By Marisa Dawson, Photos Courtesy of Bennington Public Library
Wings stretched wide, curious eyes looked skyward and the room fell silent as birds of prey took center stage at the Bennington Public Library last Wednesday.
As part of the library’s Summer Reading Program, educators from Fontenelle Forest returned with several of their Raptor Ambassadors, giving children and families an up-close look at hawks, owls and other birds of prey while teaching about wildlife, conservation and environmental stewardship.
The annual presentation has become one of the library’s most anticipated summer programs, once again drawing a large crowd eager to see the birds in person.
Youth Services Librarian Johnna Ware said the unique opportunity keeps families coming back year after year.
“Birds, especially birds of prey, are fascinating animals that we rarely encounter up close,” Ware said. “That up close encounter plus the expert knowledge presented by the Fontenelle Forest ambassadors brings people back year after year!”
The presentation is one of several weekly Wednesday programs offered throughout the library’s Summer Reading Program, each featuring a different educational presenter.
Animal-themed programs have consistently been among the library’s biggest attractions, and Ware said there’s a good reason for that.
“People, especially kids, are fascinated by wild animals,” she said. “Our local families know that professional wildlife presenters like Fontenelle Forest, Papio NRD and Wildlife Encounters will bring some WILD creatures to visit here.”
Beyond simply seeing the animals, families often have opportunities to interact with some of the visiting creatures.
“Families also love animal outreach programs like these for the rare opportunity to touch some of the creatures that visit us,” Ware added.
While the live animals capture children’s attention, the programs are designed to leave them with more than memorable photos.
“The wildlife organizations that visit us here are all environmental education groups,” Ware said. “They not only provide expert knowledge on the animals they bring with them, but they also talk about environmental responsibility and being kind to the wild animals we share our world with. I hope that sparks conversations for our families once they leave here.”
Hosting programs like these locally also makes them more accessible for area families.
“We host these programs locally and at no cost to our patrons to remove as many barriers to access as possible,” Ware said. “People could travel to the zoo or other local farms for similar experiences, but they would have to travel further and pay a fee to do so.”
The educational experience often continues long after the presenters leave.
“Absolutely!” Ware said when asked whether the programs inspire children to keep learning. “While our animal nonfiction books are always popular, after our animal ambassador programs we get requests for books about nearly every animal that visited our library. We love that these programs can inspire further learning in our patrons of all ages!”
The library’s summer lineup of animal programs continues this week. On Tuesday, July 22, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD) will present Animal Adaptations, bringing several of its own animal ambassadors to the library. The following week, Wildlife Encounters will wrap up the summer series with another live animal presentation.
The free programs are open to the public and are part of the Bennington Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program, which brings educational presenters to the library each Wednesday throughout the summer.
