Lizards, chinchillas and pythons, oh my!
These animals, along with Pygmy goats, an African hedgehog, a Fennec fox and a few other small critters will be visiting the Fayetteville Public Library at 6:30 p.m. on Monday as part of a program that educates about animals’ special adaptations.
“These animals all seem to be pretty un-extraordinary,” says Shawna Adams, the wildlife educational programmer bringing the animals to Fayetteville. “But they all have ‘super’ adaptations that are useful or helpful. That’s what makes these animals unique; you wouldn’t expect them to be that cool.”
Fitting with the “Superhero” theme of summer reading programs across the country, including those at FPL, these animals are part of the Underdogs program that is presented by the Natural History Educational Company of the Midsouth. The NHECM travels to libraries, summer camps and schools in the southeast, hosting educational and wildlife outreach programs for all ages.
“Our animal exhibits always have such a positive response,” Adams says. “It makes for a good learning opportunity when you can expose a group or community to something they may have never seen before. And [Underdogs] is such a great program for not only bringing light to the animals’ cool adaptations but also to how important they are to their ecosystems and even to human survival.”
The NHECM programmers make the exhibit understandable and relatable to all ages. They will still use technical terminology like “herbivore” and “nocturnal,” but they cater each show to the audience so everyone is able to understand.
“The kids will love it,” says Caitlyn Walsh, assistant manager of youth services at FPL. “We really look for programs that have an educational component but are also entertaining, so animals are always really popular. We’re expecting a group of between 50 and 100, of all ages, for this program.”
While traveling with that many animals can be challenging, and checking into a hotel with a Pygmy goat is always an interesting experience, Adams says she loves educating people about the animals.
“It’s a lot of hard work and long days on the road,” Adams says. “But the work is very rewarding. I get a lot of kids coming up and asking what they can do to have a job like me when they grow up. So it’s a good company to work for, and a great feeling making wildlife education more tangible to audiences.”
— Jocelyn Murphy