). We are now able to turn these long term goals into realities by creating an arboretum and a food forest in the Park, a process that will take a number of years to bring to fruition.

So, what is an arboretum?
In charting its future planting activities, the HPF is using the most encompassing description of an arboretum as defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as “a place where trees, shrubs, and sometimes herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.”

The planned arboretum will showcase for the Winnipeg community the tree and shrub species that can grow in our zone, provide information on how different plant species interact, and show how these varied species enhance opportunities for many forms of wildlife. The only physical evidence of an arboretum that Park users will eventually see will be small signs identifying specific trees and shrubs and offering information about each species.

On a walk through the Park, you may have noted how many of the trees are in rows. This results from the time when the Park was the City of Winnipeg’s tree nursery. When the City moved its nursery to another location, these trees remained. Since an arboretum consists of a variety of trees and shrubs, planning an arboretum will require the Foundation to slightly adjust what we plant each year. In the past, the Foundation planted mainly indigenous tree species. We will continue this practice along the river to maintain the riparian forest. In addition, however, we will add on an ongoing basis some non-indigenous varieties planted in groves and rows in order to enhance educational opportunities.

So, what is a food forest?
Closely related to the idea of an arboretum, a demonstration food forest is a diverse collection of trees and shrubs that provide edibles. When certain species are planted together the food forest can mimic the patterns and interactions found in naturally occurring ecosystems. A food forest will serve as an additional Park educational space while benefiting the adjacent Tall Grass Prairie Restoration by attracting pollinators. We hope that this food forest will add a unique feature to complement the Park’s existing landscape and ecosystems while also giving a sense of continuity with both the Métis and market garden history of this land.

[PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN BORODY & DOUG DROBOT]

Flexible opportunities for volunteers of all ages!

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Henteleff Park. The collective efforts of the summer volunteers, committees and volunteer board have resulted in the new plantings, new paths and interpretive signs that make this a special place for people and wildlife.

Working in Henteleff Park is perfect for people of all ages who want to spend time in nature, want the flexibility to work independently or in groups and are interested in learning more about plants, insects and animals.

If you are interested in joining our enthusiastic group of volunteers, please consider one or more of the following options:

Volunteer At Your Own Pace: Learn about the history of the Park, how to identify weeds and how to remove and dispose them during a 1.5-hour orientation. After completing orientation, you can work in the Park when you wish, for as long as you like. In consultation with our Site Management Committee, you can choose a particular spot in the Park to work in and watch it grow throughout the season. This is a great option for individuals and families.

Thursday Mornings in Henteleff Park: Volunteers work together Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 10:30 with instruction and supervision. You can join weekly or just the Thursdays that work best for you. The groups tackle different tasks each week. Tasks include removing invasive weeds such as European Buckthorn and Burdock, watering new plants or maintaining the wood chip paths. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, work outside and make an important contribution to the Park. High school students needing volunteer hours for credit are welcome to join this group.

Prairie Pals: Prairie Pals is a group of experienced gardeners who remove invasive weeds from our .6 hectare (1.5 acre) Tall Grass Prairie Restoration. This prairie is a delicate habitat and good knowledge of gardening and weed identification is essential. Orientation is provided. Volunteers work in the Prairie Restoration weekly, (about one or two days per week) at a time that is convenient to them.

We look forward to another great summer in the Park. Please contact me if you are interested in serving as a volunteer. We would love to have you join us.

Terri Ashcroft, Volunteer Coordinator
terri.ashcroft@henteleffpark.org

Our first group of Thursday morning volunteers met on May 24th and cleaned the Interpretive Centre area. They washed all of the signs, swept and weeded. These efforts are much appreciated and the Interpretive Centre looks great. Volunteers are welcome to meet in the parking lot every Thursday at 8:30 am. Tasks will vary each week.
[PHOTO CREDIT: TERRI ASHCROFT]

Welcome garden tour guests

Henteleff Park is participating on June 24th in the Urban Retreats Self-Guided Tour of Gardens in South St. Vital this year. We hope the following information helps you plan successfully.

While tour tickets are available at many garden centres, online at 1JustCity.ca, and on tour day at the United Church in Meadowood, they are not and will not be available at the Park. For more information please visit gardentour@1JustCity.ca or call 204-779-8957.

