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Thursday, July 24, 2008

It's Time To Get Wild!

By Laura Nesbitt
Mountain View Telegraph
      Exotic and domestic critters of many sizes will be on exhibit this Saturday at Roosevelt Middle School in Tijeras.
    Wildfest is a community education day organized by Talking Talons this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for adults and children to learn about their environment and wildlife. This is the eighth year organizers are holding Wildfest along with partners including the U.S. Forest Service, Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots program, New Mexico Department of Health and the middle school.
    All kinds of activities are planned and some events are free. Educational activities cost $3 for adults, $2 for children ages 5 to 12, and children under 5 are free. Vendors will sell food.
    "It's a way for the public to learn about different environmental things, and about the birds, bees and reptiles," said Talking Talons Youth Leadership program director Laurie Wearne. Wearne, who has a degree in biology, has worked with the group since 1997.
    Organizers have invited many animal rescue groups, environmental education groups and demonstration groups to participate.
    Groups will talk about spaying and neutering programs, and there will be a car show to encourage alternatives to the combustion engine; there will also be face painting, a rock wall, a tethered hot air balloon that rises to 75 feet, and a planetarium in the school's small gymnasium.
    Animals that will visit the event include an alligator, tortoise, wolf, greyhound, turtles, prairie dogs, exotic animals from the rain forest and a 24-foot-long reticulated python.
    Roots & Shoots, one of the partner groups, focuses on involving young people in "projects that demonstrate their care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community," Julie Velazquez said.
    The global organization has several local offspring groups that will give presentations.
    Youths from Rio Grande Roots & Shoots will talk about coyotes Saturday at Wildfest.
    Roman Velazquez, 10, will talk about collecting box tops to support the reintroduction of puffins on the coast of Maine, Velazquez said in an e-mail.
    Organizers of Wildfest also want to recognize military personnel along with their families "regardless of branch," who can get into all events for free by showing their military identification at the gate, Wearne said.
    "I really think that it's time for all of us to do something simple to recognize the service that these people are making. They don't come back unchanged. This is a family day. Why not put it out to the people who might not come back to their families?" Wearne asked.
    Her son, Army Spc. Jesse Noga, will be deployed again to Iraq this fall.
    "I don't think it's asking too much since they're putting their lives on the line to do something for them," Wearne said.
   

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