On Sunday June 20th, I did my Independent Service-Learning Field Trip at Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium. The trip went well, however, I was hoping there was more to see. The sun was very hot which made it uncomfortable to be out door. I saw many children and their parents touring the facility for Father’s Day.
The Calusa Nature Center specializes in caring for injured or abandoned animals and nurturing them back to good health. The center has 105 protected acres of land on which you will find the Iona house. In this facility is their museum with
exhibits on display and also a gift shop. To the right of this building is a planetarium where you will see binoculars and telescopes on display. Here they also have a theatre where they show movies about space science and mammals.
While outdoors I saw a butterfly aviary with beautiful butterflies and a bird aviary where they care for disabled birds which are unable to survive in the wild because of their injury. I also saw some wildlife such as alligator, bobcat, raccoon, skunks and they also have snakes on display. They have nature trails which takes you through the cypress wetlands, pine flatwoods and a restoration area.
The center has live educational shows where you can learn about their animals and also get to pet some of them. They also offer guided tours along the trails where you can learn about the plants and animals that live in our area.
I got to see one of their shows called “Meet the Mammals,” in which the Director of Wildlife feed the animals, and give us a history on them. This was then followed by a question and answer session. The children took advantage of his opportunity as their inquiring minds wanted to know so much. We were also given the opportunity to hold or pet some of the animals. I found this to be an interesting experience and I could see how excited some of the children were, they could hardly wait their turn.
I also had the opportunity to personally meet and interview the Executive Director, Jennifer Clearly and the Wildlife Director, Ruth Welburn. They were both excited that I chose their facility for my service-learning field trip.This field trip was an interesting experience, however, I am sure the children had more fun as they were happily running around and did not seem to mind how hot it was outside.
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