Please be aware that there is no parking along St. Mary’s Road near the Park’s entrance at 1964 St. Mary’s Road. Parking in our parking lot may sometimes be full during tour hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  However, our neighbour at 2005 St. Mary’s Road, the St. Vital Evangelical Mennonite Church, has very kindly offered the use of part of their lot to Park visitors on tour day. The Church lot is on the east side of St. Mary’s Road just south of the Park. They ask that Park visitors use the south side of their lot, the area closest to Warde Avenue.

Did you know …

You may have noticed a number of trees in the Park this spring that look like they had been chewed on by beaver over the winter.
Actually, beaver are not active on land during the winter and the damage that you see is caused by a much smaller rodent – a vole. Voles are often mistaken for mice but they are stockier, with smaller eyes and ears, and shorter tails. They are active all winter and form a network of tunnels on top of the ground, but under the snow cover, where they search for plant material to eat.

Each spring, we typically see some damage from voles in the Park. Normally, the damage is around the stems of small shrubs, but this year larger trees were damaged as well. Unfortunately, once a tree has been girdled (the bark removed all the way around the trunk) it will often die within a few years.

Although we may not appreciate voles and the damage they do, they are an important food source for many predators including owls, hawks and foxes.

The Henteleff Park Foundation acknowledges that we are on Treaty One land and that Manitoba exists on lands and waters that have long sustained the peoples and cultures of the Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, and the Red River Métis. Through this acknowledgement, we hope to deepen our understanding of the past and the present, to decolonize the ways we think and act, and to contribute to reconciliation and healing.

[WINTER IN THE PARK PHOTO CREDIT: WES BRAUN]

Greetings from the Board President
A new year presents renewed opportunities to pursue our ambitions and dreams for Henteleff Park. Together, we are ensuring the Park becomes an even more inspiring place to learn about and to appreciate the wonders of nature in an urban setting.

On behalf of the Henteleff Park Foundation Board of Directors, I wish you, our community of partners, supporters and volunteers, a healthy and rewarding 2023. I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and continued support for the work of the Henteleff Park Foundation. Your support is making a real difference in our Park!

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Owen Clune
President, Henteleff Park Foundation

The year has again been a busy and productive one in Henteleff Park. As the Foundation once more held its AGM in October, we had reason to pause and revisit all that had been accomplished. Highlights include the welcome return of our yearly tree planting event and the installation of student works in the Park that focused on the theme of stewardship.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, our Volunteer Tree Planting on June 11th was well-attended and successful. Fifty-two volunteers planted 87 tree and shrubs. During the summer, staff were able to plant an additional 211 trees and shrubs. Species planted included, but were not limited to, Manitoba maple, American linden (Basswood), Bur oak, Paper birch, Ironwood, White spruce, Nannyberry, Highbush cranberry, Snowberry, Mountain maple, Wild plum, Wild black currant, Shrubby cinquefoil, Wood rose, and several types of Dogwood.

Later in June, a partnership between Henteleff Park Foundation and Samuel Burland School came to completion. During visits to the Park, a class of grade 2/3 students from the school had learned about the challenges of caring for the Park and decided to share with the community what they learned. Twenty-five student works were installed in varied locations in the Park, and were in place from late June until mid-September. Each featured a student-created illustration and writing on how they valued the Park and that offered their advice on how to be responsible Park users. Each installation featured a QR code that let visitors hear each student reading their own writing.

After the drought of 2021, the cold and wet spring presented the Park with a different set of challenges. Delays in having the water supply turned on made for late planting, while difficulties in getting wood chips delivered delayed the mulching of trails. While the wet weather was beneficial for newly planted trees and shrubs, it also meant that vigorous weed growth kept both staff and volunteers busy. As work could not have been carried out by staff alone, we offer profound thanks to our volunteers.

By August approximately sixty individuals were on the Henteleff Park Foundation’s volunteer list, thirty-five of whom joined us during the summer just past. While most volunteers spent hours weeding invasive species, others, under the guidance of a Volunteer Committee member, maintained the area around the Interpretive Centre. Others, our “Prairie Pals,” focused on the care of the Tall Grass Prairie, a sensitive and fragile ecosystem.

The Henteleff Park Foundation wants to emphasise that much of the care of the Park could not have been carried out without the hands-on support of the community, and we want to offer our heartfelt thanks for their participation, support, sweat, and blisters.

