Earth Day Celebrated With Installation of Delta Hen Houses

Gord Mackintosh (right) installs a Hen House with MHHC's Tim Sopuck.

Manitoba's Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister, Gord Mackintosh, announced Friday new measures to renew urban duck habitat in Winnipeg's St. Vital Park.

"We want people to live in harmony with the environment and one way to do that is by taking measures to protect the planet," said Mackintosh. "Duck nests in St. Vital Park in south Winnipeg… mark our commitment to protect natural areas in Manitoba."

The minister took part in a province-wide wetland enhancement program by installing eight artificial duck-nesting tunnels. In partnership with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation has installed and maintains 1,785 nesting tunnels across Manitoba.

Research has shown that nest tunnels improve the hatching success rate to about 80 per cent, compared to a success rate that can be as low as five per cent for birds nesting on the ground. This is because the tunnels provide female mallards with a safe place to hatch their eggs where predators cannot reach.