Thursday, June 19, 2008

Atka, pictured above, is a five year old arctic wolf and an absolutely beautiful animal. He is an ambassador for the Wolf Conservation Center and was a big hit at Sweetbriar Nature Center’s annual Nature and Wildlife Fair that was held this past Saturday.

It was great seeing the wolf but for me the highlight of the day was meeting Jim Fowler from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. This man has been a hero of mine nearly my whole life. Before I had baseball heroes, even before I knew about baseball really, Jim Fowler was the guy who did all the fun stuff on Wild Kingdom. My love of nature and the great outdoors is due in great part to Mr. Fowler. My whole family watched as Marlin Perkins and Jim (he didn’t need a last name) brought the wilderness into our house each Sunday night. It was a natural progression for me to explore the local woods on a regular basis. I still do that.

Here he is with a volunteer with Make Peace With Animals. MPWA is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization which concerns itself with the adoption and welfare of retired racing greyhounds. They are based in PA but they have a chapter right here on Long Island. These are very handsome dogs and friendly as well. Who knows? You could go home with a winner.

This African Grey was one of many beautiful birds that the Long Island Parrot Society had on display.

I got to see a lot of friends, old and new. This Barred Owl is a regular at Sweetbriar. There are other owls and several raptors (falcons, hawks, and eagles) on permanent display. These are birds with injuries that make it impossible for them to live in the wild, but it does give folks like you and I a chance to see them at close range. Sweetbriar is an excellent place to take the family to see many animals that one doesn’t ordinarily get to see. The grounds there also offer beautiful gardens and well groomed hiking trails.

This tortoise was a guest of Eric Powers who runs Your Connection 2 Nature. His company offers guided hikes and tours, as well as several educational programs, amongst other things.

I went as a volunteer in the morning and did my best to look busy for a couple of hours and then I grabbed my camera and walked around taking pictures. One should go with their strengths and one of mine is wandering aimlessly. The camera just makes it look good. I almost look like I know what I’m doing. JK