The Experience

Group ratios: one MARS guide with 8 students and one or two adults.

Our guides will lead your group on an indoor and outdoor experience through the Visitor Centre where students will…

• learn the rescue, recovery, rehabilitation, and release stories of MARS patients, past and present
• understand the skilled, dedicated work of our rehab staff and volunteers
• travel through a native plant garden, view the wetland through our bird blind, and see what creatures are making their homes in wild spaces
• get a bird’s-eye view into our flight pen to see recovering Bald Eagles
• meet our resident eagles, albino crows, hawk, and owls.
• visit with an Ambassador Bird and bird handler 
• discover exhibits of hawks and hummingbirds, owls and waterfowl, and a few mammals, too
• explore our hands-on area with nests, feathers, bones, and other animal artefacts using flashlights and magnifying glasses for taking a closer look. Even read an x-ray!
  
• test their knowledge of bird calls and compare their strength to raptors
• become birders for the day with a scavenger hunt
• (for young children) explore a model of our local watershed with domestic and wild species

Preparing for your visit

• Give us plenty of notice (three weeks is ideal) so we can arrange extra guides and a bird handler for your visit.
• Any special considerations for your students? Please let us know.
• Remind children not to touch our Ambassador Birds, to keep fingers out of outdoor enclosures, and to speak quietly when looking into the homes of our resident birds.
• Allow an hour and a half for your visit and let us know if you’ll need extra time for lunch or snacks. We have picnic tables outside. 
• Our Centre is fully wheelchair accessible. Our outdoor paths are packed gravel and sloped in some areas.
• Please wear closed-toed footwear for walking around our outdoor enclosures and clothing suitable for the weather. 
• With the exception of service dogs, dogs are not allowed on the property (not even on leash) as they cause stress to recovering and resident wildlife.

Supporting MARS

Admission to MARS is by donation. 

Classes and community groups support us in a variety of ways.  We are inspired by the creativity and compassion of our youngest visitors.

Here’s how some groups have supported us:

• • making and selling book marks with wildlife art
  • bake sales (Muffins for MARS!)
  • car washes
  • bringing refundable bottles
  • gathering items from our hospital wish list
  • fundraising for our current focus on our Ways to Help page

We know that behind these efforts are dedicated teachers–we are grateful for all you do to educate the next generation of wildlife champions.