The Fall River Public Library’s Main Library gave children “A Week in the Wild” the chance to come face to face with a host of unusual and extraordinary creatures from four different branches of the animal kingdom during the 2008 April school vacation week. On the first day, expert animal handlers introduced children to many familiar and not so familiar mammals, including a ring-tailed lemur, and a white-nosed coatimundi. Next, raptor expert Marla Isaac, owner of Taunton's New England Reptile and Raptor Exhibits, showed children owls, hawks, falcons and a chicken vulture. Marla then displayed snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, and crocodilians. The library ended its week-long journey into the wild on April 26th with “Eek! Bugs!,” a look at hissing cockroaches, giant millipedes and tarantulas. This fun and educational presentation was designed to give children a greater understanding of and appreciation for our natural world and to stimulate their curiosity that might bring them back to the library to learn on their own. The program was supported in part by a grant from the Fall River Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For further information, contact Children's Librarian David Mello at 508-324-2700.
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(Top row) Naturalist Marla Isaac talks to the assembled crowd at the Elm Street stage about turtles and snakes as Children's Librarian David Mello watches from outside the fence. (Middle row) Isaac shows the children the skin of a Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. (Bottom row) Children pose for pictures in front of a chicken vulture.