On January 17th we gathered in the banquet hall at the Quality Inn for our first fundraiser in Winkler. The event was a huge success and we are grateful to all of the people who came out to generously support and hear about our work.

The theme of the evening was “Celebrating the Wonder of Creation.” Henry Martens, the centre’s director, opened by describing A Rocha’s purposes in the Pembina Valley and our unique role in connecting faith and love of God to conservation efforts. Dennis Fast, a professional nature photographer, delivered the main presentation. By showing photographs of animals and explaining the way they live and the challenges they face, Fast filled his audience with wonder at the beauty there is to see in nature every day – even in our back yards.

It was also inspiring to see the nature-themed art donated by local artists for our silent auction. These pieces of art contribute strongly to our goal to highlight the beauty of creation and were a welcome addition to the evening.

The money raised from the fundraiser is going toward funding our educational programming at the A Rocha Pembina Valley Interpretive Centre. This includes hosting school groups, summer events (Day Camps, invasive species removal days, Wild Edible hiking tours, etc), and leading interpretive hikes. The goal of our education programming is to help people experience the natural world in a way that fills them with a wonder that leads to further learning and participation in conservation.

It was incredibly encouraging to see the generosity and enthusiasm of everyone in attendance and all of the businesses and artists who donated prizes for our raffle and silent auction. Much thanks to everyone who donated money, prizes and time!