I have bought a season pass for Oaklawn Farm Zoo for as long as I can remember. My kids grew up going to the zoo. So many memories were made there with friends and family over the years. They can remember when certain animals were born and even took part in trying to name some of them. We went in all of the seasons that they were open and always looked forward to our first visit of the Spring, curious about which babies would be born.
It was also a place to run, climb and enjoy the outdoors. When I had my in home childcare I would go often with the kids and all of them, of all ages enjoyed it there. We have nothing in Nova Scotia like Oaklawn, so my heart was broken when I found out that they will be closing. I am sad that Ezra won’t have the memories the other kids and myself have had, but at the same time thankful for the memories we do have to take forward.
Going Way Back…
“Aylesford Park” was what my Nannie wrote on the back of some of our pictures from one of our few trips up from Yarmouth. I first learned that camels can spit thanks to her. 🙂 She was posing for a picture super close to the camel and when the picture was taken, the camel spit on her. It was funny and not funny all at the same time. I promise you, I have never stood too close to a camel ever since.
A Place to Ride a Pony…
This was always one of the biggest excitements for all of the kids. They would wait in the pony line as long as they had to so they could ride the pony. It was always moving to see each of the kids have their first ride and then have their first ride without someone holding them. We loved these milestones.
After the pandemic the pony rides never opened up again, but there were still lots of other things around for the kids to ride lol. For Ezra some of these statues were more exciting than the real animals. He loved the lion and would often pretend it was real.
Which Llama Likes You Best?
Entering the llamas space was a big highlight for the kids. Petting the llamas, seeing how long they would stick around for your attention and for some kids being snubbed by the llamas, it was always a guessing game. Some llamas certainly didn’t enjoy the company of some of the kids, but lots of the kids had favorite llamas and couldn’t wait to pet them. Alex was always the most brave with the llamas, never afraid to give them a big hug and they honestly seemed to enjoy it as much as she did. In the past few years the llamas have been behind the fence, where you can still see them.
A Place To Learn…
The zoo has always been a learning space. I always appreciated that they offered visible feeding times, so you could come at that time and be educated on what each animal eats, how often and so much more. When the kids were younger they had the opportunity to feed the bear with the help of the owner. Such a cool experience. They also fed goats & deer corn and they loved to pick thick green grass for the miniature horses and donkeys.
We Love Tree Stumps…
A few storms over the years knocked over trees which of course left the bulk of the tree or the stump. For some reason or another, we seemed to love posing on these. 🙂
Hold Onto The Memories, They Will Hold On To You…
I am so grateful to the owners of Oaklawn for starting and building such an amazing space for our kids to grow and learn. I am sad that they were not able to find people that love the zoo as much as they do to take it over, but can’t feel anything but thankful that I have been able to go and bring so many kids over the years to this place. We have so many memories to cherish and look back on for years to come. Thank you Oaklawn!
I Dream of Summer 
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