Without the financial support of Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) we would not have been able to hire two summer staff for eight weeks and an additional two staff for twelve weeks. Land Dedication Reserve Funds (LDRF) grants from the City of Winnipeg covered the costs of all trees and shrubs planted and the supplies with which to plant them. We also thank the City for their garbage removal, supplying mulch for the Park trails, and for rough cuts in selected Park areas.

Members of all three levels of government attended and participated in our June Volunteer Tree Planting. We wish once more to thank for their gracious support, encouragement, and advocacy during this year: Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South; Rochelle Squires, Member of the Manitoba Legislature for Riel; and Markus Chambers, City Councillor for the St. Norbert-Seine River Ward.

We also want to particularly thank Sherwood Holdings for their generous support and the Red River Co-op Gas Bar on St. Mary’s Road at Vista Ave. for their kind donation of a gas gift card that allowed us to keep our mowers and trimmers fuelled.

Donations Needed

Henteleff Park Foundation’s mandate is to maintain and restore Henteleff Park as a passive park – a place of beauty, quietude, and reflection – a welcoming space for all wildlife and native plants as well as for human beings.

As we work to restore the Park, each year we apply for grants from government and from some corporations to enable us to purchase native species of trees and shrubs, pay salaries to summer staff, and maintain equipment. These grants are by no means assured.

For this reason, we welcome and gratefully accept personal donations by cheque or through CanadaHelps website or by using this QR Code.

We are a non-profit registered charity with Canada Revenue agency and all donations receive a tax-deductible receipt. If donating by cheque please make it payable to “Henteleff Park Foundation.”

Henteleff Park Foundation Inc.
1964 St. Mary’s Road
Winnipeg, MB R2N 4G8

Henteleff Park Foundation Board of Directors:
Owen Clune, President / Corinne Caron, Vice-President / Sheila Pursey, Secretary / Marilyn Latta, Treasurer / Ian Keenan, Director / Terri Ashcroft, Director / Karen Ilchena, Director / Doug Drobot, Director / John Borody / Director / Yude Henteleff, President Emeritus
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Greetings from the Board President

As the Henteleff Park Foundation Board begins to plan and budget for next year, we reflect on what we – with the aid of many of you – accomplished in 2021. We believe the past year marked a major step forward. Fifty volunteers generously gave their time to the Park and made it a better place for the entire community. Far less could have been accomplished without their gifts of time and energy. Members of the Board have happily received many compliments about the Park and have been sure to credit volunteers. I, as President, along with the rest of the HPF Board, am so grateful that so many chose to spend their valuable time working with us.

In this issue, please be sure to see the infographic that sums up the results of a survey conducted by our Volunteer Coordinator, asking this past summer’s volunteers for feedback on their experiences. Please also see the photos of the much-needed work carried out on the fence that protects the tall grass prairie and the article about the work that the beavers have done on our riverbanks. Finally, enjoy our annual recap of summer activities as we prepare to welcome 2022 and hopefully a return to a more normal new year.

Along with volunteering, there is also another way to contribute to the success of Henteleff Park. The Foundation receives grants and assistance from all three levels of government, but these funding sources do not cover many of the Park and community’s needs, such as the provision of portable toilets during the spring, summer, and fall months. For us to provide such amenities and to plan and carry out new projects, we rely heavily on donations from individuals like yourselves. These donations will ensure that Henteleff Park continues to be a place for all to enjoy and a focus that serves the broader Winnipeg community. Please consider making a donation. At the end of this newsletter, under the title “Donations Needed,” please see how you can donate through CanadaHelps or by cheque. With your help there is no end to what we can accomplish together.

Owen Clune
President, Henteleff Park Foundation
_________________________________________________

Summer 2021 was busy and productive at Henteleff Park as community use continued high. The recruitment of approximately 50 volunteers by our Volunteer coordinator, Terri Ashcroft proved a significant factor in allowing summer staff to focus on critical tasks.

While it was again necessary to cancel our yearly tree planting public event due to Covid, staff were able to plant a total of 378 trees and shrubs, including Manitoba maple, Basswood, Bur oak, Hackberry, Red-osier dogwood, Pagoda dogwood, High bush cranberry, Silver buffaloberry, and Wood rose.

Special Thanks!

