PHOTOS: Little Explorers Enjoy Visit from West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center
By Julie Perine on October 13, 2017 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
A visit from the West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center featuring "Hootie" the great horned owl fit in perfectly with the Little Explorers' unit on owls and 
spiders.
The preschool-age children participating in this session of the Bridgeport Parks and Recreation-sponsored group were fascinated and inquisitive about their new feathered friend and learned a number of interesting facts, including that the horned owl has whiskers, can turn its head 270 degrees in either direction and likes to prey on skunks.
Little Explorers meets at the Benedum Civic Center on West Main Street. The next session begins Nov. 1 and will feature study of the Native American Cultures.
"The children will identify who they were and their lifestyles," said Anita Jesmer, Little Explorers instructor. "They will be making rainsticks, arrowhead necklaces, teepees and dream catchers."
Registration is open with class size limited. Class time options are 6-7 p.m. Wednesdays and 10-11 a.m. Thursdays. The cost is $35 for four weeks. Little Explorers follows the Harrison County Schools schedule. There will not be classes during the week of Thanksgiving.
Sign up for the next Little Explorers session - which runs through the month of November - by calling Bridgeport Parks and Recreation 304-842-8240 or visiting the office of the Benedum Civic Center.
On Dec. 7, a special one-day Little Explorers class will be held during which children learn how animals survive the cold, harsh winters. Parents do not need to stay with their little ones.
"If you need a little extra time to shop, this is a perfect opportunity," Jesmer said.
Cost for the December class is $30. It will meet at 10 a.m. and conclude at noon.
See more photos of Hootie's visit at the gallery below.
Located in Fairmont, The West Virginia Raptor Rehabilitation Center (WVRRC) is a non-profit (501-c-3) organization dedicated to the care of injured, sick and orphaned birds of prey and their eventual release back into the wild. The WVRRC operates on contributions from public and corporate sponsors, and is sanctioned by and the recipient of an annual grant from the West Virginia Wildlife Diversity Program.
