Animal Antics

Effie Yeaw Nature Center hosts annual festival of nature

By Susan Maxwell Skinner
September 2019

Bats, birds and reptiles will be among the educators during Effie Yeaw Nature Center’s annual NatureFest on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event aims to encourage an appreciation of nature among children and adults.

Among the presenters will be Gabe Kerschner who runs an animal sanctuary in Placer County. Rescued from adversity, his animals are stars of hundreds of school programs. They include an alligator, lemur, kangaroo and kookaburra. NatureFest attendees will also view a more regional menagerie that could include a skunk, raccoon and opossum. Kerschner will share animal-rescue stories, such as one about a bald eagle named Spirit who was shot by a fisherman in Alaska.
Save The Snakes, a nonprofit that champions one of nature’s most misunderstood species, will offer a program to dispel the myths. Gopher and king snakes will slither into the spotlight as presentation ambassadors. Northern California Bats representative Corky Quirk will bring along her nocturnal friends to underscore the importance of bats to ecology.

Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sacnaturecenter.net.
Susan Maxwell Skinner can be reached at sknrband@aol.com.