Community Corner
Kids Meet Georgia Animals, Learn About Their Habitat
Zoo Atlanta's ZooMobile came to the Alpharetta library branch to give kids a closeup look at animals native to Georgia on Wednesday, June 20.
Kids got a closeup look at animals native to Georgia, as the ZooMobile made its way to the Alpharetta library on Wednesday, June 20.
In two 45-minute lessons, Zoo Atlanta taught children about animal habitats while showing them a box turtle, American alligator and Eastern cottontail rabbit.
“We’re trying to teach kids to appreciate the animals in their backyard,” Natalie Woodall, an education instructor with Zoo Atlanta, told Patch.
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Alex the turtle is native to the Piedmont region, with its rolling hills and slow-moving waters, Woodall told a group of about 20 kids and their parents in the first session, as she held up the turtle.
“What other animals do you guys see in your backyard?” she asked. They responded: Foxes, coyotes and bunnies.
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Bunnies, or rabbits, are also indigenous to the Wiregrass Region, an area in south Georgia characterized by pine trees set widely apart with wiregrass growing between them, Woodall explained.
To demonstrate, she held up Rye the rabbit, whose large eyes are used to let in more light since the rabbit is most active at dusk and dawn. His large ears enable him to hear predators.
And most kids who live in Alpharetta may not see an alligator in their backyard, since its home is the Okefenokee Swamp, but they got to see GRITS, a baby alligator. GRITS stands for Gator Raised in the South, Woodall told the kids.
The ZooMobile visit is part of a program between Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, funded by a grant from U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Each library branch will get two visits from Zoo Atlanta’s ZooMobile.
This is the first time the ZooMobile has worked with families instead of schools, Woodall said.
Amy Alexander, a youth services librarian, said: “I think they [kids] learn more about native Georgia animals and what they can do to protect them.”
If you missed the ZooMobile, below is a listing of upcoming visits in North Fulton. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Contact your local library branch for informaiton.
Monday, July 23. 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Saturday, June 30. 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, July 21. 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 5. 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Monday, June 25. 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 12. 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
