The Discovery Nature Sanctuary has seen resounding success in the community.

To celebrate that success and look towards the future, DNS held their first fundraiser dinner Friday night.

Though the sanctuary, in the industrial section of Winkler's East end, is only in its infancy much has been accomplished says Paul Goossen, Chair of the DNS Committee.

"The accessibility trail is pretty much finished, we have the other trails in the total trail is about two kilometres, we've got nesting boxes up, we got loafing platforms, over 300 trees planted, pollinator garden done. A lot of great things have been done in less than a year and a half, it's amazing."

The evening was also a chance to learn about the unique biodiversity found in the Manitoba wilderness and an illustrated talk on owls by Dr. James Duncan.

Duncan is an owl expert and enthusiast and has been researching owls for over 30 years.

After retiring as Director of Manitoba’s Wildlife Branch, Duncan formed Discover Owls, a social enterprise dedicated to education, research and conservation of owls and other wildlife throughout the world.

Duncan also brought a visitor to the fundraiser, a rarely seen in the wild long-eared owl.

With the amount of work that has been completed, Goossen says they want to set their eyes on their next goal an outdoor classroom.

"I think one of the important things we want to come out of the nature sanctuary is that youth, students get an opportunity to learn more about the environment and the biodiversity, even right here within Winkler."

The classroom will give shelter and a working space for students and teachers to undertake curriculum-based studies. It will also be available for use by the general public when visiting the sanctuary.

Goossen says the event was a lot of fun with over 120 people who attended, raising $5,000 for the outdoor classroom.

Goossen encourages anyone interested in preserving the local ecosystem, by cleaning up non-native plants and garbage or documenting the many species that call the oasis home, can volunteer by visiting the DNS website.