Education, Wetlands

Mairead McEwan Hosken from the Luther Marsh Wetland Centre of Excellence wins Ducks Unlimited Canada scholarship

Mairead is recognized for overcoming challenges and becoming a leader within her wetlands.

By Noella O'Connor-McGeough September 08, 2026

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is excited to announce Mairead McEwan Hosken as one of the winners of the Wetland Centre of Excellence (WCE) scholarships. Mairead participated in the WCE program through her school in Mount Forest, Ont., where she was recognized as an outstanding student.

The WCE program, ran by DUC, engages schools across Canada. Students are given the opportunity to become local wetland stewards through conservation projects and mentorship. The WCE scholarships are awarded every year to three students who have demonstrated an exceeding passion for conservation. Additionally, these awards support students as they pursue education in fields where they can continue to have an environmental impact.

Mairead was awarded the scholarship for her enthusiasm, leadership skills and deep passion for nature. DUC hopes the award will help support her as she transitions into studying mechanical engineering, which she plans to use as a new lens to solve environmental issues.

Making connections

Mairead’s school in Mount Forest has been a long-standing member of the WCE program. As part of the program, they offer the Community Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) at nearby Luther Marsh, which focuses on outdoor experiences, leadership skills, and building respect and understanding of the environment.

“I heard about the CELP program. I was so excited. I’m like, ‘I need to do this.’ And it was so amazing. I knew right away I was going to love it, and I did,” Mairead says.

“It taught me a lot about the kind of person that I wanted to be instead of this closed-off, shy person. I wanted to be open and show my love of nature and share it with other people, make sure that they cherish it as much as I do.”

Through the program, Mairead attained high academic success and became an emerging leader in her year. Her time in the program also fostered her confidence, allowing her to come out of the shell and build relationships with her classmates.

“It really helped me make connections with my peers as well and make lasting friendships,” she says.

Mairead also took part in extra opportunities while in the WCE program, including the Case Study Competition, a national WCE event that brings together students from across Canada. In that competition, her group conducted extensive research on whether firebreaks or wetlands were more effective for wildfire management. They also had the opportunity to present their findings before a panel of experts in the field.

Creating and taking part in a legacy

Mentorship is a very important element of the WCE program. As part of programming, high school students act as wetland guides to younger students, building their leadership skills. This also gives younger students the opportunity to learn about biodiversity, ecosystems, plants and animals.

“My favourite thing is when the kids came,” Mairead says. “I adore children so much and I loved teaching them all the stuff that I knew and was learning too.”

Some of the mentorship activities she took part in included guided hikes and leading fun wetland games. She also learned from the students who came before her.

“I felt while I was there that I got to be part of the history of the place, because there’s all the pictures of past helpers and teachers and all their signatures on the wall,” she says of the ongoing legacy of the program.

“I know they all adored it just as much as I did. And I think that it’s important to take care of these places so that you can allow other people to enjoy them just as much as you do.”

Mairead also developed a close bond with her WCE leaders. When Matthew Timberlake, a WCE leader at Luther Marsh, was asked to recommend her for the scholarship, he said: “Mairead was one of the kindest, conscientious, patient and studious leaders we have ever taught. Mairead truly cared about our environmental-based content and was always looking at how she could support her classmates, enhance our program and provide a better experience for our young guests.”

Engineering and the wetlands

Currently in her last year of high school, Mairead is looking to pursue mechanical engineering during her post-secondary education. In particular, she is interested in exploring engineering solutions that address critical issues such as flooding and providing clean drinking water. She believes that her knowledge about wetlands might provide unique perspectives in addressing these problems.

“I have always loved to build things, and my goal is to bring these things together with my deep appreciation for the outdoors,” she says.

^“

Through my field of study, I intend to both seize and create opportunities where I can make it easy for everyone to apply solutions that will benefit wetlands and other diverse ecosystems.

Mairead McEwan Hosken

Ducks Unlimited Canada wishes Mairead great success in her educational journey and hopes the scholarship will provide support during her transition into post-secondary, as well as a recognition of her efforts in the WCE program.

“I think that it’s such an honour because I get to be part of the legacy of the program at my school as well as at [DUC],” she says. “It’s always lovely when someone’s like ‘good job’—like what you’re doing actually matters and you’re making a difference.”

Read These Stories Next

Kiera De Michele from the Luther Marsh Wetland Centre of Excellence wins Ducks Unlimited Canada scholarship