Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm and Park announces a new fully accessible pier to give families the opportunity to examine the prairie marsh.
“It’s really important for us, when we are in a zoo community, to not only talk about us as living creatures, as vertebrates, but to realize that the majority of animals in the world are invertebrate species. So, we always teach our children, whether it’s through our school groups, our camps, or just the general public, coming out in the summertime about the wonderful world of life underwater,” said Kathleen Zary with the Saskatoon Zoo Society.
The pier is wide enough to increase capacity for school programming and will allow wheelchair users to participate in pond-dipping activities.
“We had an older pier that had been here for quite a few years. But it wasn’t this wide and wasn’t accessible. And so, this last winter, during the very coldest months of the year, we had a construction crew come out. They took out the old pier and they put it in brand new this year,” said Jeff Mitchell, Saskatoon Forestry Farm and Park’s Zoo Manger.
Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm and Park said there will also be net extenders available to provide a deeper reach into the pond.
“This is truly pond-dipping. As crazy as it seems, it’s fantastic for anyone from three to 100, right? It’s just an opportunity to really learn about the ecosystem and the environment that we don’t always learn about,” said Mitchell.
Students using the new pier can learn about native underwater invertebrates, the importance of wetlands and the Sutherland migratory bird sanctuary.
People looking to experience the new pier can take part in the Saskatoon Zoo Society’s interpretive pond-dipping program which will be happening daily until September 2.
“All children and all adults can come out and partake in the programs, enjoying the beautiful nature out here at the zoo. The one thing that we do find with the zoo that people sometimes take for granted, is what it does for one’s mental wellness. Just being out in the open, being out with nature, it does wonders for everybody,” said Dawn Woroniuk, CEO of the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation.
The new pier was made possible by a donation from Greg and Olivia Yuel who are dedicated to supporting their community and its inclusivity.
“We try to be proactive in some of those things. And we had some people out here that weren’t able to do the dipping exactly the way we wanted to. And then we approached the Yuel’s for that, specific purpose, because we know that they’re huge advocates for accessibility. And we knew it was a really great fit,” said Mitchell.
The new pier is located at the back of the zoo next to the pronghorn exhibit.
For more information visit saskatoon.ca/zoo