Today, April 26, 2025, we had such a fun time at Earth Fest at Everett Crowley Park. The event was organized by the Everett Crowley Committee, and we were so happy to be able to participate for our 4th year in a row.
The event was opened with a blessing and song by Musqueam Chief, Wayne Sparrow.
At our Free the Fern booth, we had an ivy & flower crown making activity. Free the Fern volunteers helped braid ivy into the crown and participants were welcomed to weave flowers into the crown. All the ivy and flowers, including bluebells, annual honesty, wild chervil and more, were gathered on the Red Alder Trail the day before. All ages enjoyed making and wearing the beautiful ivy crowns.
We also did public outreach, sharing about our Free the Fern stewardship effort, removing invasive plants and planting native plants. We had a number of people express interest to volunteer with us in the future. So, we look forward to seeing many new faces at our upcoming events!
We also sold some native plants, including sword ferns, red columbine, Pacifice bleeding heart, and more, which were left over from our recent Native Plant Sale. We also sold a number of 3-D printed owl planter pots that had been created by our board president, Erin. In addition, we had upcycled fabric bags available. These bags has been created by local community member, Paola.
We also partnered with artist, Lorna Mofatt, to do some outreach with the community. Lorna asked community members to share their favourite places in our community, what makes our community so unique, and what they like to do for fun here. Lorna will be taking those phrases and writing them on strips of upcycled fabric. She will then bring those to our Eco-Art Fest on June 28, to create a “braided community” project. This art piece will then be installed in the local Champlain Heights Community Centre.
We also enjoyed a drumming circle at the event and a performance by the Coastal Wolf Pack.
Thank you to our amazing 6 Free the Fern volunteers for dedicating their time to helping at our event: Catherine, Connor, Ellie, Erin, Grace, and Liam! Thank you to artist, Lorna Moffat, for helping with outreach. And a big thank you to the Everett Crowley Park Committee for organizing the event!