Seasonal Secrets
If your spring season needs a kick, then a day trip to Westham Island will do the trick.
It’s a well-kept secret: just beyond Ladner’s historic village is a small, one lane, wooden bridge that leads to Westham Island, home to Westham Island Herb Farm and George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
While best known for their summer strawberry u-pick and fall pumpkin patches, the spring herb and vegetable seedlings, bedding plants and flower baskets at the Westham Island Herb Farm are a great way to get your garden started. Or if you prefer to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labour, then choose from the great selection of locally harvested fruits and vegetables on offer.
The farm is also home to a quaint general store with locally made novelties (aprons, wooden garden signs and lots of yummy jams and honeys) and a few farm animals that keep the kids happy and entertained.
Just down the road is the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, an incredibly scenic wetland area along the Fraser River. Walk the many tree lined and riverfront paths through the marsh to see different varieties of birds. The mild climate and the abundance of food in this area make it the largest wintering concentration of waterbirds and raptors in Canada. Snow geese, hooded mergansers, trumpeter swans and red-breasted blackbirds are just a few of the more interesting creatures that call this sanctuary home.
To make it fun for the kids, buy a bag of birdseed (just $1) and make a game of spotting some of the more unusual birds and waterfowl along the way. Be sure to climb the stairs to the top of the viewing platforms to enjoy the amazing sights.
Put a spring in your step. It’s worth the visit to Westham Island. Tested by Michelle T., Vancouver
