Sarah Williams
Beaver Staff
Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre’s (SPWC) 14th annual fundraising ‘Baby Shower’ will take place this Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The one time of the year Sandy Pines opens their doors to the public, the baby shower will feature live music such as the Fade Kings and Kitchen Gypsies, as well as a petting zoo, face painting, kids’ crafts and a canteen for refreshments.
There will also be a feeding demo wherein guests can see some of the baby animals being fed, as well as a tour of the new barn and future aquatic bird centre.
The mandate of the facility is to help all injured and orphaned wildlife (including mammals, birds, reptiles/amphibians) and release them back into the wild. Sandy Pines also gives advice and assistance to property owners who are having problems with their wild animal neighbours and can offer humane alternatives to solve these conflicts. They work closely with veterinarians and Humane Societies across Ontario while receiving no government funding.
Leah Birmingham, assistant director and a registered vet technician at Sandy Pines, says it’s nice for the community to get to see a closer look at what goes into caring for all the animals. Another key component of this event is education.
“We have posters up that are teaching people things about fishing line, so bringing awareness about some of the things we see on a daily basis and trying to educate the general public about what goes on when humans leave a trace and then another is what happens when humans kidnap these animals,” said Birmingham. “People think some animals are orphans when they aren’t. We’re trying to educate people to make sure animals are orphans before they intercede.”
When asked about why a wildlife centre would want to have an open-house as a fundraising event, Birmingham stated community awareness is one of Sandy Pines top tier goals, making sure the community feels proud of the work done here and comfortable bringing animals to the wildlife centre.
Spring is synonymous with babies in the wild which means humans tend to encounter these young one often either resulting in conflict or just being there when an orphan needs help.
For Sandy Pines, that means they are expecting more incoming animals than at any other time of the year. With approximately 1,000 guests expected for Sunday’s event, it is a perfect time to showcase the work they do for the young and vulnerable at SPWC.
Rather than pay a fee to enjoy the baby shower, SPWC is asking for a donated item off their wish list. A link to that wish list can be found at www.sandypineswildlife.org/.
The baby shower is a family friendly, wheelchair accessible event.