As Jeff Rotin recalled, the idea of holding a ‘Wild Moms’ event to mark Mother’s Day came up during planning for the new season at Campbell Valley Regional Park, which usually begins on Victoria Day.
“I think it was just like, ‘let’s do something a little different this year,’” said Rotin, community development coordinator with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks.
“Let’s do something a week early this year because we can combine our season-opening event with Mother’s Day. “
As for the name, Wild Moms, Rotin regarded that as entirely appropriate.
“There are wild moms [in nature],” Rotin smiled.
“You know how they take care of their young in the wild.”
Celebrated on Sunday, May 12, the three-hour event marked Mother’s Day at the park’s nature house, and the red barn next to it, with live music from Langley’s Damn Chandelier Band, as well as theatrical performances, crafts, and activities for the whole family.
Turnout was up, with about 300 visitors, compared to the usual 200 for the season opener.
“Our park operators said it was one the busiest days in Campbell Valley, irrespective of the event, since before Covid,” Rotin reported.
Among the presenters was First Nations elder Karen Gabriel, who described herself as a member of the Kwantlen Village.
Gabriel brought her “track, scat and skull” program that, among other things, showed visitors how to tell different types of animals based on the look of the poop they leave behind.
It is one of eight programs that Gabriel has designed for school kids.
“I’ve been teaching in the Langley school district for the last 32 years,” Gabriel commented.
“I mean this is my day off, but I’ll work on my day off because I love my job.”
Langley Environmental Partners (LEPS) had an mother-tree-themed display, as environment educator Garima Wilson explained.
“The mother tree is interconnected with the roots of other trees and they also communicate with each other,” Wilson explained.
“They share that connectedness through their roots.”
OWL (Orphaned Wildlife) Rehabilitation Society brought barn owl “Alba” who came to the Delta rescue and rehab facility in May of 2011 after falling from her nest as a baby and breaking her right wing near the shoulder.
After her injury, Alba was unable to fly, so she is now a part of the OWL education team that attends schools and offsite events like “Wild Moms”
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