Happy Mother’s Day
Week of May 11, 2025 – May 17, 2025
by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator
In the heart of springtime we celebrate mothers in all capacities, from the family members we hold closely to the teachers, coaches, and camp counselors that help shape us in our early years.
This time of year, mothers are beginning to raise their young in the wild too! Birds are building nests and preparing for eggs to hatch. Amphibians are laying eggs in vernal pools and reptiles are emerging from their long slumber over the winter. Mammals have been enjoying the warm weather and reading themselves to be parents. Insects are pollinating flowers and plants are beginning to form seeds. Soon eggs will be hatchlings, mammal moms will be caring for their young, and plants will soon be ripe with seeds.
Mother birds feed their hatchlings until they are strong enough to fledge, which is when young birds have grown wing feathers that are strong enough for flight. While not quite adults, fledglings soon become juveniles and can gather and hunt for food on their own. Amphibians and reptiles tend to lack the motherly instincts of mammals and birds, laying their eggs and leaving them to hatch and fend for themselves.
Mammal moms have one of the most special relationships in the animal kingdom. Many species form family units and stay with their mom and even grandmothers until having young of their own. Mammal moms are also fierce protectors of their young. The term “mama bear” is universally known to be true for all species of mammals, including humans!
As humans our emotional intelligence and empathy seems to be superior to other species of mammals, however, mammal moms often show compassion towards young that are not their own and even sometimes young of an entirely different species! Some of these magical interactions have been caught on camera and leave a mark on our hearts.
Many of us know what it is like to have a strong woman in our lives, who inspires us to be kind, compassionate, and independent. It’s wonderful to know that other species of mammals get to experience the beauty of motherhood too!
We invite our members to enjoy a weekly blog written by our naturalists. Every blog will be uniquely different but always inspired by nature. We may share a memory from a recent hike at The Woods or teach you about an animal or plant that lives on the preserve. No matter the topic, we will be sharing with you our passion for nature and celebrating the connections we all have to the natural world. Each blog will be connected to a weekly set of activities and ideas to help you put nature in your hands, even if you’re at home!