The total cost of these and the supplies to plant them was covered by a grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (FEF) and by a Land Dedication Reserve Fund grant (LDRF) from the City of Winnipeg. We again thank these funders from the bottom of our hearts (and pockets!) We also express our deepest thanks to Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ), whose funding, together with the TD FEF grant, allowed us to hire four staff for eight weeks and two staff for twelve weeks. These grants meant that we could pay more than minimum wage to staff, mainly students, in a job market also sorely tested by Covid.

For those who have so graciously supported, encouraged, and advocated for the Park in the past year, we express our thanks to: Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South; Rochelle Squires, Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for Riel; and Markus Chambers, City Councillor for the St. Norbert-Seine River Ward.

The presence of volunteers also allowed staff, in response to severe drought conditions, to spend significant time watering the new plantings to ensure these survived. The TD FEF grant also allowed us to rehire two staff in September to continue watering to ensure that new plantings would survive the drought as it continued.

In addition to freeing up staff to plant and water, the presence of volunteers also let staff focus on removing invasive species such as burdock, maintain Park trails, and lay down woodchips on roughly 750 meters of the new trails in the 10 acre western addition to the Park. These invaluable volunteers included individuals, families, and ten high school students fulfilling their required volunteer work in the community. In addition to making the Park more tidy and welcoming, volunteers removed invasive species from previous years’ plantings and from the Tall Grass Prairie. The work carried out by volunteers meant that the Park and members of the community interacted in a whole new way – to the profound benefit of all.

Special Welcome!

This year we also welcomed our newest Board and Site Management Committee member, Doug Drobot, who brings his education and experience as an arborist to the Henteleff Park Foundation. We also welcomed our newest Foundation and Communications Committee member, Bridget White, who is completing her Masters (MSc) in Entomology at the University of Manitoba and is managing much of the Foundation’s social media presence. As a member of the Communications Committee, Karen Ilchena has also been a welcomed addition to our Board.  While welcoming them, we also note that the Foundation postponed its Annual General Meeting (AGM) until this past October. We were gratified that approximately ten members of the community attended this event, which was conducted virtually as another response to Covid.

If you visited the Park this summer, you’ll have noticed that the City completed removal of the fence posts that had separated the Park from the added ten acres to the west. We have seen many more community members make use of this added land and this added way to enter the Park. We thank the City for this removal work, for garbage removal, for supplying mulch for trails, and for completing rough cuts in selected Park areas.

You will have also noticed the increased signage in the Tall Grass Prairie that cautions Park users that this is a fragile and sensitive ecosystem. This photo below shows what this ecosystem can look like when not stressed by both drought and inappropriate use.  (Photo by M. Latta)

We continue to witness the Park as a vitally important part of the community as we all deal with Covid. Two examples are its use by many seniors in nearby condominiums and apartments whose lives have been restricted by the pandemic, and its use by groups of school students as an outdoor classroom to enrich awareness of the environment. We hope to announce further developments regarding education in the coming year.

As our President has said in this issue, we are deeply appreciative of the community involvement and support we have received. Thank you!

_________________________________________________

Over 50 volunteers spent their valuable time lending a hand at Henteleff Park this past year.  Thank you for your time and for responding to our survey.  We look forward to seeing you again next year!

________________________________________________

Fence Repair Project

In addition to those who donated time, we were also privileged to receive the donation of materials. Our fence, the one you might see families gathered around for summer wedding or fall photos, has been spruced up!

Simon Laplante and Laura Mikuska graciously donated 30 peeled spruce rails which allowed us to repair the fence so the Henteleff Park community could continue to enjoy its presence.  Photos by J. Borody

___________________________________________________

As you walked along the river bank on the northern edge of the Park this past fall, you’ll likely have noticed recent activity by beavers.

So if we have beavers in Henteleff Park, where is the beaver lodge and dam you might expect? Interestingly, not all beavers build dams or make a visible lodge. Some beavers (often referred to as bank beavers) make a den in the bank of a river or stream, so their home is out of our sight. However, they will create a large food cache of felled small trees and branches that they can access through the winter.

Beavers are the largest rodents found in Canada, usually weighing between 12 to 30 kilograms. They are mainly aquatic and since they are herbivorous their diet consists only of plant material. They will eat the leaves, buds, twigs and bark of deciduous and occasionally coniferous trees and seem to have a special fondness for aspen. Although they can easily cut down large trees, sometimes they just chew off the bark.

