Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre will open its doors to the public on May 13 when it hosts its 13th annual baby shower fundraiser, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The family-friendly event represents the one time of the year the animal rehabilitation agency invites members of the public to tour their facility and get an up close look at some of the patients.
Guests will have a chance to witness SPWC staff and volunteers feeding some of the animals in their care.
“There’s likely going to be baby song birds, baby racoons, things like baby foxes have been known to make an appearance, it’s whoever’s available that day,” said Leah Birmingham, registered vet technician assistant director with SPWC.
“(The baby shower) gives them the chance to come behind the doors and see what goes on,” said Birmingham. “The turtle room will likely be hopping still because it’s hard to get a lot of those guys out until May because the water can be quite cold still when they’re use to warm winter temperature.”
Admission is free, though guests are encouraged to bring items from the centre’s wish list for donation. Items include bird seed, lettuce, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, work gloves, bleach, dish soap, butterfly nets, heating pads with auto shut off, extra large industrial garbage bags and empty toilet paper rolls and small cardboard boxes. A complete list of items can be found at www.sandypineswildlife.org.
Along with the feeding demonstrations there will be a petting zoo, live music, vendors, live auction and silent auction. A raffle for a one week cottage stay on Mazinaw Lake as well as a raffle for a diamond necklace will also take place. Raffle tickets are available now at SPWC.
This year has been a particularly challenging one for the rescue centre, which is still recovering from a major barn fire in January. Adding to the strain is the extended winter season that ran through April.
“Our spring is starting to hit before we’ve had enough warm weather to release a lot of the wintering patients,” said Birmingham. “We’re on a mad mission to try and get amphibians, reptiles like snakes that could go out, we have frogs and salamanders. Our bat fridge has been full all winter of bats that have been cycling in and out of hibernation. We need to pull them out of hibernation, warm them up and then get them out. We need to wait for bugs to start flying at night for that to start to happen.”
A successful baby shower, which traditionally serves as the biggest fundraiser for the mostly volunteer-run centre, would go along way in helping them continue to do the work they do on a shoestring budget.
SPWC is located at 8749 County Rd 2 in Napanee.