Children called to wild

More than 200 adults and young people checked out activities such as campfire music and raptor rehabilitation during Call of the Wild June 7 at 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville.

The informal event benefits Ozark Natural Science Center in Huntsville, and this is the first year children have been invited, executive director Matthew Miller said. He said they wanted to do something different this year "since Ozark Natural Science Center students and children are why we're here." This also gave adults the opportunity to see the different activities ONSC does. XXXX was raised at the event, and all net proceeds will go toward scholarships for students to participate in ONSC programs, he added.

During the first hour, families could go through some of the "Wild Bunch" youth activities together. Molly Waldron, teacher naturalist at the science center, said the activities included hearing about raptor rehabilitation, seeing mammal skulls and fossils, listening to campfire music, tie-dying bandanas to look like a nebula, learning about Ozark glade ecosystems and making Ozark glade succulent terrariums to take home, participating in conservation stations, pressing native wildflowers to make colorful cards, learning about bald eagles and seeing an eagle nest replica and finding out about creek critters and water quality.

Adults then moved into another area of the event for hors d'oeuvres and a live auction while the children continued doing crafts with teachers and volunteers. At the end of the evening, the young people were brought into this area and received certificates for participating in the various activities, Miller said.

There were about 15 live auction items, including a vacation for six to Los Cabos, Mexico, a SpongeBob SquarePants gift basket, donated native trees, canoe trees, original artwork and a clear canoe, Miller said.

Food was provided by the hotel.