A beaver’s front teeth grow continuously so they must also gnaw trees continuously to keep their teeth from growing too long. Beavers are mainly nocturnal (active at night) but are occasionally seen during the day. They mate for life. A family unit usually consists of two adults, the kits that are newborn in late spring or early summer, and the yearlings born the previous year.

Beavers have large webbed feet that help propel them through the water. They are distinguished by a large multipurpose flat tail. The tail serves as a rudder in the water, props them up on land when cutting or chewing trees, and when slapped on the water serves as a danger alarm.

Muskrats, since they may occur in similar habitats, are probably the only animal you might confuse with a beaver, but muskrats are smaller than beavers and do not have the distinctive flat tail.

__________________________________________________

Donations Needed

Greetings from the Board President

I am delighted to present our first newsletter of the year and I hope that you will find the information in it both compelling and practical. Henteleff Park has seen a tremendous increase in use over the past year; while that has presented some unique challenges it also has presented tremendous opportunities.

The outpouring of public support for the protection of public greenspace noted later in this newsletter (see: Greenspace Advocates Spoke and the City Listened), was for example, a real win not only for the Park Foundation but also the community it serves. The additional protections approved by Winnipeg City Council will ensure that Henteleff Park will continue to provide a natural green space for all to enjoy for years to come.

We are grateful for the kind support of visitors willing to share their views about Henteleff Park. Your feedback, summed up in two informational graphics in this issue, will significantly strengthen our chances of obtaining funding from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative (go to https://communityfoundations.ca/initiatives/chci/ for more information) to create a virtual arboretum.

The Foundation hopes that this project will enhance the experiences of those who want to learn more about the Park’s native plant species while limiting human impact on the natural surroundings. My favourite outcome of the survey were the responses to the question “What has Henteleff Park meant to you during the COVID-19 pandemic?” It is truly validating to see the many people who share our vision.

Finally, I am really proud of the contributions that our community, volunteers, and staff have made over the past year. My hope is that the Park will stand as a testament to the collective power of dedicated individuals who together strive to make their community spaces even better. If this effort sounds like something you would like to be part of, I invite you to get in touch with our volunteer coordinator, Terri Ashcroft, or to make a donation. Every action helps and we are so thankful for your support. See you at the Park!

Owen Clune
President, Henteleff Park Foundation

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Community Opinion Survey Results

The Henteleff Park Foundation recently applied for a grant with the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative which recognizes the importance of public spaces (both real and virtual) to support healthy physical and social activities, especially during COVID-19.  To help determine which project we wanted to pursue, we conducted a community survey in April 2021 and here is synopsis of the results.

This tree graphic is a beautiful representation of the survey question:
“What has Henteleff Park meant to me during the pandemic”

Beautiful visitors!
Photo credit: Marilyn Latta

Foundation News

Fall 2020. Vol 17. Issue 2.

A Message from the Henteleff Park Foundation Board

Elsewhere in this issue, we’ve offered a report of activities in the Park this year and some plans for next. Here, we’d like to tell you about some changes to the Board of Henteleff Park Foundation and some organizational plans going forward.

At the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the end of June, graciously hosted in the meeting room of the Waterfront Condominiums, Saul Henteleff chose to step down after seven years as HPF Board President, handing over the position to Owen Clune. At that time, Saul hoped to continue as Past-President and to support the Board’s effort in other capacities. Unfortunately, this was not to be, and Saul resigned from his position as a board member in August of this year. His years of service are much appreciated.

At the AGM, the Board also welcomed a new member, Terri Ashcroft. As well as serving on the Board, Terri has created and embraced the position of Volunteer Co-ordinator. In the coming year, Terri and the Board hope to seek out and call on the enthusiasm, expertise, and sweat of new Park volunteers, new members of the Foundation, and new members of the Board. Please check out our website or keep an eye on the message board in the Park in the spring if you would like to become involved.

During the fall of 2020, the Board also organized several new committees to effectively manage the work of the Park. The newly formed Site Management Committee will assist Marilyn Latta in her indispensable work in rehabilitating and maintaining the physical fabric of the Park. The new Communications Committee will promote the Park through various social media and through this newsletter. You may have already noticed that the Park now has an Instagram presence! We want to thank Bridget White for her continued skilled work in this regard. We also want to thank Karen Ilchena, who for many years has done the major portion of work on this newsletter. Karen has now joined us as a member of the Communications Committee. The Board has also created a Policy Committee that will work on refreshing the administrative framework of the HPF Board as new members and volunteers join us in caring for the Park.

