By: Lindsey Rowland
Lrowland@wbcowqel.com
Lowe-Volk Park is the place that many critters call home, and on Saturday afternoon, they all came out to celebrate during the Crawford Park District’s annual Animal Extravaganza.
The event was held in the summer for the first time this year, and the beautiful weather brought with it an enraptured crowd of families and kids alike. According to park director Bill Fisher, the Animal Extravaganza is a time for people who have special pets to come and share their history and how they care for their animals, as well as a chance for the nature center to bring out their live creatures for interaction.
Naturalists and volunteers alike were stationed inside the nature center and out, helping those in attendance to interact with the wildlife, as well as teaching about each animal’s local impact. The array featured spiders, snakes, turtles, lizards, fish, and kittens from the Crawford Humane Society. At one that afternoon, the schedule even boasted magician Rick Fisher, out of Michigan, who centered his show on the idea that “Nature is Magical”.
Mason Vent, a young event goer, said that his favorite animals were the turtles, as he liked how slow they are and how they tuck into their shells.
Cody Kent was among the naturalists spending time with kids such as Vent, with his job being to help those who would want to catch insects. According to Kent, the strength of the program was the fact that the animals present were a representation of Crawford County’s ecosystem.
“The kids like to come out here, it is fun for them,” Kent said. “All the stuff is native stuff and they can go out in their backyards and find and it’s nice, especially for some of the kids that don’t get out that much.”
For more information about all of the exciting programs that will be held at Lowe-Volk Park this summer, head to their website at www.crawfordparkdistrict.org.