Above: Gilles Dupont displaying his many awards at the 2011 Quebec Wildfowl Carving Contest.
DUC volunteer a world champion eastern Region o n ta r i o
Ontario students share wetland experiences In November, approximately 35 Wetland Centre of Excellence (WCE) students and their teachers from across Ontario came together at the Lake St. George Field Centre in Richmond Hill to share their experiences, inspire one another and network at a three-day workshop. DUC’s WCE program facilitates student action projects around wetlands, allows more in-depth study of local wetlands and encourages students to share their wetland knowledge by mentoring elementary students. During the workshop, students shared programs and activities they already completed and those they hope to undertake soon. With the enthusiasm these students and teachers showed in sharing their experiences, the future of Ontario’s WCEs is in good hands.
Caught on tape! See and hear first hand what WCE students and teachers say about their workshop experience at conservator.ca
36
Conservator | spring 2013
Above: Students building wood duck nest boxes at a WCE workshop, that were later donated to the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
“Meeting so many other students interested in environmental sustainability was extremely encouraging! It was also fascinating to see each school presenting such a variety of wetland projects.” – Andrea Curran, WCE student Timiskaming District Secondary School
“I’m a duck hunter and have always loved birds. When I retired, I told myself I was going to give back to nature and what I harvest from it,” says Gilles Dupont, a Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) volunteer from the community of St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. And that’s exactly what he’s been doing for the last decade. Dupont helps to eastern Region quebec coordinate ticket sales for DUC fundraising dinners in St. Jeansur-Richelieu. He also donates one of his wood carvings to every auction, with the profits going towards conservation efforts. This is a big deal because Dupont is quite the accomplished carver. In fact, he’s a world champion. Dupont started woodworking classes about 20 years ago and they’ve paid off. He has won several first-place ribbons in competitions held in Montreal and Ottawa, as well as at the Ward World Championship in Ocean City, Maryland. He is also the winner of the Expert Best of Show award for the second time at the 2011 Quebec Wildfowl Carving Contest in Montreal and was promoted to the rank of Master Carver. “It’s a passion for me,” says Dupont. “I put on wood what I see in nature.”