Marilyn Latta continues in her all-important position as Treasurer, Corinne Caron in her linchpin position as Vice-President, Sheila Pursey in her vital position as Board Secretary, Ian Keenan as Board advisor and key member of the Communications Committee, and Yude Henteleff as the living memory and ultimate driving force of the Park as President Emeritus.

Please be sure to watch our social media and future issues of this newsletter for opportunities to join with us in protecting and enhancing the Park into the future.

Our Heartfelt Thanks to Marilyn!

While Henteleff Park would not exist without the unceasing efforts of Yude Henteleff and others, it must also be said that the Park would not exist in anything resembling its present form without the energy, knowledge, skill, guidance, and caring of Marilyn Latta, our Site Supervisor and Chair of our Site Management Committee. The Henteleff Park Foundation wishes to express our heartfelt thanks, deep affection, and profound appreciation to Marilyn.

In addition to her devotion to Henteleff Park, Marilyn has worked tirelessly and in many roles for Nature Manitoba (formerly Manitoba Naturalists’ Society). Rather than recapping her many awards, contributions, and accomplishments with them, please go to www.naturemanitoba.ca/ and search under Marilyn’s name.

As you walk into Henteleff Park, one of the first sites you’ll notice is the Tall Grass Prairie. This intense and sustained work of habitat restoration, begun in the spring of 2007, would not exist without Marilyn’s meticulous planning, direction, and stewardship.

Near the east end of the Tall Grass Prairie there stands an information board installed earlier this year. This is another Park amenity Marilyn conceived of and oversaw to completion. On it you can find a list of bird species seen in the Park that draws on sightings by a wide range of observers, from novice birders to some of the most experienced in the Province. This list is yet another of Marilyn’s creations. She (and the Board with her) hope to follow this list with similar ones of plants and of animals seen in the Park.

Further into the Park, you’ll notice areas of thriving young trees that give the appearance of undisturbed nature. But this appearance is deceiving. During the Park’s time as a market garden under the Henteleff family and as a tree farm operated by the City of Winnipeg, the local ecosystem was significantly changed. What you now see reflects Marilyn’s knowledge and sensitivity in selecting planting areas and nurturing the plantings in them. She has consistently guided the work of the Park’s summer staff over many years to carry this out. She has selected and pre-ordered native tree and other native plant species, supervised their placement, and directed ongoing battles by volunteers and staff to control invasive, non-native plant species.

Shaping the Future

As many of you will know, in spring, summer, and fall seasons Marilyn devotes many hours each day and each week to enhancing the Park. Many of us have seen her in her trademark gear, delving deep into a pants pocket to pull out her field notebook – a notebook packed with observations, jots about what soon needs to be done, and thoughts to shape future planning.

Marilyn is a self-taught botanist with a phenomenal knowledge of plants. She is not only able to identify many species, but can describe their preferred habitats, their seasons, and their habits. She is generous in sharing this knowledge. Ask her anything about the Tall Grass Prairie – her particular passion – and she knows the answer (although she is the first to humbly admit that there are certain plants that she finds “a little more challenging”). And if she doesn’t know the answer, she will find it through her network of specialists, in her reference books, or through her online research. Marilyn loves to learn. And as frequent users of the Park know, Marilyn loves to share her knowledge, her time leading many themed field walks through the Park, her extra guidebooks, the cuttings and seeds from her garden, and most of all her passion for the natural world. Marilyn is also an accomplished photographer who uses many of her images in the courses she teaches. As one of her colleagues at Nature Manitoba has so effectively put it, “these remarkable achievements could have been reached only through a combination of disciplined personal study, association with other botanists, dedicated field work, and careful record keeping.”

In all her efforts, Marilyn has applied her remarkable energy, her friendly powers of persuasion, and her winning personality to give generously of her time and spirit as a leader, an organizer, an administrator, an exceptional naturalist, and a true friend of Henteleff Park. As you can perhaps tell from this article, it is a challenge to find enough superlatives to convey our admiration for and reliance on her.

Thank you, Marilyn, thank you!

The Year Past
The Year to Come

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Marilyn Latta found Leopard frogs were more abundant in 2020 than ever noted before.

A male Cardinal, photographed by Claude Garand, was not only a treat visually but also to the ears.

Many, Many Thanks!