Wildlife Encounters!

     Last week, the entire second grade was treated to a very special presentation! Derek Small, owner and director of Wildlife Encounters, brought some very unique friends, to meet with our second grade animal experts!
After requiring the audience to recite the "Citizen's of Earth Pledge to the Planet", it was time for the show to begin!

I Pledge Allegiance

to the Web of Life

of which we are each a strand...

and to the planet Earth

on which we stand,

one ecosystem

under the sun,

interdependent,

with diversity and respect for all.

     Our first guest was Fauna, a brown SKUNK. We learned so much about this mammal and cleared up some common skunk stereotypes! We first learned that skunks are crepuscular, which refers to being active during dawn and dusk (as opposed to diurnal or nocturnal). Because of this, on an overcast day, you might spot a skunk during daytime hours. This doesn't mean they have rabies---they're just a little confused! We also learned, that, despite popular belief, trash is not their main diet. They primarily eat insects, which can take a lot of energy and work to hunt and collect. They have to eat a lot of insects to replace the energy, so if they walk by someones trashcan, which happens to have a lot of food scraps in it, then it's too hard to resist! A lot of second graders had questions about the skunk's stinky spray. They were happy to learn that, again, it requires a lot of energy (and is even a bit painful!) so they only spray as a last resort, They can usually get away with just showing "nature's stop sign"!

     After Fauna, Derek introduced us to the largest reptile in NH: the SNAPPING TURTLE. The most distinct feature of this reptile is, of course, it's long neck. Its neck is useful for snatching up food, snapping at approaching predators, and even for flipping itself upright! 

     Up next, was an animal also know as the "whistle pig". Houdini, the WOODCHUCK(also known as a groundhog), was not overly excited to be dragged out on this rainy day. Although in captivity, Houdini's body still begins preparation for hibernation (hence the extra weight he'd packed on!).

      A screech of joy from the owl class greeted Derek's next guest: Aurora, the GREAT HORNED OWL! "I can't believe I'm seeing a real live owl AND I'm in the owl class!" shrieked one excited classmate. Aurora joined the Wildlife Encounters family when she was rescued after being hit by a car. Knowing she'd be unable to take care of herself in the wild, Aurora now lives a full life educating others! Derek  wore special protective gloves so her powerful talons could keep her secure, while also keeping his hands safe.

     The last mammal Derek introduced us to, was Lorena: the OPOSSUM. Lorena was also a rescue, saved by her mother's pouch when they were hit by a car. We learned that opossums are the only marsupials in North America.They also have the most teeth! Coolest fact though? Their tails, similar to a human finger, can grasp onto to objects and, unlike a human finger, are strong enough to hold their entire body!

     The final guest of our special presentation was a HOGNOSE SNAKE. Derek was very excited to let us know that the hognose snake population is finally growing, as these small snakes were often confused for rattlesnakes and were subsequently killed. We also learned how vital snakes are to our ecosystem! If all the snakes were gone, in just 3 years, are population would be cut in half. A good remindrer, that as scary as these creatures may appear, they mean no harm!

Very excited to touch the snake on their way out!

   This fun and extremely informative presentation culminated a major portion of our animal unit. We will focus more specifically on the characteristics of bats and OWLS over the next few weeks.