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www.winnipeggroups.com 2018 TRAVEL TRADE PLANNER 11 a number of exciting research projects that help us understand the changing Arctic environment and the impact on polar bears and other northern species. At FortWhyte Alive, Winnipeg's award-winning nature reserve, group eco tours combine nature, history and culture. On their Canadian Signature Experience tour, A Prairie Legacy: The Bison and its People, experiences include getting up close to a large bison herd, hearing historical anecdotes in a Plains Cree Tipi, exploring wetlands on a massive voyageur canoe, cooking bannock over a fire and learning how the area's original Indigenous people's utilized the bison in everyday life. DAY 3 The mission at Oak Hammock Marsh is to connect people with wetlands, which happens almost instantaneously when you look out over the vast marsh and hear the sounds from up to 300 species of birds, countless amphibians, and the dozens of mammals who call this place home. This globally significant Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) was designed to be a key migratory habitat and waterfowl-breeding centre, and on the Bird in the Hand Canadian Signature Experience you'll discover why. On this interactive tour, groups literally get to feel tiny feathers flutter in the palm of their hands before releasing a newly banded songbird into the wild (all part of important migratory research) before heading out into the wetlands on canoes where the smell of blooming wildflowers and close encounters with colourful birds perched atop cattails are on the agenda. From the great outdoors, take your group to discover the great indoors at Outlet Collection Winnipeg (OCW), Manitoba's first fashion outlet. OCW has a number of green initiative and sustainable features, including low flow plumbing fixtures for water conservation, an energy saving building envelope, and LED lightening throughout the 400,000 sq. ft. facility. That night, set your head down in Winnipeg's newest sustainable and chic property, The Alt Hotel Winnipeg. This centrally located hotel has been built according to eco-friendly building standards — using a geothermal heating and cooling system. Since it opened in Spring 2015, the Alt has become the critic's choice in Winnipeg, with publications including Vogue, the Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star lavishing praise for its minimalist design, comfortable bedding, and modern rooms. Photo Courtesy of Outlet Collection Winnipeg Photo Courtesy of Alt Hotel Winnipeg