BATH TOWNSHIP, OH (WLIO) - The Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District invited kids to dinner on Thursday, but not for them.
On the last Thursday of every month, the park district invites families to an open house feeding day where they can pet, watch, and learn all about the diets of the different reptiles, amphibians, and fish that live in the McElroy Environmental Education Center. The ambassador animals are species that live in Ohio, and many of them can be found locally in our backyards and parks. Naturalists hold programs like this and take the animals to schools and events to teach people to respect and appreciate, not fear, wildlife.
"If we're able to associate snakes, for example, with a positive experience that we've had, we're less likely to be so destructive or fearful of them in the future. So, we're trying to build these connections of positive experiences in nature," explained JAMPD naturalist Dan Hodges.
The park district is always seeking teen volunteers to help feed and care for the animals every Thursday with their Critter Care program. You can find the application online here.
